---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You cannot experience something if you…"
description: "\"“You cannot experience something if you don’t have the necessary sensitivity, and you cannot develop your sensitivity except by undergoing a long strin..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/yuval-noah-harari-100_empathy_you-cannot-experience-something-if-you-d_2807796.jpg"
---

#  You cannot experience something if you don’t have the…

![“You cannot experience something if you don’t have the necessary sensitivity, and you cannot develop your sensitivity except by undergoing a long string of experiences. What’s” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/yuval-noah-harari-100_empathy_you-cannot-experience-something-if-you-d_2807796.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/yuval-noah-harari-100_empathy_you-cannot-experience-something-if-you-d_2807796.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/yuval-noah-harari-100_empathy_you-cannot-experience-something-if-you-d_2807796.jpg)

> ““You cannot experience something if you don’t have the necessary sensitivity, and you cannot develop your sensitivity except by undergoing a long string of experiences. What’s””

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

States that sensitivity and experience are prerequisites for meaningful perception, implying growth through lived events.

**In simple terms:** Experience builds sensitivity.

Key Takeaway

Seek varied experiences.

Themes

growth perception experience

Mood

thoughtful inquisitive

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- travel
- career challenges
- personal relationships

Key Concepts

learning emotional intelligence

Questions to Reflect On

- What experiences have shaped you?
- How can you cultivate sensitivity?

A Different Perspective

Sensitivity alone may not guarantee insight.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Empathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Sensitivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensitivity/)

## Related quotes

> [If children hear fine music from the day of their birth and learn to play it, they develop sensitivity, discipline and endurance. They get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shinichi-suzuki/if-children-hear-fine-music-from-the-day-of-their-birth-and-learn-to/)

[Shinichi Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shinichi-suzuki/)

> [Inspiration is constantly in the air. It's up to us to develop the sensitivity to pick up on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbie-hancock/inspiration-is-constantly-in-the-air-it-s-up-to-us-to-develop-the/)

[Herbie Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbie-hancock/)

> [Insecure people have a special sensitivity for anything that finally confirms their own low opinion of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/insecure-people-have-a-special-sensitivity-for-anything-that-finally/)

[Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/)

> [This stupid sensitivity! But then women like sensitivity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-collins/this-stupid-sensitivity-but-then-women-like-sensitivity/)

[Phil Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-collins/)

> [My biggest weakness is my sensitivity. I am too sensitive a person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/my-biggest-weakness-is-my-sensitivity-i-am-too-sensitive-a-person/)

[Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/)

> [The art of communicating is to speak with a non judging sensitivity and mean it rather than impulsively verbalizing whatever feelings arise; there's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-orloff/the-art-of-communicating-is-to-speak-with-a-non-judging-sensitivity/)

[Judith Orloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-orloff/)

> [The short way to happiness is through kindness and sensitivity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-short-way-to-happiness-is-through-kindness-and-sensitivity/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Sensitivity is a sign of strength. It's not about toughening up, it's about smartening up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-forleo/sensitivity-is-a-sign-of-strength-it-s-not-about-toughening-up-it-s/)

[Marie Forleo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-forleo/)

> [In order to give meaning to the world, one has to feel oneself involved in what he frames. This attitude requires concentration, a discipline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-cartier-bresson/in-order-to-give-meaning-to-the-world-one-has-to-feel-oneself/)

[Henri Cartier-Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-cartier-bresson/)

> [Within the yogic philosophy, the edge is considered to be my creative teacher from whom I can learn about myself. If I approach this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-dychtwald/within-the-yogic-philosophy-the-edge-is-considered-to-be-my-creative/)

[Ken Dychtwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-dychtwald/)

> [I can see how, given a certain degree of sensitivities, proclivities and rage, I could have ended up differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-malkovich/i-can-see-how-given-a-certain-degree-of-sensitivities-proclivities/)

[John Malkovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-malkovich/)

> [Your sensitivity is power. Don't let people transform your qualities into weaknesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/your-sensitivity-is-power-don-t-let-people-transform-your-qualities/)

[Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/)

> [I'm very sensitive in real life. I cannot not cry if someone around me is crying. I will start to cry if someone is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-chastain/i-m-very-sensitive-in-real-life-i-cannot-not-cry-if-someone-around-me/)

[Jessica Chastain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-chastain/)

> [If we do not appreciate the sensitivity and subtlety of the human heart, how can we appreciate the sensitivity and subtlety of the natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakyong-mipham/if-we-do-not-appreciate-the-sensitivity-and-subtlety-of-the-human/)

[Sakyong Mipham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyong-mipham/)

> [I began to use my sensitivity. And I realized I wasn't weird because I cried a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherilyn-fenn/i-began-to-use-my-sensitivity-and-i-realized-i-wasn-t-weird-because-i/)

[Sherilyn Fenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherilyn-fenn/)

