--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No, the sky, it is not a contest or an…" description: "\"“No, the sky, it is not a contest or an exam. The only question is, can you look up? Can you take it all in?”\" — Clare Vanderpool" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/clare-vanderpool-15088_exam_no-the-sky-it-is-not-a-contest-or-an-exa_1818011.png" --- # No, the sky, it is not a contest or an exam. The only… ![“No, the sky, it is not a contest or an exam. The only question is, can you look up? Can you take it all in?” quote by Clare Vanderpool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/clare-vanderpool-15088_exam_no-the-sky-it-is-not-a-contest-or-an-exa_1818011.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/clare-vanderpool-15088_exam_no-the-sky-it-is-not-a-contest-or-an-exa_1818011.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/clare-vanderpool-15088_exam_no-the-sky-it-is-not-a-contest-or-an-exa_1818011.png) > ““No, the sky, it is not a contest or an exam. The only question is, can you look up? Can you take it all in?”” [Clare Vanderpool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-vanderpool/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Perspective requires openness and curiosity, not competition; we should seek to understand rather than win. **In simple terms:** Look up, don’t compete. Key Takeaway Cultivate curiosity. Themes learning perspective humility Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - education - personal growth - creative work - problem solving Key Concepts cognitive openness mindset exploration Questions to Reflect On - What does “looking up” mean to you? - How can you practice humility in learning? A Different Perspective Competition can hinder deep understanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Exam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exam/) [Truth Seeking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-seeking/) ## Related quotes > [“The question is not what you look at, but what you see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-question-is-not-what-you-look-at-but-what-you-see/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Be like Curious George, start with a question and look under the yellow hat to find what's there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-collins/be-like-curious-george-start-with-a-question-and-look-under-the/) [James Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-collins/) > [Women often approach me with a question- "Will I look like you after I give birth?". I say to them- "Well, have you looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-klum/women-often-approach-me-with-a-question-will-i-look-like-you-after-i/) [Heidi Klum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-klum/) > [“Never assume. Question everything. Always look beyond the obvious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-tudor/never-assume-question-everything-always-look-beyond-the-obvious/) [C.J. Tudor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-tudor/) > [The question is not what you look at – but how you look & whether you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-question-is-not-what-you-look-at-but-how-you-look-whether-you-see/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The question is not what you look at--but how you look, and whether you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-question-is-not-what-you-look-at-but-how-you-look-and-whether-you/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wes Clark is a man of whom you can ask a question, and he will look you directly in the eye, and give you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/wes-clark-is-a-man-of-whom-you-can-ask-a-question-and-he-will-look/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [“one of those nightmares where it’s the final exam for a course”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kreider/one-of-those-nightmares-where-it-s-the-final-exam-for-a-course/) [Tim Kreider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kreider/) > [Please, God,' Ruth would pray, 'don't let me be competitive. 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They offered me a job as a junior reporter and I went off to work for the Southern Reporter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-douglas/i-didn-t-go-to-university-they-offered-me-a-job-as-a-junior-reporter/) [Jill Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-douglas/) > [Life is the most difficult exam. Many tend to fail in it copying others not realizing that each one has a different question paper.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/life-is-the-most-difficult-exam-many-tend-to-fail-in-it-copying/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [Poems come from ordinary experiences and objects, I think. Out of memory - a dress I lent my daughter on her way back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-olds/poems-come-from-ordinary-experiences-and-objects-i-think-out-of/) [Sharon Olds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-olds/) > [I'm drinking away the exam results that don't take me anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-herrick/i-m-drinking-away-the-exam-results-that-don-t-take-me-anywhere/) [Steven Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-herrick/) ## More by Clare Vanderpool > [“Telling a story ain’t hard,” Lettie had said. “All you need is a beginning, middle, and end.” But that was the problem. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-vanderpool/telling-a-story-ain-t-hard-lettie-had-said-all-you-need-is-a/) [Clare Vanderpool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-vanderpool/) > [There are no coincidences. Just miracles by the boatload.