---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I sat there watching him examine the fish…"
description: "\"“I sat there watching him examine the fish and marvelling at what we’d caught. A genuine eccentric Oxford don. They’re an extinct species, too...”\" — C..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0e/connie-willis-5208_fish_i-sat-there-watching-him-examine-the-fis_669313.png"
---

#  I sat there watching him examine the fish and marvelling…

![“I sat there watching him examine the fish and marvelling at what we’d caught. A genuine eccentric Oxford don. They’re an extinct species, too...” quote by Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0e/connie-willis-5208_fish_i-sat-there-watching-him-examine-the-fis_669313.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0e/connie-willis-5208_fish_i-sat-there-watching-him-examine-the-fis_669313.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0e/connie-willis-5208_fish_i-sat-there-watching-him-examine-the-fis_669313.png)

> ““I sat there watching him examine the fish and marvelling at what we’d caught. A genuine eccentric Oxford don. They’re an extinct species, too...””

[Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

## About This Quote

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

The narrator watches an eccentric Oxford professor examine fish, marveling at his uniqueness, noting such characters are rare.

**In simple terms:** Admiring a quirky scholar and his rarity.

Key Takeaway

Appreciate and learn from unconventional thinkers.

Themes

academia eccentricity observation rarity humor

Mood

curious amused thoughtful

Type

literary observational

When to use this quote

- observing a professor
- discussing academic culture
- valuing uniqueness
- identifying rare personalities

Key Concepts

intellectual curiosity individualism social isolation

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes an eccentric valuable?
- How can you support unconventional minds?

A Different Perspective

Not all eccentricities are positive; they may hinder collaboration.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish/) [Oxford university](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oxford-university/)

## Related quotes

> [Red squirrels... you don't see many of them since they became extinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-aspel/red-squirrels-you-don-t-see-many-of-them-since-they-became-extinct/)

[Michael Aspel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-aspel/)

> [Don't become extinct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mckain/don-t-become-extinct/)

Rose McKain

> [Clothing should be like food. There should never be a $5000 sweater. You know what should cost $5000? A car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/clothing-should-be-like-food-there-should-never-be-a-5000-sweater-you/)

[Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/)

> [Having spent years in academia - at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Oxford University and Harvard Law School - I encountered a wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayleigh-mcenany/having-spent-years-in-academia-at-georgetown-university-school-of/)

[Kayleigh McEnany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayleigh-mcenany/)

> [Okay, everyone please be completely quiet, because I can literally hear a whisper, and it’ll throw off my stream of consciousness, and when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/okay-everyone-please-be-completely-quiet-because-i-can-literally-hear/)

[Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/)

> [David Blunkett and I both take the same view that it is scandalous that someone from North Tyneside, Laura Spence, with the best qualifications…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/david-blunkett-and-i-both-take-the-same-view-that-it-is-scandalous/)

[Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/)

> [I refused this evening at Oxford University to debate with an Israeli, a supporter of the apartheid state of Israel. The reason is simple:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-galloway/i-refused-this-evening-at-oxford-university-to-debate-with-an-israeli/)

[George Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-galloway/)

> [“In speaking of the fear of religion, I don’t mean to refer to the entirely reasonable hostility toward certain established religions and religious institutions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nagel/in-speaking-of-the-fear-of-religion-i-don-t-mean-to-refer-to-the/)

[Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nagel/)

> [ “Joseph Schumpeter emphasized that all analysis in economics is preceded by a pre-analytical cognitive act, called vision, in which the analyst ‘visualise\[s\] a distinct… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/joseph-schumpeter-emphasized-that-all-analysis-in-economics-is/)

[Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/)

> [At Oxford University, I studied languages so I could read the great novels as they were originally written. I took what in the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-beckinsale/at-oxford-university-i-studied-languages-so-i-could-read-the-great/)

[Kate Beckinsale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-beckinsale/)

> [“Visitors say, 'Real shrunken heads! Wow! How were they made? By slitting the skin, taking out the skull and brains and steaming them with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-larson/visitors-say-real-shrunken-heads-wow-how-were-they-made-by-slitting/)

Frances Larson

> [Time is the only thing you can't buy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-lapin/time-is-the-only-thing-you-can-t-buy/)

