--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is fundamentals that matter --- not…" description: "\"“It is fundamentals that matter --- not the trappings. (Alice Cunningham)”\" — Agatha Christie" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/986/agatha-christie-154_fundamentals_it-is-fundamentals-that-matter-not-the-t_2475543.jpg" --- # It is fundamentals that matter --- not the trappings… ![“It is fundamentals that matter --- not the trappings. (Alice Cunningham)” quote by Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/986/agatha-christie-154_fundamentals_it-is-fundamentals-that-matter-not-the-t_2475543.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/986/agatha-christie-154_fundamentals_it-is-fundamentals-that-matter-not-the-t_2475543.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/986/agatha-christie-154_fundamentals_it-is-fundamentals-that-matter-not-the-t_2475543.jpg) > ““It is fundamentals that matter --- not the trappings. (Alice Cunningham)”” [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fundamental truths matter more than superficial appearances. **In simple terms:** Essentials outweigh appearances. Key Takeaway Focus on core values. Themes truth essentials authenticity Mood thoughtful analytical clear Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - design - leadership - media analysis Key Concepts philosophy ethics Questions to Reflect On - How do you distinguish substance from style? - What fundamentals guide your decisions? A Different Perspective Surface details can be persuasive and distract. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alice Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alice-cunningham-807729/) [Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunningham-332109/) [Fundamentals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentals/) [Fundamentals Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentals-matter-807728/) [Trappings Alice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trappings-alice-807730/) ## Related quotes > [Bill Cunningham... he knows fashion better than anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azzedine-alaia/bill-cunningham-he-knows-fashion-better-than-anybody/) [Azzedine Alaia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azzedine-alaia/) > [“Roddy outgunned Cunningham in the brain department. He hung”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcgarrity/roddy-outgunned-cunningham-in-the-brain-department-he-hung/) [Michael McGarrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcgarrity/) > [Colin Cunningham just cracks me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-buckley/colin-cunningham-just-cracks-me-up/) [Betty Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-buckley/) > [I always have admired what Bill Cunningham does, his body of work. I think it's a really important, seminal body of work. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-press/i-always-have-admired-what-bill-cunningham-does-his-body-of-work-i/) [Richard Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-press/) > [Hey, Mr. Cunningham. How's your entailment gettin' along?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/hey-mr-cunningham-how-s-your-entailment-gettin-along/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [I'm kind of like a musical Bill Cunningham.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princess-nokia/i-m-kind-of-like-a-musical-bill-cunningham/) [Princess Nokia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/princess-nokia/) > [When I first moved to New York, I was friends with a lot of dancers - people from Merce Cunningham's company and things like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/when-i-first-moved-to-new-york-i-was-friends-with-a-lot-of-dancers/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > [We know how Merce Cunningham works and how he thinks - we've been told, over and over again, by him and by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gottlieb/we-know-how-merce-cunningham-works-and-how-he-thinks-we-ve-been-told/) [Robert Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gottlieb/) > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [We will make sure our troops have all that is necessary to complete their missions. That's why I went to the Congress last September…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/we-will-make-sure-our-troops-have-all-that-is-necessary-to-complete/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-most-fundamental-question-we-can-ever-ask-ourselves-is-whether-or/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/) [Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/) > [Anybody can direct a picture once they know the fundamentals. Directing is not a mystery, it's not an art. The main thing about directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ford/anybody-can-direct-a-picture-once-they-know-the-fundamentals/) [John Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ford/) ## More by Agatha Christie > [One must accept the fact that we have only one companion in this world, a companion who accompanies us from the cradle to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/one-must-accept-the-fact-that-we-have-only-one-companion-in-this/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“I like to see an angry Englishman," said Poirot. "They are very amusing. The more emotional they feel the less command they have of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/i-like-to-see-an-angry-englishman-said-poirot-they-are-very-amusing/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Now, as I expect you know, there is nothing more cruel than talk, and there is nothing more difficult to combat. When people say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/now-as-i-expect-you-know-there-is-nothing-more-cruel-than-talk-and/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“A child says ‘Thank God for my good dinner’. What can I say at seventy-five? ‘Thank God for my good life, and for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/a-child-says-thank-god-for-my-good-dinner-what-can-i-say-at-seventy/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“I'm afraid I always find Shakespeare terribly dreary. All those long scenes where everybody is drunk and it's supposed to be funny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/i-m-afraid-i-always-find-shakespeare-terribly-dreary-all-those-long/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Either her dream had taken a very odd turn or else - or else Mary had really rushed into