--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I thought how you can never tell just by…" description: "\"I thought how you can never tell just by looking at them what they were thinking or what was happening In their lives. Even when you got daft people or..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f8/david-almond-9241_bus_i-thought-how-you-can-never-tell-just-by_2689717.jpg" --- # I thought how you can never tell just by looking at them… ![“I thought how you can never tell just by looking at them what they were thinking or what was happening In their lives. Even when you got daft people or drunk people on buses, people that went on stupid and shouted rubbish or tried to tell you all about themselves, you could never really tell about…” quote by David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f8/david-almond-9241_bus_i-thought-how-you-can-never-tell-just-by_2689717.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f8/david-almond-9241_bus_i-thought-how-you-can-never-tell-just-by_2689717.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f8/david-almond-9241_bus_i-thought-how-you-can-never-tell-just-by_2689717.jpg) > “I thought how you can never tell just by looking at them what they were thinking or what was happening In their lives. Even when you got daft people or drunk people on buses, people that went on stupid and shouted rubbish or tried to tell you all about themselves, you could never really tell about them either... I knew if somebody looked at me, they'd know nothing about me, either.” [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Appearances deceive; you cannot judge thoughts or life circumstances by looks. **In simple terms:** Looks don’t reveal inner reality. Key Takeaway Practice empathy beyond surface judgments. Themes empathy judgment appearance human complexity social perception Mood reflective empathetic Type philosophical social When to use this quote - public transport - social gatherings - online interactions - workplace Key Concepts Psychology of perception social bias Questions to Reflect On - How can you cultivate deeper understanding? - When is it appropriate to trust intuition? A Different Perspective First impressions can be useful sometimes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bus/) [Buses People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buses-people-2648000/) [Drunk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drunk/) [Drunk people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drunk-people/) [Looking Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-thinking-521632/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Buses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-buses-2648002/) [Rubbish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rubbish/) [Stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thought Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-tell-2648001/) [Tried Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tried-tell-869400/) ## Related quotes > [So the mayor of New Orleans would have used his own buses had the people had been white?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-hannity/so-the-mayor-of-new-orleans-would-have-used-his-own-buses-had-the/) [Sean Hannity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-hannity/) > [I watch people from the top of buses who don't know they're being watched. It's quite fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-imrie/i-watch-people-from-the-top-of-buses-who-don-t-know-they-re-being/) [Celia Imrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-imrie/) > [The artist's life is to be where life is, active life, found in neither ivory tower nor concrete shelter; he must be out listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-o-casey/the-artist-s-life-is-to-be-where-life-is-active-life-found-in-neither/) [Sean O'Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-o-casey/) > [“To love makes one solitary, she thought. She could tell nobody, not even Septimus now...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/to-love-makes-one-solitary-she-thought-she-could-tell-nobody-not-even/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“You can talk to a dog all day long, but he's just looking at you and thinking, 'Where's the ball?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-meyers/you-can-talk-to-a-dog-all-day-long-but-he-s-just-looking-at-you-and/) [Mike Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-meyers/) > [Perhaps the logical conclusion of everyone looking the same is everyone thinking the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/perhaps-the-logical-conclusion-of-everyone-looking-the-same-is/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) > [What I'm still grappling with and learning how to do is to be looking and thinking cinematically, having come from television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-abrams/what-i-m-still-grappling-with-and-learning-how-to-do-is-to-be-looking/) [J. J. Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-abrams/) > [“Can you tell by where my eyes are looking what I’m thinking? Hint: I’m staring directly at your vagina.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/can-you-tell-by-where-my-eyes-are-looking-what-i-m-thinking-hint-i-m/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [If you have a bad thought about yourself, tell it to go to hell because that is exactly where it came from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-have-a-bad-thought-about-yourself-tell-it-to-go-to-hell/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This is my 300 th Qoute. Just thought I would tell ya.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/this-is-my-300-th-qoute-just-thought-i-would-tell-ya/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [I am not looking or thinking that every move of mine will generate mass hysteria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varun-dhawan/i-am-not-looking-or-thinking-that-every-move-of-mine-will-generate/) [Varun Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varun-dhawan/) > [Let’s be honest. Who here thinks your professors can say what they really believe? It scares me to death, and should scare you too,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlton-heston/let-s-be-honest-who-here-thinks-your-professors-can-say-what-they/) [Charlton Heston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlton-heston/) > [A thought must tell at once, or not at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/a-thought-must-tell-at-once-or-not-at-all/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [“See, Mr. Nak'll be talking about how anger comes creeping up, hoping you're not paying attention so it can trick you into something really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/see-mr-nak-ll-be-talking-about-how-anger-comes-creeping-up-hoping-you/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) > [“And then I realize what I’ve known all night. He is looking at me but he is thinking about... her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-stockett/and-then-i-realize-what-i-ve-known-all-night-he-is-looking-at-me-but/) [Kathryn Stockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-stockett/) ## More by David Almond > [“Well, well,” she murmurs as I back away. She makes a rectangle with her index fingers and thumbs and looks at my skin through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/well-well-she-murmurs-as-i-back-away-she-makes-a-rectangle-with-her/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“I do think