[Nicole Lapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-lapin/)

> [I was extremely honoured and privileged to have had the opportunity to visit Oxford University. It was a great experience to share personal anecdotes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanya-malhotra/i-was-extremely-honoured-and-privileged-to-have-had-the-opportunity/)

[Sanya Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanya-malhotra/)

> [I am honoured to be accepting this degree from Oxford University, a world famous educational institution. This is a very special day for my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahat-fateh-ali-khan/i-am-honoured-to-be-accepting-this-degree-from-oxford-university-a/)

[Rahat Fateh Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahat-fateh-ali-khan/)

> [I went to study at Oxford University in the 1980s on an imperial scholarship instituted by Cecil Rhodes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/i-went-to-study-at-oxford-university-in-the-1980s-on-an-imperial/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

## More by Connie Willis

> [“Cyril had staked out his claim and refused to move. "Move over!" I said, freeing one hand from holding the cat to push. "Dogs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/cyril-had-staked-out-his-claim-and-refused-to-move-move-over-i-said/)

[Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

> [Shakespeare put no children in his plays for a reason," Sir Godfrey muttered, glaring at Alf and Binnie. "You're forgetting the Little Prince," Polly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/shakespeare-put-no-children-in-his-plays-for-a-reason-sir-godfrey/)

[Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

> [If King Harold had had swans on his side, England would still be Saxon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/if-king-harold-had-had-swans-on-his-side-england-would-still-be-saxon/)

[Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

> [“Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to inflict my rantings on you, even though we are destined to spend the rest of our lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/sorry-he-apologized-i-didn-t-mean-to-inflict-my-rantings-on-you-even/)

[connie willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

> [A Grand Design we couldn't see because we were part of it. A Grand Design we only got occasional, fleeting glimpses of. A Grand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/a-grand-design-we-couldn-t-see-because-we-were-part-of-it-a-grand/)

[Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

> [“Well, at least she’s asserting herself, and you don’t have to worry about her having ‘squelched girl syndrome,’ ” she said. Mary Clare ignored that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/well-at-least-she-s-asserting-herself-and-you-don-t-have-to-worry/)

[Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

> [“Show tunes are great. Stephen Sondheim. Rodgers and Hammerstein. Wicked. Rent. The Music Man. Almost any musical will do. Except Cats.” “Why? Doesn’t it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/show-tunes-are-great-stephen-sondheim-rodgers-and-hammerstein-wicked/)

[Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

> [No," I said finally. "Slowness in Answering," she said into the handheld. "When's the last time you slept?" "1940" I said promptly, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/no-i-said-finally-slowness-in-answering-she-said-into-the-handheld/)

[Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

> [When you're a writer, the question people always ask you is, "Where do you get your ideas?" Writers hate this question. It's like asking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/when-you-re-a-writer-the-question-people-always-ask-you-is-where-do/)

[Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

> [“We live in hope that the good we do here on earth will be rewarded in heaven. We also hope to win the war.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/we-live-in-hope-that-the-good-we-do-here-on-earth-will-be-rewarded-in/)

[Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

> [“You can't go yet, not without telling us what all's happened to you since we saw you last." I faked amnesia, nearly killed Alan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/you-can-t-go-yet-not-without-telling-us-what-all-s-happened-to-you/)

[Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

> [And kissed her for a hundred and sixty-nine years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/and-kissed-her-for-a-hundred-and-sixty-nine-years/)

[Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

> [Management cares about only one thing. Paperwork. They will forgive almost anything else - cost overruns, gross incompetence, criminal indictments - as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/management-cares-about-only-one-thing-paperwork-they-will-forgive/)

[Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

> [And every place and time an author writes about is imaginary, from Oz to Raymond Chandler's L.A. to Dickens's London.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/and-every-place-and-time-an-author-writes-about-is-imaginary-from-oz/)

[Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

> [“1. Optimize potential. 2. Facilitate empowerment. 3. Implement visioning. 4. Strategize priorities. 5. Augment core structures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/1-optimize-potential-2-facilitate-empowerment-3-implement-visioning-4/)

[Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

[Explore all 100 Connie Willis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/)

