---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The outstanding feature of behavior is…"
description: "\"The outstanding feature of behavior is that it is often quite easy to recognize but extremely difficult or impossible to describe with precision.\" — An..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a91/anatol-rapoport-23399_behavior_the-outstanding-feature-of-behavior-is-t_2755505.jpg"
---

#  The outstanding feature of behavior is that it is often…

![“The outstanding feature of behavior is that it is often quite easy to recognize but extremely difficult or impossible to describe with precision.” quote by Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a91/anatol-rapoport-23399_behavior_the-outstanding-feature-of-behavior-is-t_2755505.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a91/anatol-rapoport-23399_behavior_the-outstanding-feature-of-behavior-is-t_2755505.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a91/anatol-rapoport-23399_behavior_the-outstanding-feature-of-behavior-is-t_2755505.jpg)

> “The outstanding feature of behavior is that it is often quite easy to recognize but extremely difficult or impossible to describe with precision.”

[Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Behavior is easy to see but hard to describe precisely because it’s complex and nuanced.

**In simple terms:** Seeing behavior is simple, describing it is hard.

Key Takeaway

Practice precise observation and language.

Themes

psychology observation communication

Mood

inquisitive critical

Type

academic educational

When to use this quote

- teaching
- research
- interpersonal interactions

Key Concepts

Cognitive bias language limits

Questions to Reflect On

- What words capture subtle behavior?
- How can we improve behavioral description?

A Different Perspective

Descriptions may oversimplify reality.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Precision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precision/)

## Related quotes

> [I believe in rules of behavior, and I'm quite interested in stories about the consequences of breaking those rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-believe-in-rules-of-behavior-and-i-m-quite-interested-in-stories/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [Gaiety is the most outstanding feature of the Soviet Union.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/gaiety-is-the-most-outstanding-feature-of-the-soviet-union/)

[Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/)

> [The Warrior does not worry that, to others, his behavior might seem quite mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-warrior-does-not-worry-that-to-others-his-behavior-might-seem/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [What you see is that the most outstanding feature of life's history is a constant domination by bacteria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/what-you-see-is-that-the-most-outstanding-feature-of-life-s-history/)

[Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/)

> [The transition from the concept of information in the technical (communication engineering) sense to the semantic (theory of meaning) sense was indeed difficult, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/the-transition-from-the-concept-of-information-in-the-technical/)

[Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

> [To make it hard, to make it difficult almost impossible for people to cast a vote is not in keeping with the democratic process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/to-make-it-hard-to-make-it-difficult-almost-impossible-for-people-to/)

[John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/)

> [What God has asked you to do is not just difficult, it is impossible. He is well able!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-caine/what-god-has-asked-you-to-do-is-not-just-difficult-it-is-impossible/)

[Christine Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-caine/)

> [It is difficult, but not impossible, to conduct strictly honest business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/it-is-difficult-but-not-impossible-to-conduct-strictly-honest-business/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [To attain union is so impossibly difficult because it is impossible to become what you already are! Union is nothing other than knowledge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meher-baba/to-attain-union-is-so-impossibly-difficult-because-it-is-impossible/)

[Meher Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meher-baba/)

> [“It is obscenely difficult—if not impossible—to make something that nobody hates,” Wit continued. “Conversely, it is incredibly easy—if not expected—to make something that nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/it-is-obscenely-difficult-if-not-impossible-to-make-something-that/)

[Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/)

> [“Learning anything proved to be difficult. Impossible. First the men were busy setting up camp, tending the horses, making a larger fire. They did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/learning-anything-proved-to-be-difficult-impossible-first-the-men/)

[Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/)

> [It is difficult, if not impossible, to argue that laws written in the 1970s are adequate for today's intelligence challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-barr/it-is-difficult-if-not-impossible-to-argue-that-laws-written-in-the/)

[Bob Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-barr/)

> [It is very difficult, it is perhaps impossible, for someone who loves his mother to love the woman whom your father left her for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/it-is-very-difficult-it-is-perhaps-impossible-for-someone-who-loves/)

[Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/)

> [I just like to write stories about people who survive even very difficult, impossible things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-simone/i-just-like-to-write-stories-about-people-who-survive-even-very/)

[Gail Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-simone/)

> [“Change words like difficult/impossible/unrealistic to words like challenging/fun/daring/exciting, and then get back to working/playing/competing/winning”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-valentin/change-words-like-difficult-impossible-unrealistic-to-words-like/)

Jamie Valentin

## More by Anatol Rapoport

> [The usefulness of the models in constructing a testable theory of the process is severely limited by the quickly increasing number of parameters which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/the-usefulness-of-the-models-in-constructing-a-testable-theory-of-the/)

[Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

> [Do you know that all great spurts in...progress came just after some unorthodox ideas or exotic impressions had penetrated into a closed system?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/do-you-know-that-all-great-spurts-in-progress-came-just-after-some/)

[Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

> [(Game theory is) essentially a structural theory. It uncovers the logical structure of a great variety of conflict situations and describes this structure in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/game-theory-is-essentially-a-structural-theory-it-uncovers-the/)

[Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

> [It is misleading in a crucial way to view information as something that can be poured into an empty vessel, like a fluid or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/it-is-misleading-in-a-crucial-way-to-view-information-as-something/)

[Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

> [Cooperate on move one; thereafter, do whatever the other player did the previous move.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/cooperate-on-move-one-thereafter-do-whatever-the-other-player-did-the/)

[Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

> [Although the drama of games of strategy is strongly linked with the psychological aspects of the conflict, game theory is not concerned with these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/although-the-drama-of-games-of-strategy-is-strongly-linked-with-the/)

[Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

> [The transition from the concept of information in the technical (communication engineering) sense to the semantic (theory of meaning) sense was indeed difficult, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/the-transition-from-the-concept-of-information-in-the-technical/)

[Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

> [ The purpose of formulating \[a\] conflict as a game is not that of resolving the conflict by 'solving the game.' It is that of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/the-purpose-of-formulating-a-conflict-as-a-game-is-not-that-of/)

[Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

> [A theorem is a proposition which is a strict logical consequence of certain definitions and other propositions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/a-theorem-is-a-proposition-which-is-a-strict-logical-consequence-of/)

[Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

> [To gain knowledge, we must learn to ask the right questions; and to get answers, we must act, not wait for answers to occur…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/to-gain-knowledge-we-must-learn-to-ask-the-right-questions-and-to-get/)

[Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

> [The "flow of information" through human communication channels is enormous. So far no theory exists, to our knowledge, which attributes any sort of unambiguous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/the-flow-of-information-through-human-communication-channels-is/)

[Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

> [In the US. Infantry Manual published during World War II, the soldier was told what to do if a live grenade fell into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/in-the-us-infantry-manual-published-during-world-war-ii-the-soldier/)

[Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

> [One cannot play chess if one becomes aware of the pieces as living souls and of the fact that the Whites and the Blacks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/one-cannot-play-chess-if-one-becomes-aware-of-the-pieces-as-living/)

[Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

> [It is one thing to say that the dwelling has symbolic and cosmological aspects... and another to say that it has been erected for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/it-is-one-thing-to-say-that-the-dwelling-has-symbolic-and/)

[Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

> [The outcome of a non-constant-sum game may be dictated by the individual rationality of the respective players without satisfying a criterion of collective rationality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/the-outcome-of-a-non-constant-sum-game-may-be-dictated-by-the/)

[Anatol Rapoport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

[Explore all 26 Anatol Rapoport quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/)

## More Behavior quotes

> [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“I now know that deep within the human concept is something dark, selfish, and completely willing to do whatever is necessary to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-west/i-now-know-that-deep-within-the-human-concept-is-something-dark/)

[Melissa West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-west/)

> [“We are endowed with genes which code out our reaction to beavers and otters, maybe our reaction to each other as well. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-endowed-with-genes-which-code-out-our-reaction-to-beavers-and/)

[Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/)

> [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/)

[Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/)

> [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/)

Burne Hogarth

> [You don't put milk in chamomile tea - that's disgusting behavior! That's not right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-fraser/you-don-t-put-milk-in-chamomile-tea-that-s-disgusting-behavior-that-s/)

[Laura Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-fraser/)

> [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/)

J. Willard Gibbs

> [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/)

[Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/)

> [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [I think we've told a lot of lies about human behavior through film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/i-think-we-ve-told-a-lot-of-lies-about-human-behavior-through-film/)

[Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/)

> [The strongest rebellion may be expressed in quiet, undramatic behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/the-strongest-rebellion-may-be-expressed-in-quiet-undramatic-behavior/)

[Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/)

> [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/)

[Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/)

> [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

[Browse all 4,218 Behavior quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The outstanding feature of behavior is that it is often quite easy to recognize but extremely difficult or impossible to describe with precision.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Anatol Rapoport"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/the-outstanding-feature-of-behavior-is-that-it-is-often-quite-easy-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Behavior"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/the-outstanding-feature-of-behavior-is-that-it-is-often-quite-easy-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a91/anatol-rapoport-23399_behavior_the-outstanding-feature-of-behavior-is-t_2755505.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a91/anatol-rapoport-23399_behavior_the-outstanding-feature-of-behavior-is-t_2755505.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a91/anatol-rapoport-23399_behavior_the-outstanding-feature-of-behavior-is-t_2755505.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The outstanding feature of behavior is that it is often quite easy to recognize but extremely difficult or…” — Anatol Rapoport",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Anatol Rapoport",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatol-rapoport/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The outstanding feature of behavior is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/the-outstanding-feature-of-behavior-is-that-it-is-often-quite-easy-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatol-rapoport/the-outstanding-feature-of-behavior-is-that-it-is-often-quite-easy-to/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```