--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we think of misdirection, we think…" description: "\"When we think of misdirection, we think of something as looking off to the side when, actually, the things right in front of us are often the hardest t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a71/apollo-robbins-19904_day_when-we-think-of-misdirection-we-think-o_99974.jpg" --- # When we think of misdirection, we think of something as… ![“When we think of misdirection, we think of something as looking off to the side when, actually, the things right in front of us are often the hardest to see: the things that you look at every day that you're blinded to.” quote by Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a71/apollo-robbins-19904_day_when-we-think-of-misdirection-we-think-o_99974.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a71/apollo-robbins-19904_day_when-we-think-of-misdirection-we-think-o_99974.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a71/apollo-robbins-19904_day_when-we-think-of-misdirection-we-think-o_99974.jpg) > “When we think of misdirection, we think of something as looking off to the side when, actually, the things right in front of us are often the hardest to see: the things that you look at every day that you're blinded to.” [Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The most obvious truths are often hidden by our focus on peripheral details, making everyday realities hard to perceive. **In simple terms:** We overlook what’s right before us. Key Takeaway Attention blinds us to the obvious. Themes perception awareness cognitive bias Mood thoughtful cautious Type insightful When to use this quote - risk assessment - designing user interfaces - detecting fraud Key Concepts psychology of attention Practical Applications - practice mindfulness checks - use systematic audits Questions to Reflect On - How can we train to notice the obvious? - When is deliberate focus detrimental? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis can cause paralysis; sometimes intuition is valuable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Misdirection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misdirection/) ## Related quotes > [We always think of misdirection as, 'Look over here while I do this over here!' And that's not what it is. You can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/we-always-think-of-misdirection-as-look-over-here-while-i-do-this/) [Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) > [The measure of your character is not what you do when people are looking. It’s what you do when you think no one is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/the-measure-of-your-character-is-not-what-you-do-when-people-are/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [You think you're looking at things all the time, but you're not looking at things, you're looking at what your brain is interpreting through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/you-think-you-re-looking-at-things-all-the-time-but-you-re-not/) [Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/) > [“You never stop being yourself on the inside, whatever age people think you are by looking at you from the outside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/you-never-stop-being-yourself-on-the-inside-whatever-age-people-think/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [“It's always so cool to think you are looking at today is something other people have been looking at for centuries. It's the closest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-strohmeyer/it-s-always-so-cool-to-think-you-are-looking-at-today-is-something/) [Sarah Strohmeyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-strohmeyer/) > [Parenting tip: complement your child on something well done when they don't think you are looking!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-heath/parenting-tip-complement-your-child-on-something-well-done-when-they/) [Kevin Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-heath/) > [When I'm in there I'm just in my zone. What people think about when they're looking at me, that's their business. If there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-mcgregor/when-i-m-in-there-i-m-just-in-my-zone-what-people-think-about-when/) [Conor McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-mcgregor/) > [I think looking is the essential act of loving. Brothers, fathers and sons, lovers, whatever. What you do when you love someone is look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/i-think-looking-is-the-essential-act-of-loving-brothers-fathers-and/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [Not everybody is perfect, and I don't think we should be looking for perfect people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-cowell/not-everybody-is-perfect-and-i-don-t-think-we-should-be-looking-for/) [Simon Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-cowell/) > [Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/our-character-is-what-we-do-when-we-think-no-one-is-looking/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [I think we're always looking for ways to inject a sense of humor into our music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finneas/i-think-we-re-always-looking-for-ways-to-inject-a-sense-of-humor-into/) [Finneas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finneas/) > [“Even if you don't find what you think you're looking for, darling, it's the going out and looking for it that counts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-fay/even-if-you-don-t-find-what-you-think-you-re-looking-for-darling-it-s/) [Kim Fay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-fay/) > [Don't think you are looking at me because you are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-ormandy/don-t-think-you-are-looking-at-me-because-you-are-not/) [Eugene Ormandy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-ormandy/) > [“We all have to love you, and believe in you, and think you are looking out for our best interests. But look at us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-c-andrews/we-all-have-to-love-you-and-believe-in-you-and-think-you-are-looking/) [V.C. Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-c-andrews/) > [“It depressed me to think that I might have been looking at another person but seeing only myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-lacey/it-depressed-me-to-think-that-i-might-have-been-looking-at-another/) [Catherine Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-lacey/) ## More by Apollo Robbins > [Think about it this way - if you have five senses, and they're all feeding into one place, kind of like a bottleneck, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/think-about-it-this-way-if-you-have-five-senses-and-they-re-all/) [Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) > [We always think of misdirection as, 'Look over here while I do this over here!' And that's not what it is. You can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/we-always-think-of-misdirection-as-look-over-here-while-i-do-this/) [Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) > [I can analyze how I do things, but the actual doing it - when the synapses just start firing - I can't explain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/i-can-analyze-how-i-do-things-but-the-actual-doing-it-when-the/) [Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) > [I've taken a tenacious bulldog approach to learning new skills throughout my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/i-ve-taken-a-tenacious-bulldog-approach-to-learning-new-skills/) [Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) > [Usually I'll tell someone, for example, like their watch. If they have a watch on, I might say, 'In three minutes, I'd like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/usually-i-ll-tell-someone-for-example-like-their-watch-if-they-have-a/) [Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) > [Usually, when people watch magic, there are two levels: the people who walk away