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Cannot Quotes

On what cannot be explained, shrunk, or ignored.

Several quotes here sit at the edge of science and philosophy - the statistical, non-deterministic nature of quantum experiments, and the strange fact that a mind cannot fully comprehend itself. Make offers a more constructive counterpoint.

It's a voluntary act. I cannot punish anyone not taking the public transport, but I want everyone, from the highest ranking officers to the lowest, to take public transport every Wednesday.

Quotes by Veerappa Moily

The artist deals in what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words.

Quotes by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Harvey Weinstein scandal was a clear indicator of the situation in Hollywood, and I cannot say that it doesn't happen in Bollywood.

Quotes by Urvashi Rautela

I had incorrectly, for all of my adult life until 2008, believed the biggest voting myth that exists - that ex-felons cannot vote.

Quotes by Two Chainz

I always say that as a Christian I cannot find any passage in the Gospels in which Jesus condemned homosexuality.

Quotes by Troy Perry

However, in spite of the general perception that monetary policy should be conducted so as to avert deflation, a central bank cannot lower interest rates below the zero lower bound.

Quotes by Toshihiko Fukui

I cannot think of a greater symbol of human resistance and courage than our Nobel laureate colleague Andrei Sakharov.

Quotes by Torsten Wiesel

Liberal democracies do not and often cannot respond in kind to cyberattacks on their own way of governance.

Quotes by Toomas Hendrik Ilves

I cannot say that I write with any social objective. One writes because one loves writing, really.

Quotes by Tom Stoppard

As an already high-demand, low-density military asset, we cannot afford to lose the JSTARS's BMC2/ISR unparalleled capability.

Quotes by Tom Graves

Guardians are necessary for children and abnormal adults, because they cannot make responsible choices for themselves.

Quotes by Tom G. Palmer

Libertarians typically argue that particular obligations, at least under normal circumstances, must be created by consent; they cannot be unilaterally imposed by others.

Quotes by Tom G. Palmer

To repeat, communitarians maintain that we are constituted as persons by our particular obligations, and therefore those obligations cannot be a matter of choice.

Quotes by Tom G. Palmer

Man is a creature of hope and invention, both of which belie the idea that things cannot be changed.

Quotes by Tom Clancy

We walk ourselves into ruts so deep we cannot see over them.

Quotes by Tom Brown, Jr.

Monetary policy itself cannot sensibly be directed at reducing imbalances.

Quotes by Timothy Geithner

Since a thing cannot be known directly or totally, one can only attune to it, with greater or lesser degrees of intimacy.

Quotes by Timothy Morton

An orthodox belief in big government's inefficiency cannot coexist with an orthodox belief in private industry's inability to compete with big government.

Quotes by Timothy Noah

We cannot play with fear nor with too much confidence.

Quotes by Thomas Tuchel

Judges are real people with real-world experiences and backgrounds. We cannot expect them to erase their experiences and backgrounds from the mindset that informs their judicial decision-making.

Quotes by Thomas Rex Lee

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a quote about quantum theory and causality?
Yes — one quote explains that "in quantum theory we cannot rely on strict causality," but that repeating experiments many times lets us "derive from the observations statistical distributions."
Is there a quote about learning from history?
Yes, one quote insists "we cannot just take this historical fact for granted," adding simply, "We must make it live." For more on taking action, see our Make quotes.
Is there a short, philosophical quote about understanding?
Yes — one quote offers a compact reflection: "We cannot comprehend what comprehends us."
Is there a quote about the scale of something vast?
Yes, one quote observes, "A thing is mighty big when time and distance cannot shrink it," a poetic way of describing something's enduring significance.
Where can I find more quotes on similar themes?
Browse our Government quotes, He quotes, or Me quotes for more.

For related reflections on resolve and permanence, see Government and He.