---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that there's a power in that…"
description: "\"I think that there's a power in that [information through tweets and sound bites ]. There's also a danger, what generates a headline or stirs up a cont..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/635/barack-obama-17_attention_i-think-that-there-s-a-power-in-that-inf_173959.jpg"
---

#  I think that there's a power in that \[information through…

![“I think that there's a power in that &#91;information through tweets and sound bites &#93;. There's also a danger, what generates a headline or stirs up a controversy and gets attention isn't the same as the process required to actually solve the problem.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/635/barack-obama-17_attention_i-think-that-there-s-a-power-in-that-inf_173959.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/635/barack-obama-17_attention_i-think-that-there-s-a-power-in-that-inf_173959.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/635/barack-obama-17_attention_i-think-that-there-s-a-power-in-that-inf_173959.jpg)

> “I think that there's a power in that \[information through tweets and sound bites \]. There's also a danger, what generates a headline or stirs up a controversy and gets attention isn't the same as the process required to actually solve the problem.”

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

## About This Quote

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

Information bites can attract attention, but they often distract from the deep, systematic work needed to solve complex problems.

**In simple terms:** Headlines draw eyes, but real solutions need deeper work.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize thorough analysis over sensationalism.

Themes

media communication problem solving attention depth

Mood

cautious thoughtful

Type

analytical reflective

When to use this quote

- news cycles
- social media debates
- crisis management
- public speeches

Key Concepts

information overload public discourse critical thinking policy making

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we balance attention‑grabbing content with depth?
- What processes ensure solutions are not just headlines?

A Different Perspective

Quick fixes may oversimplify issues and lead to poor decisions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Bites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bites/) [Controversy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controversy/) [Controversy Gets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controversy-gets-1876933/) [Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Headline Stirs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/headline-stirs-1876932/) [Headlines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/headlines/) [Information](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/information/) [Information Tweets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/information-tweets-1876930/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Solve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solve/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Sound bites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound-bites/) [Stirs Controversy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stirs-controversy-1876931/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Tweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tweet/)

## Related quotes

> [ \[With Donald Trump\] we are moving into an era where a lot of people get their information through tweets and sound bites and some… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/with-donald-trump-we-are-moving-into-an-era-where-a-lot-of-people-get/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [There are a few critics overseas, and occasionally a critic will write an astute analysis of the movie. There is value in reading critics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/there-are-a-few-critics-overseas-and-occasionally-a-critic-will-write/)

[George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/)

> [I think I'm able to reach a lot of folks, despite the fact that the conventional news media sometimes says, "You know, this speech…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-i-m-able-to-reach-a-lot-of-folks-despite-the-fact-that-the/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [I think I have a pretty good take on popular culture that maybe makes up for the fact that I'm not a sound-bite politician…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-i-have-a-pretty-good-take-on-popular-culture-that-maybe-makes/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [If we are not serious about facts and what's true and what's not. And particularly in an age of social media where so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-we-are-not-serious-about-facts-and-what-s-true-and-what-s-not-and/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [You know, there are certain things that make for good sound bites but don't always translate into good policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/you-know-there-are-certain-things-that-make-for-good-sound-bites-but/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Tough talk often draws headlines, but war rarely conforms to slogans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/tough-talk-often-draws-headlines-but-war-rarely-conforms-to-slogans/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [The reduction of political discourse to sound bites is one of the worst things that's happened in American political life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-silber/the-reduction-of-political-discourse-to-sound-bites-is-one-of-the/)

[John Silber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-silber/)

> [As the great philosopher George Santayana would have said, 'those who cannot remember the past . . . should simply read Jan Van Meter's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-rocca/as-the-great-philosopher-george-santayana-would-have-said-those-who/)

[Mo Rocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-rocca/)

> [I don't talk in sound bites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/i-don-t-talk-in-sound-bites/)

[Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/)

> [“In my box of sound bites there are no jackhammers, no snowmobiles, no Jet Skis, no children wailing. Music but no Muzak. It's my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-oliver-goldsmith/in-my-box-of-sound-bites-there-are-no-jackhammers-no-snowmobiles-no/)

[Joan Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-oliver-goldsmith/)

> [In a world where people are hungry for quick fixes and sound bites, for instant gratification, there's no patience for the long, slow rebuilding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-hill/in-a-world-where-people-are-hungry-for-quick-fixes-and-sound-bites/)

[Dan Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-hill/)

> [Diplomacy is unfashionable in the world of knee-jerk reaction and the dogmatic sound bite on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-hurd/diplomacy-is-unfashionable-in-the-world-of-knee-jerk-reaction-and-the/)

[Douglas Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-hurd/)

> [Today enormous effort goes into convincing the American public that we're just consumers of media manipulation and sound-bites and spin doctors. That we care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernardine-dohrn/today-enormous-effort-goes-into-convincing-the-american-public-that/)

[Bernardine Dohrn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernardine-dohrn/)

> [When you are dealing with a mass movement, as opposed to a quote-unquote "elite," you are talking to people who don't have time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hamilton/when-you-are-dealing-with-a-mass-movement-as-opposed-to-a-quote/)

[Rebecca Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hamilton/)

## More by Barack Obama

> [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

[Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

## More Attention quotes

> [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/)

[David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/)

> [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/)

[Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/)

> [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/)

> [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/)

> [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/)

[Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/)

> [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/)

[Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/)

> [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/)

[Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/)

> [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/)

[Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/)

> [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/)

[Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/)

> [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/)

[Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/)

> [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/)

[Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/)

> [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/)

[Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/)

> [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/)

[Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/)

[Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think that there's a power in that [information through tweets and sound bites ]. There's also a danger, what generates a headline or stirs up a controversy and gets attention isn't the same as the process required to actually solve the problem.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Barack Obama"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-there-s-a-power-in-that-information-through-tweets-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Attention"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-there-s-a-power-in-that-information-through-tweets-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/635/barack-obama-17_attention_i-think-that-there-s-a-power-in-that-inf_173959.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/635/barack-obama-17_attention_i-think-that-there-s-a-power-in-that-inf_173959.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/635/barack-obama-17_attention_i-think-that-there-s-a-power-in-that-inf_173959.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think that there's a power in that [information through tweets and sound bites ]. There's also a danger…” — Barack Obama",
                "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": "Barack Obama",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think that there's a power...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-there-s-a-power-in-that-information-through-tweets-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-there-s-a-power-in-that-information-through-tweets-and/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
