--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was as if I had worked for years on…" description: "\"It was as if I had worked for years on the wrong side of a tapestry, learning accurately all its lines and figures, yet always missing its color and sh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a5/anna-louise-strong-32562_awareness_it-was-as-if-i-had-worked-for-years-on-t_1492391.png" --- # It was as if I had worked for years on the wrong side of a… ![“It was as if I had worked for years on the wrong side of a tapestry, learning accurately all its lines and figures, yet always missing its color and sheen.” quote by Anna Louise Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a5/anna-louise-strong-32562_awareness_it-was-as-if-i-had-worked-for-years-on-t_1492391.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a5/anna-louise-strong-32562_awareness_it-was-as-if-i-had-worked-for-years-on-t_1492391.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a5/anna-louise-strong-32562_awareness_it-was-as-if-i-had-worked-for-years-on-t_1492391.png) > “It was as if I had worked for years on the wrong side of a tapestry, learning accurately all its lines and figures, yet always missing its color and sheen.” [Anna Louise Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-louise-strong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding details without seeing the whole picture leaves one missing deeper meaning. **In simple terms:** Details alone don’t reveal the full story. Key Takeaway Look for the bigger picture. Themes analysis holism learning Mood inquisitive determined Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - research - strategic planning - art criticism Key Concepts Systems thinking history Questions to Reflect On - What “color” are you missing in your current project? - How can you broaden your perspective? A Different Perspective Focusing on details can still be valuable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) [Color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/color/) [Tapestry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tapestry/) ## Related quotes > [“I mean that we here are on the wrong side of the tapestry,' answered Father Brown. 'The things that happen here do not seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/i-mean-that-we-here-are-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-tapestry-answered/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“October twenty-second..." Lee read, trailing off as she reached the year. Her insides went cold. She whirled around, her voice quavering. "What is this?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaye-thornbrugh/october-twenty-second-lee-read-trailing-off-as-she-reached-the-year/) [Kaye Thornbrugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaye-thornbrugh/) > [Dont step into lives that arent yours, make choices that arent nourishing, or dance stiffly for years with the wrong partner, or parts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy/dont-step-into-lives-that-arent-yours-make-choices-that-arent/) [Daisy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy/) > [It takes 50 years to get a wrong idea out of medicine, and 100 years a right one into medicine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hughlings-jackson/it-takes-50-years-to-get-a-wrong-idea-out-of-medicine-and-100-years-a/) John Hughlings Jackson > [I make one film in three years, if I go wrong it will take me another three years to prove myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid-nadiadwala/i-make-one-film-in-three-years-if-i-go-wrong-it-will-take-me-another/) [Sajid Nadiadwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid-nadiadwala/) > [When anything is pointed out, our only idea is to go from wrong to right; in spite of the fact that it has taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-matthias-alexander/when-anything-is-pointed-out-our-only-idea-is-to-go-from-wrong-to/) [F. Matthias Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-matthias-alexander/) > [The truly awesome intellectuals in our history have not merely made discoveries; they have woven variegated, but firm, tapestries of comprehensive coverage. The tapestries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/the-truly-awesome-intellectuals-in-our-history-have-not-merely-made/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [The more that you travel the more you get the sense of the word as a larger place and the more you get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/the-more-that-you-travel-the-more-you-get-the-sense-of-the-word-as-a/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [We look at life from the back side of the tapestry. And most of the time, what we see is loose threads, tangled knots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/we-look-at-life-from-the-back-side-of-the-tapestry-and-most-of-the/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Karma is the tension of the thread in the human tapestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffery-taylor/karma-is-the-tension-of-the-thread-in-the-human-tapestry/) [Jeffery Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffery-taylor/) > [Only Heaven will reveal the top part of God's tapestry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/only-heaven-will-reveal-the-top-part-of-god-s-tapestry/) [Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/) > [“Translation is the other side of a tapestry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-sciascia/translation-is-the-other-side-of-a-tapestry/) [Leonardo Sciascia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-sciascia/) > [Marvelous,” she said. “Tell me about this tapestry.” Arachne’s lips curled over her mandibles. “Why do you care? You're about to die.” “Well, yes,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/marvelous-she-said-tell-me-about-this-tapestry-arachne-s-lips-curled/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Historically, art has always had a market. When one medieval fiefdom defeated another they would drag back its jewels, gold, tapestries and art objects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arne-glimcher/historically-art-has-always-had-a-market-when-one-medieval-fiefdom/) [Arne Glimcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arne-glimcher/) > [Man preys on man; and you mourn for the idle tapestry that decorated a gothic pillar, and the dronish bell that summoned the fat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/man-preys-on-man-and-you-mourn-for-the-idle-tapestry-that-decorated-a/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) ## More