accepting that there are things they don't know, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/usually-when-people-watch-magic-there-are-two-levels-the-people-who/) [Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) > [One time, I had a guy, when I was performing at Caesar's Palace, and during the course of the show, I offered him an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/one-time-i-had-a-guy-when-i-was-performing-at-caesar-s-palace-and/) [Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) > [I was at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, and I was performing at a show there. Jimmy Carter was going to be coming through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/i-was-at-caesar-s-palace-in-las-vegas-and-i-was-performing-at-a-show/) [Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) > [In the same way that a film director would use a film lens to blur out a certain item or use a spotlight, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/in-the-same-way-that-a-film-director-would-use-a-film-lens-to-blur/) [Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) > [When I became a teen, I ran into a friend at a magic shop who took me under his wing. I started reading up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/when-i-became-a-teen-i-ran-into-a-friend-at-a-magic-shop-who-took-me/) [Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) > [At the zoo, people would gather around the railway to see the snakes being fed, and my brothers would walk around the group, taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/at-the-zoo-people-would-gather-around-the-railway-to-see-the-snakes/) [Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) > [When I was around 13 or 14, and I was in a private school, I had a Frisbee that had the name Apollo on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/when-i-was-around-13-or-14-and-i-was-in-a-private-school-i-had-a/) [Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) > [If you don't attend to something, you can't be aware of it. But ironically, you can attend to something without being aware of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/if-you-don-t-attend-to-something-you-can-t-be-aware-of-it-but/) [Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) > [The mechanisms inside me tick like a criminal. My mind works like theirs, and criminals can smell it when they're around me - but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/the-mechanisms-inside-me-tick-like-a-criminal-my-mind-works-like/) [Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) > [Too often, we take our construct of reality as an absolute, and what I'm trying to point out for most people is it's important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/too-often-we-take-our-construct-of-reality-as-an-absolute-and-what-i/) [Apollo Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) [Explore all 31 Apollo Robbins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/) ## More Day quotes > [On Sundays, that's my pig out day and I do the pizza and the beer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-silvstedt/on-sundays-that-s-my-pig-out-day-and-i-do-the-pizza-and-the-beer/) [Victoria Silvstedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-silvstedt/) > [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [I would borrow money all day long, if the cost of borrowing is less than the expected return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/i-would-borrow-money-all-day-long-if-the-cost-of-borrowing-is-less/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [I had developed a relationship with one of the anti-abortion sidewalk counselors who stood in front of my facility. We talked regularly through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-johnson/i-had-developed-a-relationship-with-one-of-the-anti-abortion-sidewalk/) [Abby Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-johnson/) > [I loved the game so much that even though our playing field was muddy and we had many trees on it, I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-clemente/i-loved-the-game-so-much-that-even-though-our-playing-field-was-muddy/) [Roberto Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-clemente/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I want to make my music and be a happy woman, a good wife, a good mom and one day hopefully have a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leann-rimes/i-want-to-make-my-music-and-be-a-happy-woman-a-good-wife-a-good-mom/) [LeAnn Rimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leann-rimes/) > [Valentine's Day: Rubbing singles' noses in their lack of a mate and the noses of couples in their lack of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mclaughlin/valentine-s-day-rubbing-singles-noses-in-their-lack-of-a-mate-and-the/) [Emma McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mclaughlin/) > [One day I woke up and Juventus wanted me, another Manchester United and what I know is that there were approaches made. 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You never ask teammates something you wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrell-suggs/i-think-naturally-i-ve-been-kind-of-a-lead-by-doing-guy-just-showing/) [Terrell Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrell-suggs/) > [For 11 straight years, I woke up pretty much every single day with nothing to do unless I created something to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-rife/for-11-straight-years-i-woke-up-pretty-much-every-single-day-with/) [Matt Rife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-rife/) > [I have tremendous admiration for companies with the kind of pioneering spirit and innovation eBay has demonstrated from day one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/i-have-tremendous-admiration-for-companies-with-the-kind-of/) [Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/) > [Being under-recruited coming out of Highland, I've carried that with me. 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You know, it either is going to be there on the day you capture or it's not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-lin/you-can-t-cheat-comedy-you-know-it-either-is-going-to-be-there-on-the/) [Justin Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-lin/) [Browse all 18,587 Day quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When we think of misdirection, we think of something as looking off to the side when, actually, the things right in front of us are often the hardest to see: the things that you look at every day that you're blinded to.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Apollo Robbins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/when-we-think-of-misdirection-we-think-of-something-as-looking-off-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Day" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/when-we-think-of-misdirection-we-think-of-something-as-looking-off-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a71/apollo-robbins-19904_day_when-we-think-of-misdirection-we-think-o_99974.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a71/apollo-robbins-19904_day_when-we-think-of-misdirection-we-think-o_99974.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a71/apollo-robbins-19904_day_when-we-think-of-misdirection-we-think-o_99974.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When we think of misdirection, we think of something as looking off to the side when, actually, the things…” — Apollo Robbins", "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": "Apollo Robbins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollo-robbins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When we think of misdirection, we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/when-we-think-of-misdirection-we-think-of-something-as-looking-off-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollo-robbins/when-we-think-of-misdirection-we-think-of-something-as-looking-off-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 } } ] } ```