## More by Yuval Noah Harari

> [“For similar reasons, archaic humans did not initiate any revolutions. As far as we can tell, changes in social patterns, the invention of new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/for-similar-reasons-archaic-humans-did-not-initiate-any-revolutions/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Today the main source of wealth is knowledge. And whereas you can conquer oil fields through war, you cannot acquire knowledge that way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/today-the-main-source-of-wealth-is-knowledge-and-whereas-you-can/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“How do you cause people to believe in an imagined order such as Christianity, democracy or capitalism? First, you never admit that the order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/how-do-you-cause-people-to-believe-in-an-imagined-order-such-as/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [I think the basic thing that happened is we have lost our story. Humans think in stories, and we try to make sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/i-think-the-basic-thing-that-happened-is-we-have-lost-our-story/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Whereas chimpanzees spend five hours a day chewing raw food, a single hour suffices for people eating cooked food. The advent of cooking enabled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-chimpanzees-spend-five-hours-a-day-chewing-raw-food-a-single/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“the Chinese air-purification market is booming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-chinese-air-purification-market-is-booming/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Whereas liberalism merged with the milder versions of nationalism to protect the unique experiences of each human community, evolutionary humanists such as Hitler identified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-liberalism-merged-with-the-milder-versions-of-nationalism-to/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Corporations, money and nations exist only in our imagination. We invented them to serve us; why do we find ourselves sacrificing our lives in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/corporations-money-and-nations-exist-only-in-our-imagination-we/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Small children in affluent societies often dislike showering, and it takes them years of education and parental discipline to adopt this supposedly attractive custom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/small-children-in-affluent-societies-often-dislike-showering-and-it/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Ever more scholars see cultures as a kind of mental infection or parasite, with humans as its unwitting host. Organic parasites, such as viruses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/ever-more-scholars-see-cultures-as-a-kind-of-mental-infection-or/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Soviet Communism was a fanatical and missionary religion. A devout Communist could not be a Christian or a Buddhist, and was expected to spread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/soviet-communism-was-a-fanatical-and-missionary-religion-a-devout/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Whereas religion asks us to believe in something, money asks us to believe that other people believe in something”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-religion-asks-us-to-believe-in-something-money-asks-us-to/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Terrorists are like a fly that tries to destroy a china shop. The fly is so weak that it cannot budge even a single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/terrorists-are-like-a-fly-that-tries-to-destroy-a-china-shop-the-fly/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Yet what happens if the greedy shoemaker increases his profits by paying employees less and increasing their work hours? The standard answer is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/yet-what-happens-if-the-greedy-shoemaker-increases-his-profits-by/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“A natural order is a stable order. There is no chance that gravity will cease to function tomorrow, even if people stop believing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/a-natural-order-is-a-stable-order-there-is-no-chance-that-gravity/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

[Explore all 1,200 Yuval Noah Harari quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

## More Empathy quotes

> [I have a lot of empathy, and I think that's where mothering starts. You are there to empathise and facilitate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/i-have-a-lot-of-empathy-and-i-think-that-s-where-mothering-starts-you/)

[Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/)

> [When you need empathy, you cannot give empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-you-need-empathy-you-cannot-give-empathy/)

[Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/)

> [Cinematography speaks to everything that women do inherently well: It's multitasking, it's empathy, and it's channeling visuals into human emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/cinematography-speaks-to-everything-that-women-do-inherently-well-it/)

[Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/)

> [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/)

[Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/)

> [“Understanding breeds empathy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-paolini/understanding-breeds-empathy/)

[Christopher Paolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-paolini/)

> [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Making a movie is about following characters and embarking on an adventure with them, seeing their reactions, and seeing what they do, having empathy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franck-khalfoun/making-a-movie-is-about-following-characters-and-embarking-on-an/)

Franck Khalfoun

> [“A novel is not an allegory...it is a sensual experience of another world. If you don't enter that world, hold your breath with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/a-novel-is-not-an-allegory-it-is-a-sensual-experience-of-another/)

[Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/)

> [Empathic listening takes time, but it doesn't take anywhere near as much time as it takes to back up and correct misunderstandings when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/empathic-listening-takes-time-but-it-doesn-t-take-anywhere-near-as/)

[Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/)

> [I try to treat every job with the exact same level of respect. When I go into it, it doesn't matter what the budget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-scodelario/i-try-to-treat-every-job-with-the-exact-same-level-of-respect-when-i/)

[Kaya Scodelario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-scodelario/)

> [“CWC (Church Women Concerned) enabled us as women in that part of South Africa, to see ourselves as ordinary citizens who found themselves in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sindiwe-magona/cwc-church-women-concerned-enabled-us-as-women-in-that-part-of-south/)

Sindiwe Magona

> [Ultimately, my character is defined by the quality of my sensitivity to other people. I exist in equilibrium. I am here to the degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/ultimately-my-character-is-defined-by-the-quality-of-my-sensitivity/)

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

> [I began to use my sensitivity. And I realized I wasn't weird because I cried a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherilyn-fenn/i-began-to-use-my-sensitivity-and-i-realized-i-wasn-t-weird-because-i/)

[Sherilyn Fenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherilyn-fenn/)

> [“The emotional intelligence model consists of four clusters: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.  ● Self-Awareness is a propensity for self-reflection and thoughtfulness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-bolton/the-emotional-intelligence-model-consists-of-four-clusters-self/)

[Chuck Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-bolton/)

> [I need voices of reason and of hysteria and of empathy. I need to have an Alanis moment. I need advice from Elizabeth Bennett.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/i-need-voices-of-reason-and-of-hysteria-and-of-empathy-i-need-to-have/)

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

[Browse all 2,480 Empathy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“You cannot experience something if you don’t have the necessary sensitivity, and you cannot develop your sensitivity except by undergoing a long string of experiences. What’s”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Yuval Noah Harari"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/you-cannot-experience-something-if-you-don-t-have-the-necessary/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Empathy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/you-cannot-experience-something-if-you-don-t-have-the-necessary/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/yuval-noah-harari-100_empathy_you-cannot-experience-something-if-you-d_2807796.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/yuval-noah-harari-100_empathy_you-cannot-experience-something-if-you-d_2807796.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/yuval-noah-harari-100_empathy_you-cannot-experience-something-if-you-d_2807796.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You cannot experience something if you don’t have the necessary sensitivity, and you cannot develop your…” — Yuval Noah Harari",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Yuval Noah Harari",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“You cannot experience something if you...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/you-cannot-experience-something-if-you-don-t-have-the-necessary/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/you-cannot-experience-something-if-you-don-t-have-the-necessary/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
