--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A wealth of information means a poverty…" description: "\"“A wealth of information means a poverty of attention.”\" — Daniel Goleman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f29/daniel-goleman-1599_attention_a-wealth-of-information-means-a-poverty_2280103.jpg" --- # A wealth of information means a poverty of attention. ![“A wealth of information means a poverty of attention.” quote by Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f29/daniel-goleman-1599_attention_a-wealth-of-information-means-a-poverty_2280103.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f29/daniel-goleman-1599_attention_a-wealth-of-information-means-a-poverty_2280103.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f29/daniel-goleman-1599_attention_a-wealth-of-information-means-a-poverty_2280103.jpg) > ““A wealth of information means a poverty of attention.”” [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Abundant data overwhelms our capacity to concentrate, reducing deep focus. **In simple terms:** Too much info, less attention. Key Takeaway Limit inputs, protect focus. Themes attention information overload focus Mood concerned reflective Type advice observational When to use this quote - workplace - social media - learning - decision making Key Concepts cognitive load digital age Questions to Reflect On - How can you design environments that reduce noise? - What habits protect your attention? A Different Perspective Even with filters, distractions persist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [People need to know more than what a piece of information means. They also need to know how the information matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-seely-brown/people-need-to-know-more-than-what-a-piece-of-information-means-they/) [John Seely Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-seely-brown/) > [Access to accurate information means very little in the face of strong convictions...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-michael-greer/access-to-accurate-information-means-very-little-in-the-face-of/) [John Michael Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-michael-greer/) > [Television is altering the meaning of 'being informed' by creating a species of information that might properly be called disinformation. Disinformation does not mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/television-is-altering-the-meaning-of-being-informed-by-creating-a/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/hence-a-wealth-of-information-creates-a-poverty-of-attention/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/what-information-consumes-is-rather-obvious-it-consumes-the-attention-3/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“Back in the seventies, Herbert Simon, the Nobel-winning economist, took these inchoate sentiments and explained them rigorously: “What information consumes is rather obvious. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/back-in-the-seventies-herbert-simon-the-nobel-winning-economist-took/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [“In an information-rich world, the wealth of information means a dearth of something else: a scarcity of whatever it is that information consumes. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kelly/in-an-information-rich-world-the-wealth-of-information-means-a-dearth-2/) [Kevin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kelly/) > [“Herbert Simon, the Nobel-winning economist, took these inchoate sentiments and explained them rigorously: “What information consumes is rather obvious. It consumes the attention of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/herbert-simon-the-nobel-winning-economist-took-these-inchoate/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [“In an information-rich world, the wealth of information means a dearth of something else: a scarcity of whatever it is that information consumes. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-a-simon/in-an-information-rich-world-the-wealth-of-information-means-a-dearth/) [Herbert A. Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-a-simon/) > [What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-simon/what-information-consumes-is-rather-obvious-it-consumes-the-attention/) [Herbert Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-simon/) > [A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-wealth-of-information-creates-a-poverty-of-attention/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Imagine if we can get information from sensors, compute it in the cloud, and find and plug water leakages - leakage wastes 20 per…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajeev-suri/imagine-if-we-can-get-information-from-sensors-compute-it-in-the/) [Rajeev Suri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajeev-suri/) > [We're living in a technological world. You cannot tell me we can't do a better job getting that information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-re-living-in-a-technological-world-you-cannot-tell-me-we-can-t-do/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Unlike return, however, risk is no more quantifiable at the end of an investment that it was at its beginning. Risk simply cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-klarman/unlike-return-however-risk-is-no-more-quantifiable-at-the-end-of-an/) [Seth Klarman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-klarman/) > [Information is money, but data is squat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-llama-butler/information-is-money-but-data-is-squat/) Angela Llama-Butler ## More by Daniel Goleman > [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/) > [When the darkness is seen as a necessary prelude to the creative light, one is less likely to ascribe frustration to personal inadequacy or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/when-the-darkness-is-seen-as-a-necessary-prelude-to-the-creative/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [All the classical meditation traditions, in one way or another, stress nonattachment to the self as a goal of practice. Oddly, this dimension is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/all-the-classical-meditation-traditions-in-one-way-or-another-stress/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Feelings are self-justifying, with a set of perceptions and "proofs" all their own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/feelings-are-self-justifying-with-a-set-of-perceptions-and-proofs-all/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Overloading attention shrinks mental control. Life immersed in digital distractions creates a near constant cognitive overload. And that overload wears out self-control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/overloading-attention-shrinks-mental-control-life-immersed-in-digital/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [What seems to set apart those at the very top of competitive pursuits from others of roughly equal ability is the degree to which,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/what-seems-to-set-apart-those-at-the-very-top-of-competitive-pursuits/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [“What distinguishes leaders in medicine goes far beyond that knowledge, into interpersonal skills like empathy, conflict resolution, and people development.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/what-distinguishes-leaders-in-medicine-goes-far-beyond-that-knowledge/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [“Richard Davidson, a University of Wisconsin psychologist. He discovered that people who have greater activity in the left frontal lobe, compared to the right,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/richard-davidson-a-university-of-wisconsin-psychologist-he-discovered/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Emotional 'literacy' implies an expanded responsibility for schools in helping to socialize children. This daunting task requires two major changes: that teachers go beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/emotional-literacy-implies-an-expanded-responsibility-for-schools-in/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [The social brain is in its natural habitat when we're talking with someone face-to-face in real time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-social-brain-is-in-its-natural-habitat-when-we-re-talking-with/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [The ability to handle stress increases with the practice of meditation. In a culture like ours in which inner, spiritual growth is totally neglected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-ability-to-handle-stress-increases-with-the-practice-of/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Research shows that for jobs of all kinds, emotional intelligence is twice as important an ingredient of outstanding performance as cognitive ability and technical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/research-shows-that-for-jobs-of-all-kinds-emotional-intelligence-is/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [The emotional brain responds to an event more quickly than the thinking brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-emotional-brain-responds-to-an-event-more-quickly-than-the/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Positive work environments outperform negative work environments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/positive-work-environments-outperform-negative-work-environments/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Who does not recall school at least in part as endless dreary hours of boredom punctuated by moments of high anxiety?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/who-does-not-recall-school-at-least-in-part-as-endless-dreary-hours/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) [Explore all 200 Daniel Goleman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) ## 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": "“A wealth of information means a poverty of attention.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daniel Goleman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/a-wealth-of-information-means-a-poverty-of-attention/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/a-wealth-of-information-means-a-poverty-of-attention/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f29/daniel-goleman-1599_attention_a-wealth-of-information-means-a-poverty_2280103.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f29/daniel-goleman-1599_attention_a-wealth-of-information-means-a-poverty_2280103.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f29/daniel-goleman-1599_attention_a-wealth-of-information-means-a-poverty_2280103.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A wealth of information means a poverty of attention.” — Daniel Goleman", "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": "Daniel Goleman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A wealth of information means a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/a-wealth-of-information-means-a-poverty-of-attention/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/a-wealth-of-information-means-a-poverty-of-attention/#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 } } ] } ```