Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Things often seem impossible or amazing until they are actually done or understood.
In plain terms
Many things look impossible until someone proves they can be done.
What can you take from it?
Don't assume something is impossible before seeing it done.

Where it applies

  • scientific discovery
  • personal goals
  • creative projects

Putting it to work

  • challenge assumptions
  • experiment freely
  • stay open minded

Questions to consider

  • What seemed impossible to you before?
  • How do you judge feasibility?

Another view

Some things truly are impossible due to physical laws.

More from Pliny the Elder

  1. With man, most of his misfortunes are occasioned by man.

    Permalink to quote #8
  2. The human features and countenance, although composed of but some ten parts or little more, are so fashioned that among so many thousands of men there are no t…

    Permalink to quote #10
  3. Man is the only one that knows nothing, that can learn nothing without being taught. He can neither speak nor walk nor eat, and in short he can do nothing at t…

    Permalink to quote #7

Related quotes

  1. A science in its infancy is the least satisfactory, and, at the same time, the most profitable theme for a general description.

    Herbert DingleHerbert Dingle quote #1
  2. I had made up my mind to find that for which I was searching even if it required the remainder of my life. After innumerable failures I finally uncovered the p…

    Alexander Graham BellAlexander Graham Bell quote #4
  3. Technology is anything that wasn't around when you were born.

    Alan KayAlan Kay quote #5