--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: St. John's eyes, though clear enough in a…" description: "\"“St. John's eyes, though clear enough in a literal sense, in a figurative one were difficult to fathom. He seemed to use them rather as instruments to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/215/charlotte-bronte-144_discernment_st-john-s-eyes-though-clear-enough-in-a_1584117.jpg" --- # St. John's eyes, though clear enough in a literal sense… ![“St. John's eyes, though clear enough in a literal sense, in a figurative one were difficult to fathom. He seemed to use them rather as instruments to search other people's thoughts, than as agents to reveal his own: the which combination of keenness and reserve was considerably more calculated to…” quote by Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/215/charlotte-bronte-144_discernment_st-john-s-eyes-though-clear-enough-in-a_1584117.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/215/charlotte-bronte-144_discernment_st-john-s-eyes-though-clear-enough-in-a_1584117.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/215/charlotte-bronte-144_discernment_st-john-s-eyes-though-clear-enough-in-a_1584117.jpg) > ““St. John's eyes, though clear enough in a literal sense, in a figurative one were difficult to fathom. He seemed to use them rather as instruments to search other people's thoughts, than as agents to reveal his own: the which combination of keenness and reserve was considerably more calculated to embarrass than to encourage.”” [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. St. John’s eyes are portrayed as tools for probing others’ thoughts, revealing his calculated reserve that can embarrass rather than encourage. **In simple terms:** His gaze probes others, not himself. Key Takeaway Beware of using perception to manipulate. Themes perception manipulation reserve social dynamics Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical observational When to use this quote - interpersonal relationships - leadership - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology power dynamics communication emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - Do you use perception to understand or to control? - How does reserve affect trust? A Different Perspective His reserve may hinder genuine connection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discernment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discernment/) [Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyes/) [Keenness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keenness/) ## Related quotes > [“His ginger hair blazed in the sunlight and I could tell that the envious sky mourned its own lackluster hue when it saw John’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-muncy-poole/his-ginger-hair-blazed-in-the-sunlight-and-i-could-tell-that-the/) Candace Muncy Poole > [“John's eyes turned to me...I saw no resignation in them, no hope of heaven, no drawing peace. How I would love to tell you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/john-s-eyes-turned-to-me-i-saw-no-resignation-in-them-no-hope-of/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“No fear of death will darken St. John's last hour: his mind will be unclouded, his heart will be undaunted, his hope will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/no-fear-of-death-will-darken-st-john-s-last-hour-his-mind-will-be/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [He's not just the best centre-forward in the British Isles, but the only one. (about Ian St John)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/he-s-not-just-the-best-centre-forward-in-the-british-isles-but-the/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) > [Most of my ambitions were seeded at St. John's. My time there was some of the best time I have spent on Earth thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burton-cummings/most-of-my-ambitions-were-seeded-at-st-john-s-my-time-there-was-some/) [Burton Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burton-cummings/) > [My parents grew up on different ends of the same street in St John's in Antigua.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andi-oliver/my-parents-grew-up-on-different-ends-of-the-same-street-in-st-john-s/) [Andi Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andi-oliver/) > [“St John had been sitting in the back garden twizzling a pencil, on the end of which a russet deposit was impaled, which had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-john-morris/st-john-had-been-sitting-in-the-back-garden-twizzling-a-pencil-on-the/) [St. John Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-john-morris/) > [“St John of the Cross,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-main/st-john-of-the-cross/) [John Main](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-main/) > [“Watching St John rock his wife's body was not part of my job description. Honest. I sat down on the stairs where I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/watching-st-john-rock-his-wife-s-body-was-not-part-of-my-job/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [There St. John mingles with my friendly bowl The feast of reason and the flow of soul;](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/there-st-john-mingles-with-my-friendly-bowl-the-feast-of-reason-and/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [“At the evening of life, we shall be judged on our love" (CCC 1022; by St. John of the Cross)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-john-of-the-cross-2/at-the-evening-of-life-we-shall-be-judged-on-our-love-ccc-1022-by-st/) [St. John of the Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-john-of-the-cross-2/) > [“Endurance of darkness is the preparation for Great Light." -St. John of The Cross”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-sabom/endurance-of-darkness-is-the-preparation-for-great-light-st-john-of/) Clint Sabom > [St John, on Christ's bosom, pray for me in the days of my discipleship, in the house of my faith, in the hour of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-milner-white/st-john-on-christ-s-bosom-pray-for-me-in-the-days-of-my-discipleship/) Eric Milner-White > [If there's a good player in New York City, he needs to come to St. John's if he wants to play the best basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mullin/if-there-s-a-good-player-in-new-york-city-he-needs-to-come-to-st-john/) [Chris Mullin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mullin/) > [I will always support St. John's University in keeping our basketball tradition alive!