--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't really pay enough attention to…" description: "\"I don't really pay enough attention to what other people are doing.\" — Dan Fogelberg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/284/dan-fogelberg-6850_attention_i-don-t-really-pay-enough-attention-to-w_855582.jpg" --- # I don't really pay enough attention to what other people… ![“I don't really pay enough attention to what other people are doing.” quote by Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/284/dan-fogelberg-6850_attention_i-don-t-really-pay-enough-attention-to-w_855582.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/284/dan-fogelberg-6850_attention_i-don-t-really-pay-enough-attention-to-w_855582.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/284/dan-fogelberg-6850_attention_i-don-t-really-pay-enough-attention-to-w_855582.jpg) > “I don't really pay enough attention to what other people are doing.” [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Focusing on others' actions distracts from personal growth and self‑awareness. **In simple terms:** Pay less attention to others. Key Takeaway Prioritize your own path. Themes self‑focus growth awareness individualism mindfulness Mood contemplative motivational Type reflective personal development When to use this quote - career planning - creative work - mental health - relationships Key Concepts personal development self‑reflection goal setting Questions to Reflect On - How does observing others affect you? - What benefits arise from focusing inward? A Different Perspective Ignoring others can lead to isolation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [No diss to any of my homies, but I pay very close attention to what people say about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheem-devaughn/no-diss-to-any-of-my-homies-but-i-pay-very-close-attention-to-what/) [Raheem DeVaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheem-devaughn/) > [You just have to pay attention to what people need and what has not been done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/you-just-have-to-pay-attention-to-what-people-need-and-what-has-not/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [I've heard some pretty bad things in my life. I'm just one of those people I've gotten to a point where I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-bush/i-ve-heard-some-pretty-bad-things-in-my-life-i-m-just-one-of-those/) [Sophia Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-bush/) > [People who know me, the guys who have been around me every day, this is the way I've been... I've never been a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booger-mcfarland/people-who-know-me-the-guys-who-have-been-around-me-every-day-this-is/) [Booger McFarland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booger-mcfarland/) > [I'm not one of those people who's against doing remakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-m-not-one-of-those-people-who-s-against-doing-remakes/) [David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/) > [Thinking is hard work, which is why you don't see many people doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-grafton/thinking-is-hard-work-which-is-why-you-don-t-see-many-people-doing-it/) [Sue Grafton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-grafton/) > [My sense of proprietorship has been so weak that actually I didn't pay attention and I lost the copyrights on a lot of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/my-sense-of-proprietorship-has-been-so-weak-that-actually-i-didn-t/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [Pay no attention to the less courageous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-genn/pay-no-attention-to-the-less-courageous/) [Sara Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-genn/) > [I have made a promise to myself that I will have no limitations as an actor. I have realised I have to pay attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randeep-hooda/i-have-made-a-promise-to-myself-that-i-will-have-no-limitations-as-an/) [Randeep Hooda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randeep-hooda/) > [The only thing I pay attention to with free throws is what a guy does in the final four minutes of a game. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calipari/the-only-thing-i-pay-attention-to-with-free-throws-is-what-a-guy-does/) [John Calipari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calipari/) > [The earliest language was body language and, since this language is the language of questions, if we limit the questions, and if we only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/the-earliest-language-was-body-language-and-since-this-language-is/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [Attention is a limited resource, so pay attention to where you pay attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/attention-is-a-limited-resource-so-pay-attention-to-where-you-pay/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Only two to three per cent of an audience is interested in words and pays attention to lyrics; most of the rest of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stewart/only-two-to-three-per-cent-of-an-audience-is-interested-in-words-and/) [Al Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stewart/) > [Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess over everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breathe at all, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/why-couldn-t-jesus-command-us-to-obsess-over-everything-to-try-to/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [ 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/) ## More by Dan Fogelberg > [Mystery's a thing not easily captured, and once deceased, not easily exhumed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/mystery-s-a-thing-not-easily-captured-and-once-deceased-not-easily/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [Be On Your Way is one of the favorite songs I've ever written. What a terribly sad song, but what a beautiful melody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/be-on-your-way-is-one-of-the-favorite-songs-i-ve-ever-written-what-a/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [I went to college as a theater major. But after about three weeks of that, I changed to the school of fine arts as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/i-went-to-college-as-a-theater-major-but-after-about-three-weeks-of/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [Love when you can, cry when you have to, be who you must, that's a part of the plan. Await your arrival with simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/love-when-you-can-cry-when-you-have-to-be-who-you-must-that-s-a-part/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [I wanted to pay tribute to my musical influences: Buffalo Springfield, Lightfoot, the Beatles, the Hollies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/i-wanted-to-pay-tribute-to-my-musical-influences-buffalo-springfield/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [Getting the best response from people is how I base my success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/getting-the-best-response-from-people-is-how-i-base-my-success/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [My life is as an artist, not an entertainer. I don't consider myself an entertainer, but I can do that thing when I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/my-life-is-as-an-artist-not-an-entertainer-i-don-t-consider-myself-an/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [I had gone full-on folkie; I'd had it with bands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/i-had-gone-full-on-folkie-i-d-had-it-with-bands/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [People who listen to my records expect the ballads from me. The rock 'n roll is on there because it's another mode of expression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/people-who-listen-to-my-records-expect-the-ballads-from-me-the-rock-n/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [I love the subtlety and tonal range of the acoustic guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/i-love-the-subtlety-and-tonal-range-of-the-acoustic-guitar/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [You've got to just follow your heart and do your best work. For better or worse, I have followed my heart. There is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/you-ve-got-to-just-follow-your-heart-and-do-your-best-work-for-better/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [Lessons learned are like bridges burned you only need to cross them but once. Is the knowledge gained worth the price of the pain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/lessons-learned-are-like-bridges-burned-you-only-need-to-cross-them/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man, I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/my-life-has-been-a-poor-attempt-to-imitate-the-man-i-m-just-a-living/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [It's only an interim trip. I love the music, but it's really giving me a way in which I can comfortably explore my art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/it-s-only-an-interim-trip-i-love-the-music-but-it-s-really-giving-me/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [My dad was vehemently opposed to electric guitars. He did not look on that kind of music as legitimate in any way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/my-dad-was-vehemently-opposed-to-electric-guitars-he-did-not-look-on/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) [Explore all 97 Dan Fogelberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) ## 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 don't really pay enough attention to what other people are doing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dan Fogelberg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/i-don-t-really-pay-enough-attention-to-what-other-people-are-doing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/i-don-t-really-pay-enough-attention-to-what-other-people-are-doing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/284/dan-fogelberg-6850_attention_i-don-t-really-pay-enough-attention-to-w_855582.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/284/dan-fogelberg-6850_attention_i-don-t-really-pay-enough-attention-to-w_855582.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/284/dan-fogelberg-6850_attention_i-don-t-really-pay-enough-attention-to-w_855582.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't really pay enough attention to what other people are doing.” — Dan Fogelberg", "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": "Dan Fogelberg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't really pay enough attention...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/i-don-t-really-pay-enough-attention-to-what-other-people-are-doing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/i-don-t-really-pay-enough-attention-to-what-other-people-are-doing/#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 } } ] } ```