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-vanderpool/there-are-no-coincidences-just-miracles-by-the-boatload/) [Clare Vanderpool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-vanderpool/) > [Fly fishing is not about catching the fish. It is about enjoying the water, the breeze, the fish swimming all around. If you catch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-vanderpool/fly-fishing-is-not-about-catching-the-fish-it-is-about-enjoying-the/) [Clare Vanderpool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-vanderpool/) > [...the person you encounter is often more than the person you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-vanderpool/the-person-you-encounter-is-often-more-than-the-person-you-see/) [Clare Vanderpool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-vanderpool/) > [Who would dream that one can love without being crushed under the weight of it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-vanderpool/who-would-dream-that-one-can-love-without-being-crushed-under-the/) [Clare Vanderpool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-vanderpool/) > [“And in the background of Early's story was her voice. Her soul. Her sadness and longing. 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It's knowing how to find your way back home that's important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-vanderpool/finding-your-way-doesn-t-mean-you-always-know-where-you-re-going-it-s/) [Clare Vanderpool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-vanderpool/) > [“They certainly know their stuff, and any remaining mistakes or intentional variations from the factual are my own doing. In fact, why don't we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-vanderpool/they-certainly-know-their-stuff-and-any-remaining-mistakes-or/) [Clare Vanderpool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-vanderpool/) > [“Fly-fishing is the sport of the thinkers and the dreamers,” Gunnar said. “It is the contemplative man’s recreation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-vanderpool/fly-fishing-is-the-sport-of-the-thinkers-and-the-dreamers-gunnar-said/) [Clare Vanderpool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-vanderpool/) > [“Louis Armstrong on Mondays, Frank Sinatra on Wednesdays, Glenn Miller on Fridays, and Mozart on Sundays. Unless it was raining. If it's raining, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-vanderpool/louis-armstrong-on-mondays-frank-sinatra-on-wednesdays-glenn-miller/) [Clare Vanderpool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-vanderpool/) > [Memories were like sunshine. They warmed you up and left a pleasant glow, but you couldn't hold them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-vanderpool/memories-were-like-sunshine-they-warmed-you-up-and-left-a-pleasant/) [Clare Vanderpool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-vanderpool/) > [When there is suffering, we look for a reason. That reason is easiest found within oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-vanderpool/when-there-is-suffering-we-look-for-a-reason-that-reason-is-easiest/) [Clare Vanderpool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-vanderpool/) [Explore all 43 Clare Vanderpool quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-vanderpool/) ## More Exam quotes > [I'm drinking away the exam results that don't take me anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-herrick/i-m-drinking-away-the-exam-results-that-don-t-take-me-anywhere/) [Steven Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-herrick/) > [Poems come from ordinary experiences and objects, I think. Out of memory - a dress I lent my daughter on her way back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-olds/poems-come-from-ordinary-experiences-and-objects-i-think-out-of/) [Sharon Olds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-olds/) > [Life is the most difficult exam. Many tend to fail in it copying others not realizing that each one has a different question paper.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/life-is-the-most-difficult-exam-many-tend-to-fail-in-it-copying/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [I didn't go to university. They offered me a job as a junior reporter and I went off to work for the Southern Reporter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-douglas/i-didn-t-go-to-university-they-offered-me-a-job-as-a-junior-reporter/) [Jill Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-douglas/) > [I flunked my exam for university two times before I was accepted by what was considered my city's worst university, Hangzhou Teachers University. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/i-flunked-my-exam-for-university-two-times-before-i-was-accepted-by/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [I was thrown out of college for cheating on the metaphysics exam; I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/i-was-thrown-out-of-college-for-cheating-on-the-metaphysics-exam-i/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [Please, God,' Ruth would pray, 'don't let me be competitive. Let me realize what a privilege it is to study. Let me remember that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-ibbotson/please-god-ruth-would-pray-don-t-let-me-be-competitive-let-me-realize/) [Eva Ibbotson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-ibbotson/) > [“one of those nightmares where it’s the final exam for a course”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kreider/one-of-those-nightmares-where-it-s-the-final-exam-for-a-course/) [Tim Kreider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kreider/) > [One of the leading causes of divorce is sexual incompatibility. Why not mandate premarital sex, overseen, of course, by the Marriage Board to ensure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-rosen/one-of-the-leading-causes-of-divorce-is-sexual-incompatibility-why/) Mike Rosen > [To apply for a gifted program, children as young as 4 are required to sit through hour-long verbal exams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanna-rosin/to-apply-for-a-gifted-program-children-as-young-as-4-are-required-to/) [Hanna Rosin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanna-rosin/) > [I remember when I came out of an exam thinking I had done well and then I had a clue that maybe one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-remember-when-i-came-out-of-an-exam-thinking-i-had-done-well-and/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [Right now, for instance, we resist giving people extra time on exams or for assignments, as though it's unfair to the faster students.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-todd-rose/right-now-for-instance-we-resist-giving-people-extra-time-on-exams-or/) [L. 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