## More Fish quotes

> [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/)

[Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/)

> [I love to fish. I love the peacefulness of being around the water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evonne-goolagong-cawley/i-love-to-fish-i-love-the-peacefulness-of-being-around-the-water/)

[Evonne Goolagong Cawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evonne-goolagong-cawley/)

> [Batley and Spen has a high proportion of people working in manufacturing, and we can boast the full range of industries, including high-skilled, precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/batley-and-spen-has-a-high-proportion-of-people-working-in/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [Fly-fishing for wild trout on quiet waters must be one of the toughest and craziest ways to catch fish ever invented by man, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-voelker/fly-fishing-for-wild-trout-on-quiet-waters-must-be-one-of-the/)

[John D. Voelker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-voelker/)

> [My kids all do love to hunt and fish. When they get together, I think that's what they get together more for than anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/my-kids-all-do-love-to-hunt-and-fish-when-they-get-together-i-think/)

[Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/)

> [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/)

[Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/)

> [“If this were a fairy tale, this would be the part where the fishboy appears and Diana shoots him through the heart. Because he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-moskowitz/if-this-were-a-fairy-tale-this-would-be-the-part-where-the-fishboy/)

[Hannah Moskowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-moskowitz/)

> [I do not believe in eating fish hot. People always insist on hot fish, but that leaves it dried out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/i-do-not-believe-in-eating-fish-hot-people-always-insist-on-hot-fish/)

[Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/)

> [Many years ago I was fishing, and as I was reeling in the poor fish, I realised, 'I am killing him - all for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/many-years-ago-i-was-fishing-and-as-i-was-reeling-in-the-poor-fish-i/)

[Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/)

> [I don't eat meat - chicken, fish, none of that. I eat a lot of vegetable sandwiches, like lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, cucumbers, whatever I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-don-t-eat-meat-chicken-fish-none-of-that-i-eat-a-lot-of-vegetable/)

Gza

> [“Fish are unable, of course, to speak for themselves about how we treat them. They have ways of communicating with each other and, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-morell/fish-are-unable-of-course-to-speak-for-themselves-about-how-we-treat/)

[Virginia Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-morell/)

> [Undoubtedly, church fish fries and picnics help build social cohesion. It was at my dad's medium-size evangelical church - my first real exposure to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/undoubtedly-church-fish-fries-and-picnics-help-build-social-cohesion/)

[J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/)

> [“Similarly, take the time to get into shape so you can get to that great spot and be able to fish it all day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-deeter/similarly-take-the-time-to-get-into-shape-so-you-can-get-to-that/)

Kirk Deeter

> [“It's a familiar, if not exactly inspiring, message: in the face of slim pickings, lower your standards. It also makes clear the converse: with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-christian-tom-griffiths/it-s-a-familiar-if-not-exactly-inspiring-message-in-the-face-of-slim/)

[Brian Christian, Tom Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-christian-tom-griffiths/)

> [The kind of fishing that I do is pretty much bass, trout or freshwater fishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-steyn/the-kind-of-fishing-that-i-do-is-pretty-much-bass-trout-or-freshwater/)

[Dale Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-steyn/)

[Browse all 2,977 Fish quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“I sat there watching him examine the fish and marvelling at what we’d caught. A genuine eccentric Oxford don. They’re an extinct species, too...”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Connie Willis"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/i-sat-there-watching-him-examine-the-fish-and-marvelling-at-what-we-d/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Fish"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/i-sat-there-watching-him-examine-the-fish-and-marvelling-at-what-we-d/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0e/connie-willis-5208_fish_i-sat-there-watching-him-examine-the-fis_669313.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0e/connie-willis-5208_fish_i-sat-there-watching-him-examine-the-fis_669313.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0e/connie-willis-5208_fish_i-sat-there-watching-him-examine-the-fis_669313.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I sat there watching him examine the fish and marvelling at what we’d caught. A genuine eccentric Oxford…” — Connie Willis",
                "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": "Connie Willis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I sat there watching him examine...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/i-sat-there-watching-him-examine-the-fish-and-marvelling-at-what-we-d/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/i-sat-there-watching-him-examine-the-fish-and-marvelling-at-what-we-d/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