there is evil. But it is very rare. It is as rare as true goodness. And just as true goodness produces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/i-do-think-there-is-evil-but-it-is-very-rare-it-is-as-rare-as-true/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“Sometimes we think we should be able to know everything. But we can’t. We have to allow ourselves to see what there is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/sometimes-we-think-we-should-be-able-to-know-everything-but-we-can-t/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“A school for the writing of nonsense and the pursuit of extraordinary activities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/a-school-for-the-writing-of-nonsense-and-the-pursuit-of-extraordinary/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“She points at my chest. “And much more interestingly, what’s that?” “Blood,” I say. She gets her camera out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/she-points-at-my-chest-and-much-more-interestingly-what-s-that-blood/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [And what is wrong with playing with words? Words love to be played with, just like children or kittens do!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/and-what-is-wrong-with-playing-with-words-words-love-to-be-played/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [The best tip for writing is just to write; to sit down and write, to begin doing it and not to be scared by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/the-best-tip-for-writing-is-just-to-write-to-sit-down-and-write-to/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [They say that shoulder blades are where your wings were, when you were an angel," she said. "They say they're where your wings will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/they-say-that-shoulder-blades-are-where-your-wings-were-when-you-were/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“I love afternoons like that, like when we talk about things like metempsychosis, when we learn so much, and explore so much, and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/i-love-afternoons-like-that-like-when-we-talk-about-things-like/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [I don't want to be little again. But at the same time I do. I want to be me like I was then, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/i-don-t-want-to-be-little-again-but-at-the-same-time-i-do-i-want-to/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“more 27 and 53,'i said. 'Food of the gods,' he said”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/more-27-and-53-i-said-food-of-the-gods-he-said/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“I have hair that drifts like seaweed when I swim. I have eyes that shine like rock pools. My ears are like scallop shells.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/i-have-hair-that-drifts-like-seaweed-when-i-swim-i-have-eyes-that/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [Anything seems possible at night when the rest of the world has gone to sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/anything-seems-possible-at-night-when-the-rest-of-the-world-has-gone/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“We thought a little longer, and in the end we simply called her Joy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/we-thought-a-little-longer-and-in-the-end-we-simply-called-her-joy/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) > [“I said, 'Do you know what shoulder blades are for?' She giggled. 'Do you not even know that?' she said. 'Do you?' 'It's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/i-said-do-you-know-what-shoulder-blades-are-for-she-giggled-do-you/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) [Explore all 74 David Almond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) ## More Bus quotes > [“You go into extinction by being obsessed about becoming something else and then travelling in the wrong car while your real self keeps waiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/you-go-into-extinction-by-being-obsessed-about-becoming-something/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Literature transforms and intensifies ordinary language, deviates systematically from everyday speech. If you approach me at a bus stop and murmur Thou still unravished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/literature-transforms-and-intensifies-ordinary-language-deviates/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) > [I only started driving lessons because of comedy - before that, there's be no need. There was a bus from where I lived to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-millican/i-only-started-driving-lessons-because-of-comedy-before-that-there-s/) [Sarah Millican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-millican/) > [I've been so lucky with the people I've worked with, but I'm such a fan girl. When I moved to London at 16, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheridan-smith/i-ve-been-so-lucky-with-the-people-i-ve-worked-with-but-i-m-such-a/) [Sheridan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheridan-smith/) > [When I came back, after all those stories about Hitler and his snub, I came back to my native country, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/when-i-came-back-after-all-those-stories-about-hitler-and-his-snub-i/) [Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/) > [No-deal Brexit could be Boris Johnson's biggest deception yet - worse than the Boris bus or the lies that had him sacked as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-davey/no-deal-brexit-could-be-boris-johnson-s-biggest-deception-yet-worse/) [Ed Davey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-davey/) > [I'm very proud of being Italian-American, but people don't realize that the mafia is just this aberration. The real community is built on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chazz-palminteri/i-m-very-proud-of-being-italian-american-but-people-don-t-realize/) [Chazz Palminteri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chazz-palminteri/) > [The idea of photography as evidence is pure bullshit. A photo is no more proof of any reality than what you may hear being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-riboud/the-idea-of-photography-as-evidence-is-pure-bullshit-a-photo-is-no/) [Marc Riboud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-riboud/) > [I don't think anything happens without the press, one way or the other. I think it's all done for it. You saw it start,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/i-don-t-think-anything-happens-without-the-press-one-way-or-the-other/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [And the flavor of Pippa's kiss--bittersweet and strange--stayed with me all the way back uptown, swaying and sleepy as I sailed home on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/and-the-flavor-of-pippa-s-kiss-bittersweet-and-strange-stayed-with-me/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [Our bodies penetrate the sofas upon which we sit and the sofas penetrate our bodies. The motorbus rushes into the houses which it passes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-boccioni/our-bodies-penetrate-the-sofas-upon-which-we-sit-and-the-sofas/) [Umberto Boccioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-boccioni/) > [Back in the day, when we'd get into a town, I would go in the phone book and look up record stores. 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