Brain Quote by Arthur Conan Doyle
““I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things, so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skillful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones.””
About This Quote
The mind should be filled selectively with useful knowledge, avoiding overload of irrelevant facts that obscure what truly matters.
In simple terms: Choose useful knowledge, discard useless clutter.
Key Takeaway
Curate learning, prioritize relevance.
Themes
learning
knowledge management
focus
efficiency
mental clarity
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
advice
philosophical
When to use this quote
- studying
- career development
- skill building
- decision making
- personal growth
Key Concepts
cognitive load
information hygiene
selective acquisition
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you decide what knowledge is essential?
- What strategies help you keep useful information accessible?
A Different Perspective
Too much filtering can limit creativity and interdisciplinary insight.
![“I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. [...] It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. [...] It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have…” quote by Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d7a/arthur-conan-doyle-273_attics_i-consider-that-a-man-s-brain-originally_2144119.jpg)