the room and had said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/either-her-dream-had-taken-a-very-odd-turn-or-else-or-else-mary-had/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Every murderer is probably somebody’s old friend,” observed Poirot philosophically. “You cannot mix up sentiment and reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/every-murderer-is-probably-somebody-s-old-friend-observed-poirot/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Well, of course, it was not any of my business but you get very queer glimpses of life sometimes, and you can't help speculating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/well-of-course-it-was-not-any-of-my-business-but-you-get-very-queer/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Mr. Satterthwaite looked cheered. Suddenly an idea struck him. His jaw fell. "My goodness," he cried, "I've only just realized it! That rascal, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/mr-satterthwaite-looked-cheered-suddenly-an-idea-struck-him-his-jaw/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“The old gentleman refuses to have the telephone which he regards as a device of the devil, and on a par with radio, television,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/the-old-gentleman-refuses-to-have-the-telephone-which-he-regards-as-a/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“That’s how they do it, these girls! Othello charmed Desdemona by telling her stories, but, oh, didn’t Desdemona charm Othello by the way she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/that-s-how-they-do-it-these-girls-othello-charmed-desdemona-by/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [It is ridiculous to set a detective story in New York City. New York City is itself a detective story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/it-is-ridiculous-to-set-a-detective-story-in-new-york-city-new-york/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Poirot, watching him, felt suddenly a doubt--an uncomfortable twinge. Was there, here, something that he had missed? Some richness of the spirit? Sadness crept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/poirot-watching-him-felt-suddenly-a-doubt-an-uncomfortable-twinge-was/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [In the midst of life, we are in death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/in-the-midst-of-life-we-are-in-death/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [Then there are some minor points that strike me as suggestive - for instance, the position of Mrs. Hubbard's sponge bag, the name of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/then-there-are-some-minor-points-that-strike-me-as-suggestive-for/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) [Explore all 1,053 Agatha Christie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) ## More Fundamentals quotes > [Anybody can direct a picture once they know the fundamentals. Directing is not a mystery, it's not an art. The main thing about directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ford/anybody-can-direct-a-picture-once-they-know-the-fundamentals/) [John Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ford/) > [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/) [Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/) > [The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-most-fundamental-question-we-can-ever-ask-ourselves-is-whether-or/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [We will make sure our troops have all that is necessary to complete their missions. That's why I went to the Congress last September…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/we-will-make-sure-our-troops-have-all-that-is-necessary-to-complete/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [It is proposed that a form of free dialogue may well be one of the most effective ways of investigating the crisis which faces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/it-is-proposed-that-a-form-of-free-dialogue-may-well-be-one-of-the/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [What really concerns me is for Christians to understand the fundamentals of evangelism in a way that is helpful in the contemporary scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/what-really-concerns-me-is-for-christians-to-understand-the/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [If a Coach is determined to stay in the coaching profession, he will develop from year to year. This much is true, no coach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-rupp/if-a-coach-is-determined-to-stay-in-the-coaching-profession-he-will/) [Adolph Rupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-rupp/) > [The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion or in politics, but it is not the path to knowledge; it has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-suppression-of-uncomfortable-ideas-may-be-common-in-religion-or/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Early experience shapes the structure and function of the brain. This reveals the fundamental way in which gene expression is determined by experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-siegel/early-experience-shapes-the-structure-and-function-of-the-brain-this/) [Daniel J. Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-siegel/) > [But if you will recall the history of our civil troubles, you will see half the nation bathe itself, out of piety, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/but-if-you-will-recall-the-history-of-our-civil-troubles-you-will-see/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [We're at a time when we are being presented with undeniable changes in the global climate and fundamental issues that affect every single one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/we-re-at-a-time-when-we-are-being-presented-with-undeniable-changes/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) > [It is impossible to build enduring institutions without solid values. For us, the fundamental value is that associated with democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-henrique-cardoso/it-is-impossible-to-build-enduring-institutions-without-solid-values/) [Fernando Henrique Cardoso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-henrique-cardoso/) [Browse all 2,578 Fundamentals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentals/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is fundamentals that matter --- not the trappings. 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