by Anna Louise Strong > [A certain number of Americans are already in Peking and most of us here feel that it would be very useful for the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-louise-strong/a-certain-number-of-americans-are-already-in-peking-and-most-of-us/) [Anna Louise Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-louise-strong/) > [From this haunting feeling of being not wanted, which remained a recurrent haunt through life, I found two ways of escape, both of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-louise-strong/from-this-haunting-feeling-of-being-not-wanted-which-remained-a/) [Anna Louise Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-louise-strong/) > [Strong I am one of those who never knows the direction of my journey until I have almost arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-louise-strong/strong-i-am-one-of-those-who-never-knows-the-direction-of-my-journey/) [Anna Louise Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-louise-strong/) > [I have very little hope that any permission can be gained for your organization. However, I shall place it in a special folder with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-louise-strong/i-have-very-little-hope-that-any-permission-can-be-gained-for-your/) [Anna Louise Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-louise-strong/) > [They say the Pharaohs built the pyramids Do you think one Pharaoh dropped one bead of sweat? We built the pyramids for the Pharaohs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-louise-strong/they-say-the-pharaohs-built-the-pyramids-do-you-think-one-pharaoh/) [Anna Louise Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-louise-strong/) > [To fall in love is easy, even to remain in it is not difficult; our human loneliness is cause enough. But is a hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-louise-strong/to-fall-in-love-is-easy-even-to-remain-in-it-is-not-difficult-our/) [Anna Louise Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-louise-strong/) > [We humans are herd animals of the monkey tribe, not natural individuals as lions are. Our individuality is partial and restless; the stream of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-louise-strong/we-humans-are-herd-animals-of-the-monkey-tribe-not-natural/) [Anna Louise Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-louise-strong/) > [Thus I came to condemn capitalism, not through any oppression endured by me personally, but through that very deification of efficiency which capitalism had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-louise-strong/thus-i-came-to-condemn-capitalism-not-through-any-oppression-endured/) [Anna Louise Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-louise-strong/) > [What the Spanish War began the World War accomplished: America became the world's banker and ceased to be the world's pioneer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-louise-strong/what-the-spanish-war-began-the-world-war-accomplished-america-became/) [Anna Louise Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-louise-strong/) > [One's first responsible job is the great revealer - far more than school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-louise-strong/one-s-first-responsible-job-is-the-great-revealer-far-more-than-school/) [Anna Louise Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-louise-strong/) > [Having no diplomatic representation in Washington, China has no sources which allow her to check the character of applicants and therefore makes the practice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-louise-strong/having-no-diplomatic-representation-in-washington-china-has-no/) [Anna Louise Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-louise-strong/) > [So far we have not convinced the Chinese authorities. My own brother was refused a visa on what was probably my last chance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-louise-strong/so-far-we-have-not-convinced-the-chinese-authorities-my-own-brother/) [Anna Louise Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-louise-strong/) > [In point of fact all Americans are automatically turned down by China these days because of the escalation of Johnson's war in Vietnam, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-louise-strong/in-point-of-fact-all-americans-are-automatically-turned-down-by-china/) [Anna Louise Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-louise-strong/) > [You got the impression that each and every little individual was feeling pretty important doing the pretty important job of building up a State…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-louise-strong/you-got-the-impression-that-each-and-every-little-individual-was/) [Anna Louise Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-louise-strong/) [Explore all 15 Anna Louise Strong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-louise-strong/) ## More Awareness quotes > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. 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It should be obvious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ansel-adams/i-know-the-importance-of-highly-trained-awareness-of-the-moment-and/) [Ansel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ansel-adams/) > [The thing about living alone is that it gives you a lot of time to think. You don't necessarily reach any conclusions, because wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/the-thing-about-living-alone-is-that-it-gives-you-a-lot-of-time-to/) [Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/) > [“It is not so much about fighting against the ego; it is more about harmonizing with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-sara/it-is-not-so-much-about-fighting-against-the-ego-it-is-more-about/) [Grace Sara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-sara/) > [I'm part of a team that raises millions of dollars and raises awareness of HIV and AIDS all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-evangelista/i-m-part-of-a-team-that-raises-millions-of-dollars-and-raises/) [Linda Evangelista](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-evangelista/) > [“Don’t turn your face away. Once you’ve seen, you can no longer act like you don’t know. Open your eyes to the truth. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vashti-quiroz-vega/don-t-turn-your-face-away-once-you-ve-seen-you-can-no-longer-act-like/) Vashti Quiroz-Vega > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. 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