--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we could learn to look instead of…" description: "\"“If we could learn to look instead of gawking, We'd see the horror in the heart of farce, If only we could act instead of talking, We wouldn't always e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb2/bertolt-brecht-1065_defeat_if-we-could-learn-to-look-instead-of-gaw_2841654.jpg" --- # If we could learn to look instead of gawking, We'd see the… ![“If we could learn to look instead of gawking, We'd see the horror in the heart of farce, If only we could act instead of talking, We wouldn't always end up on our arse. This was the thing that nearly had us mastered; Don't yet rejoice in his defeat, you men! Although the world stood up and stopped…” quote by Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb2/bertolt-brecht-1065_defeat_if-we-could-learn-to-look-instead-of-gaw_2841654.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb2/bertolt-brecht-1065_defeat_if-we-could-learn-to-look-instead-of-gaw_2841654.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb2/bertolt-brecht-1065_defeat_if-we-could-learn-to-look-instead-of-gaw_2841654.jpg) > ““If we could learn to look instead of gawking, We'd see the horror in the heart of farce, If only we could act instead of talking, We wouldn't always end up on our arse. This was the thing that nearly had us mastered; Don't yet rejoice in his defeat, you men! Although the world stood up and stopped the bastard, The bitch that bore him is in heat again.”” [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Observation and action must replace idle talk to avoid futility. **In simple terms:** Act, don’t just watch. Key Takeaway Turn insight into action. Themes action awareness social critique Mood critical motivated Type political inspirational When to use this quote - activism - community organizing - creative projects - public speaking Key Concepts political theory ethics Questions to Reflect On - What can you observe before acting? - How do you ensure actions are effective? A Different Perspective Action without reflection can be reckless. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Fascism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascism/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Inevitability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inevitability/) ## Related quotes > [Do not rejoice in his defeat, you men. For though the bastard is dead, the bitch that bore him is again in heat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/do-not-rejoice-in-his-defeat-you-men-for-though-the-bastard-is-dead/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [“Across the river he could see the burnt and crushed buildings of Fredericksburg, the debris piled along the streets, the scattered ruins of people's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-shaara/across-the-river-he-could-see-the-burnt-and-crushed-buildings-of/) [Jeff Shaara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-shaara/) > [Only as a grand gesture of defeat will men creep into the arms of the state and seek refuge in its power rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wriston/only-as-a-grand-gesture-of-defeat-will-men-creep-into-the-arms-of-the/) [Henry Wriston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wriston/) > [Despair and postponement are cowardice and defeat. Men were born to succeed, not to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/despair-and-postponement-are-cowardice-and-defeat-men-were-born-to/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [When some one boasted that at the Pythian games he had vanquished men, Diogenes replied, "Nay, I defeat men, you defeat slaves."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diogenes/when-some-one-boasted-that-at-the-pythian-games-he-had-vanquished-men/) [Diogenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diogenes/) > [Tears: The hydrolic force that women use to defeat men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/tears-the-hydrolic-force-that-women-use-to-defeat-men/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [Men are rapists, batterers, plunderers, killers; these same men are religious prophets, poets, heroes, figures of romance, adventure, accomplishment, figures ennobled by tragedy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-dworkin/men-are-rapists-batterers-plunderers-killers-these-same-men-are/) [Andrea Dworkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-dworkin/) > [“I’m not ashamed to admit I partake in an unhealthy amount of gawking when the man transfers about. Whether or not he’s naked, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-arcane/i-m-not-ashamed-to-admit-i-partake-in-an-unhealthy-amount-of-gawking/) [Annie Arcane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-arcane/) > [“Bringing her eyes down again, Catherine found herself gawking at Jake’s perfectly formed, muscular chest and stomach. She felt her cheeks flush when she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-merrill-wigginton/bringing-her-eyes-down-again-catherine-found-herself-gawking-at-jake/) [Diane Merrill Wigginton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-merrill-wigginton/) > [Gawking at one-time celebrities who, for whatever reason, end up performing jobs our culture deems a mark of failure is gross, but hardly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-cupp/gawking-at-one-time-celebrities-who-for-whatever-reason-end-up/) [S.E. Cupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-cupp/) > [“He's gawking at me when I open the door. "Damn girl," he says, looking me over, "what the hell are you trying to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-redmerski/he-s-gawking-at-me-when-i-open-the-door-damn-girl-he-says-looking-me/) [J.A. Redmerski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-redmerski/) > [“The gawking is something that shouldn’t still irk me after this long in a wheelchair, but it does. It’s also what keeps me from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xavier-neal/the-gawking-is-something-that-shouldn-t-still-irk-me-after-this-long/) [Xavier Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xavier-neal/) > [“My definition of gawking would be when you look at her, your heart starts slamming uncontrollably in your chest. So much that it scares…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-apodaca/my-definition-of-gawking-would-be-when-you-look-at-her-your-heart/) [Deb Apodaca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-apodaca/) > [“Gawk? What is gawk?" he asked. "You tell me. You're the one that does it." I said... "My definition of gawking would be..." He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-apodaca/gawk-what-is-gawk-he-asked-you-tell-me-you-re-the-one-that-does-it-i/) [Deb Apodaca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-apodaca/) > [“GAWKING IS A LOOK stronger than a stare. The gawk was full of brazen curiosity, pity, and fear, every unattractive human emotion rolled into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/gawking-is-a-look-stronger-than-a-stare-the-gawk-was-full-of-brazen/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) ## More by Bertolt Brecht > [Their peace and their war Are like wind and storm. War grows from their peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/their-peace-and-their-war-are-like-wind-and-storm-war-grows-from/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [Boy Meets Girl, So What?