Samuel Butler: Time for Atoms
on Thursday, November 27, 2014Funny Money Quotes: When one believes that time represents dollars, reality will never interest a mind so focused. Samuel Butler said:
“We shall never get people whose time is money to take much interest in atoms” — Samuel Butler
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In this quote, Samuel Butler is making an observation about human priorities and interests. On the surface, he suggests that people who view their time primarily as having monetary value will tend not to devote much attention to microscopic or theoretical subjects like atoms.
More deeply, Butler seems to be commenting that those for whom time literally translates to income due to billable hours, deadlines or business obligations will naturally focus on more immediately practical concerns rather than esoteric areas of inquiry.
The overarching interpretation is that Butler recognized how economic imperatives and pressures shape people’s proclivities – with limited free hours in a day, those for whom time equals money will rationally allocate their focus to matters bearing clear relevance to their livelihoods and productivity over abstract scientific curiosities with uncertain real-world applications.
According to Butler, economic realities can influence the scope and direction of individuals’ interests.
Birthday: December 4, 1835 – Death: June 18, 1902