--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a mistake to think that that little…" description: "\"“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 addit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/arthur-conan-doyle-273_failure_it-is-a-mistake-to-think-that-that-littl_2661976.jpg" --- # It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic… ![“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…” quote by Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/arthur-conan-doyle-273_failure_it-is-a-mistake-to-think-that-that-littl_2661976.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/arthur-conan-doyle-273_failure_it-is-a-mistake-to-think-that-that-littl_2661976.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/arthur-conan-doyle-273_failure_it-is-a-mistake-to-think-that-that-littl_2661976.jpg) > ““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.”” [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acquiring new facts can displace older, useful knowledge; balance is essential. **In simple terms:** New knowledge can push out old useful facts. Key Takeaway Curate and prioritize information. Themes learning memory knowledge management Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - academic research - professional training - personal study Key Concepts cognitive overload information hierarchy forgetting Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide which facts to retain? - What systems help preserve essential knowledge? A Different Perspective Human memory has limited capacity; some loss is inevitable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Elastic Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elastic-walls-2434987/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Importance Useless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/importance-useless-2434989/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Knowledge Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge-forget-1494797/) [Useless Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useless-facts-989608/) [Walls Distend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walls-distend-2434988/) ## Related quotes > [“It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/it-is-of-the-highest-importance-therefore-not-to-have-useless-facts/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. 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