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'Not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted counts'.
Sounds like a tongue twister? Or something that doesn't make much sense? I'd advise you not to judge this sentence in a flash, especially since I'm going to reveal who said this. It's none other than Albert Einstein, the
now personification of 'genius'. To think that it was such a thoughtful person who said it, there is definitely something in this sentence which is more than meets the eye.
The beauty of any language is that it is so clear yet so confusing. The same is true for English. Some words just seem to have a multi personality disorder and can mean different things based on the context. I like to perceive some words as chameleons for reasons you might obviously guess. In case you can't, it's because in one situation they mean one thing and in another situation they completely get transformed. For example the word 'bark' means the sound of a dog and the outer sheath of a tree.
In the same way, the word 'count' can mean two things. One is counting the numbers or items and the other can mean something that can be considered. So this sentence can have a vast spectrum of meaning. How I see it is, there are some things which are necessary but can't be counted and some things which can be counted but not really necessary. Did I confuse you more? Let me give you an example. What makes a good person? Compassion, kindness, empathy and
honesty and a few more qualities. Can we count these in monetary terms? These seem to be very important in judging a person right? How about money, possession, property and gold? As these can be counted, even though a person may have heaps of them, he can have no peace of mind.
Long story short, we must measure the right things. We must be careful not to waste time in measuring the things that don't even count, in order to live a contented life.
Anandi
Writer
Philomath Team