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-mullin/i-will-always-support-st-john-s-university-in-keeping-our-basketball/) [Chris Mullin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-mullin/) ## More by Charlotte Brontë > [When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard; I am sure we should - so hard as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/when-we-are-struck-at-without-a-reason-we-should-strike-back-again/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [My God, whose son, as on this night, took on Him the form of man, and for man vouchsafed to suffer and bleed, controls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/my-god-whose-son-as-on-this-night-took-on-him-the-form-of-man-and-for/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“A deal of people, Miss, are for trusting all to Providence; but I say Providence will not dispense with the means, though He often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/a-deal-of-people-miss-are-for-trusting-all-to-providence-but-i-say/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“This night is not calm; the equinox still struggles in its storms. The wild rains of the day are abated; the great single cloud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/this-night-is-not-calm-the-equinox-still-struggles-in-its-storms-the/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“How dare I, Mrs Reed? How dare I? Because it is the truth. You think I have no feelings, and that I can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/how-dare-i-mrs-reed-how-dare-i-because-it-is-the-truth-you-think-i/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“If men could see us as we really are, they would be a little amazed; but the cleverest, the acutest men are often under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-men-could-see-us-as-we-really-are-they-would-be-a-little-amazed/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-all-the-world-hated-you-and-believed-you-wicked-while-your-own/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs. With this creed, revenge never worries my heart, degradation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/life-appears-to-me-too-short-to-be-spent-in-nursing-animosity-or/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [Poverty, for me, is synonymous with degradation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/poverty-for-me-is-synonymous-with-degradation/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [When his first-born was put into his arms, he could see that the boy had inherited his own eyes, as they once were -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/when-his-first-born-was-put-into-his-arms-he-could-see-that-the-boy/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [Talented people almost always know full well the excellence that is in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/talented-people-almost-always-know-full-well-the-excellence-that-is/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“Not one spark of spirit, not one symptom of resistance, would they have shown till the hand of the Corsican bandit had grasped that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/not-one-spark-of-spirit-not-one-symptom-of-resistance-would-they-have/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“Love can excuse anything except meanness; but meanness kills love, cripples even natural affection; without esteem true love cannot exist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/love-can-excuse-anything-except-meanness-but-meanness-kills-love/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [I think you will learn to be natural with me, as I find it impossible to be conventional with you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/i-think-you-will-learn-to-be-natural-with-me-as-i-find-it-impossible/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“You are no ruin sir--no lighting-struck tree: you are green and vigorous. Plants will grow about your roots, whether you ask them or not,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/you-are-no-ruin-sir-no-lighting-struck-tree-you-are-green-and/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) [Explore all 1,082 Charlotte Brontë quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) ## More Discernment quotes > [“Discernment is first of all a habit, a way of seeing that eventually permeates our whole life. 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It is not ability to predict…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-w-tozer/the-word-of-wisdom-is-missing-he-continued-we-need-the-gift-of/) [a.w. tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-w-tozer/) > [Yet you must not cling to the words of the old sages either; they, too, may not be right. Even if you believe them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/yet-you-must-not-cling-to-the-words-of-the-old-sages-either-they-too/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [It is an unquestionable truth, that the body of the people in every country desire sincerely its prosperity. But it is equally unquestionable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/it-is-an-unquestionable-truth-that-the-body-of-the-people-in-every/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [“And, to be true, an enemy's lair is an enemy's lair, no matter how comfortable or fancy it might appear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-j-carroll/and-to-be-true-an-enemy-s-lair-is-an-enemy-s-lair-no-matter-how/) [Steven J. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-j-carroll/) > [Children have almost an intuitive discernment between the maxims you bring forward for their use, and those by which you direct your own conduct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-letitia-barbauld/children-have-almost-an-intuitive-discernment-between-the-maxims-you/) [Anna Letitia Barbauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-letitia-barbauld/) > [“Jealousy destroys the Moral competence to be Successful”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/jealousy-destroys-the-moral-competence-to-be-successful/) [Samuel Asumadu-Sarkodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/) > [I began to firmly change my mind when I saw how young Egyptians used Facebook, for example, to begin to coalesce their social justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micheline-aharonian-marcom/i-began-to-firmly-change-my-mind-when-i-saw-how-young-egyptians-used/) [Micheline Aharonian Marcom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micheline-aharonian-marcom/) > [To make a covenant with the Lord to always keep His commandments is a serious obligation, and to renew that covenant by partaking of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-w-hunter/to-make-a-covenant-with-the-lord-to-always-keep-his-commandments-is-a/) [Howard W. 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