In Haruki Murakami's "Men Without Women," the narrator expresses a desire for a device that could quantify sadness in numerical form. This concept reflects the complexity of emotions, highlighting how difficult it can be to grasp feelings like sadness with any precision. The idea of encapsulating such an abstract notion in a simple tool resonates deeply with the challenges of emotional understanding.

The comparison to measuring air in tires suggests a longing for clarity and control over emotions, similar to how one ensures their tires are properly inflated. This metaphor underlines the human need to manage feelings in a tangible way, illustrating the stark contrast between physical and emotional states. Murakami subtly invites readers to ponder the implications of measuring feelings in a quantifiable manner.