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/boy-meets-girl-so-what/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [Some party hack decreed that the people had lost the government's confidence and could only regain it with redoubled effort. If that is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/some-party-hack-decreed-that-the-people-had-lost-the-government-s/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/art-is-not-a-mirror-held-up-to-reality-but-a-hammer-with-which-to/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [People remain what they are even if their faces fall apart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/people-remain-what-they-are-even-if-their-faces-fall-apart/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [Go make yourself a plan And be a shining light. Then make yourself a second plan, For neither will come right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/go-make-yourself-a-plan-and-be-a-shining-light-then-make-yourself-a/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [Fearful is the seductive power of goodness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/fearful-is-the-seductive-power-of-goodness/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [Hungry man, reach for the book: it is a weapon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/hungry-man-reach-for-the-book-it-is-a-weapon/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [There are some with brains and some without. It makes for a better division of labour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/there-are-some-with-brains-and-some-without-it-makes-for-a-better/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [“When the sharks the sharks devour Little fishes have their hour.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/when-the-sharks-the-sharks-devour-little-fishes-have-their-hour/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [“In my poetry a rhyme Would seem to me almost insolent. Inside me contend Delight at the apple tree in blossom And horror at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/in-my-poetry-a-rhyme-would-seem-to-me-almost-insolent-inside-me/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [“The law was made for one thing alone,for the exploitation of those who don't understand it, or are prevented by naked misery from obeying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/the-law-was-made-for-one-thing-alone-for-the-exploitation-of-those/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [From the start it has been the theatre's business to entertain people ... it needs no other passport than fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/from-the-start-it-has-been-the-theatre-s-business-to-entertain-people/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [Whenever there are great virtues, it's a sure sign something's wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/whenever-there-are-great-virtues-it-s-a-sure-sign-something-s-wrong/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) > [First feed the face, then talk right and wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertolt-brecht/first-feed-the-face-then-talk-right-and-wrong/) [Bertolt Brecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) [Explore all 260 Bertolt Brecht quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertolt-brecht/) ## More Defeat quotes > [A poor self-image is the magnifying glass that can transform a trivial mistake or an imperfection into an overwhelming symbol of personal defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/a-poor-self-image-is-the-magnifying-glass-that-can-transform-a/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [If Pete’s (Sampras) child is a girl, my son will like her; if he’s a boy, my son will defeat him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-agassi/if-pete-s-sampras-child-is-a-girl-my-son-will-like-her-if-he-s-a-boy/) [Andre Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-agassi/) > [All our efforts to defeat poverty and pursue sustainable development will be in vain if environmental degradation and natural resource depletion continue unabated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/all-our-efforts-to-defeat-poverty-and-pursue-sustainable-development/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Defeat furnishes good material to the poets and the artists, but none of us care to have the glory of the conquered apply to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/defeat-furnishes-good-material-to-the-poets-and-the-artists-but-none/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [“We don't have to defeat any individual but our own self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avijeet-das/we-don-t-have-to-defeat-any-individual-but-our-own-self/) [Avijeet Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avijeet-das/) > [“Defeat is a disease, and victory is the cure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/defeat-is-a-disease-and-victory-is-the-cure/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The glow of victory and the harsh chill of defeat are two sides of the same coin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-lenartowicz/the-glow-of-victory-and-the-harsh-chill-of-defeat-are-two-sides-of/) Maria Lenartowicz > [After a big defeat, any player feels affected - it is about how long he needs to recover.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerardo-martino/after-a-big-defeat-any-player-feels-affected-it-is-about-how-long-he/) [Gerardo Martino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerardo-martino/) > [I have clearly said we faced terrorist enemies who use Islam to justify slaughtering innocent people and we have to stop them and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-clearly-said-we-faced-terrorist-enemies-who-use-islam-to/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gichin-funakoshi/the-ultimate-aim-of-karate-lies-not-in-victory-or-defeat-but-in-the/) [Gichin Funakoshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gichin-funakoshi/) > [It has never been more critical that a leader step forward to accelerate our understanding of cancer - and champion the effort to finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-j-dzau/it-has-never-been-more-critical-that-a-leader-step-forward-to/) Victor J. Dzau > [“It would seem no matter how progressive we get there are always those few who are backwards in their ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solange-nicole/it-would-seem-no-matter-how-progressive-we-get-there-are-always-those/) [Solange nicole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solange-nicole/) [Browse all 2,603 Defeat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If we could learn to look instead of gawking, We'd see the horror in the heart of farce, If only we could act instead of talking, We wouldn't always end up on our arse. This was the thing that nearly had us mastered; Don't yet rejoice in his defeat, you men! 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