--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I still find it absurdly difficult to…" description: "\"I still find it absurdly difficult to concentrate on a novel if there's a phone or computer to hand; I have taken to locking them outside the room like..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c05/david-nicholls-873_books_i-still-find-it-absurdly-difficult-to-co_16088.jpg" --- # I still find it absurdly difficult to concentrate on a… ![“I still find it absurdly difficult to concentrate on a novel if there's a phone or computer to hand; I have taken to locking them outside the room like noisy pets.” quote by David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c05/david-nicholls-873_books_i-still-find-it-absurdly-difficult-to-co_16088.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c05/david-nicholls-873_books_i-still-find-it-absurdly-difficult-to-co_16088.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c05/david-nicholls-873_books_i-still-find-it-absurdly-difficult-to-co_16088.jpg) > “I still find it absurdly difficult to concentrate on a novel if there's a phone or computer to hand; I have taken to locking them outside the room like noisy pets.” [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author struggles to focus on reading when digital devices are nearby, so he isolates them to reduce distraction. **In simple terms:** Digital distractions impair deep reading. Key Takeaway Physical separation restores concentration. Themes focus distraction technology reading attention habits Mood frustrated determined reflective Type personal anecdote advice observation When to use this quote - working from home - studying in a library - traveling on a train - late‑night reading - creative writing Key Concepts attention management environment design digital minimalism cognitive load Practical Applications - designing distraction‑free workspaces - creating device‑free zones for study Questions to Reflect On - How does your environment shape your ability to concentrate? - What simple steps could you take to limit digital interruptions? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Pet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pet/) [Pets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pets/) [Phones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phones/) ## Related quotes > [I don't take pressure or keep expectations because then it becomes difficult to concentrate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautam-rode/i-don-t-take-pressure-or-keep-expectations-because-then-it-becomes/) [Gautam Rode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautam-rode/) > [“A peculiar feature – no doubt a weakness – of my mental make-up is that I find it difficult to concentrate twice on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-levi-strauss/a-peculiar-feature-no-doubt-a-weakness-of-my-mental-make-up-is-that-i/) [Claude Lévi-Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-levi-strauss/) > [“Sun Tzu said the same thing many centuries ago: "The more possibilities you present to the enemy, the more diffuse he is forced to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/sun-tzu-said-the-same-thing-many-centuries-ago-the-more-possibilities/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) > [You don't have to be noisy to be effective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-crosby/you-don-t-have-to-be-noisy-to-be-effective/) [Phil Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-crosby/) > [The world is a very noisy place and so I don't need to shout about things. There are so many people shouting and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-howard/the-world-is-a-very-noisy-place-and-so-i-don-t-need-to-shout-about/) [Ben Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-howard/) > [The trouble with most comedians who try to do satire is that they are essentially brash, noisy and indelicate people who have to use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogene-coca/the-trouble-with-most-comedians-who-try-to-do-satire-is-that-they-are/) Imogene Coca > [All of society is built to prop up that lie, the whole world a big, noisy puppet show meant to distract us from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/all-of-society-is-built-to-prop-up-that-lie-the-whole-world-a-big/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [A lake that is noisy cannot reflect anything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-adams/a-lake-that-is-noisy-cannot-reflect-anything/) [Robert Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-adams/) > [I think people could be a bit friendlier. The only real contact you have with people is when they're annoyed if you've had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boy-george/i-think-people-could-be-a-bit-friendlier-the-only-real-contact-you/) [Boy George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boy-george/) > [Truth is not found by knowledge, it is found by silence. And knowledge is noisy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/truth-is-not-found-by-knowledge-it-is-found-by-silence-and-knowledge/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“This is the world we live in today: a noisy, cluttered place in which the loudest voices get the most attention. And they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goins/this-is-the-world-we-live-in-today-a-noisy-cluttered-place-in-which/) [Jeff Goins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goins/) > [Why Ho Chi Minh City? It is crowded, noisy, scruffy, crazy, but always interesting and things are happening all at a break neck speed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-rice/why-ho-chi-minh-city-it-is-crowded-noisy-scruffy-crazy-but-always/) [Doug Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-rice/) > [When I gaze into the stars, they look down upon me with pity from their serene and silent spaces, like eyes glistening with tears…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/when-i-gaze-into-the-stars-they-look-down-upon-me-with-pity-from/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Yes, we're still five little people with a noisy attitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-young/yes-we-re-still-five-little-people-with-a-noisy-attitude/) [Angus Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-young/) > [You will not find a soulmate in the quiet of your room. You must go to a noisy place and look in the quiet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/you-will-not-find-a-soulmate-in-the-quiet-of-your-room-you-must-go-to/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) ## More by David Nicholls > [These days grief seems like walking on a frozen river; most of the time he feels safe enough, but there is always that danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/these-days-grief-seems-like-walking-on-a-frozen-river-most-of-the/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“Good God, 'the elusive thing'. She had reached a turning point. She no longer believed that a situation could be made better by writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/good-god-the-elusive-thing-she-had-reached-a-turning-point-she-no/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Emma was a shocking driver, simultaneously sloppy and petrified, and for the first fifty miles had been absent-mindedly driving with her spectacles on top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/emma-was-a-shocking-driver-simultaneously-sloppy-and-petrified-and/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [You've got to stop letting women slip drugs into your mouth, Dex, it's unhygienic. And dangerous. One day it'll be a cyanide capsule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/you-ve-got-to-stop-letting-women-slip-drugs-into-your-mouth-dex-it-s/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“He presses two fingers against each eye and attempts to account for this crippling melancholy, but is having trouble with rational thought. It feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/he-presses-two-fingers-against-each-eye-and-attempts-to-account-for/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“Live each day as if it's our last', that was the conventional advice, but really who had the energy for that? What if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/live-each-day-as-if-it-s-our-last-that-was-the-conventional-advice/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [She was reaching the limits of how much its possible to change a man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/she-was-reaching-the-limits-of-how-much-its-possible-to-change-a-man/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“How would she fill the days? She had no idea. The trick of it, she told herself, is to be courageous and bold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/how-would-she-fill-the-days-she-had-no-idea-the-trick-of-it-she-told/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“What if it rained or you felt a bit glandy? It just wasn't practical. Better by far to simply try and be good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/what-if-it-rained-or-you-felt-a-bit-glandy-it-just-wasn-t-practical/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Sometimes, when it is going badly, she wonders if what she believes to be a love of the written word is really just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/sometimes-when-it-is-going-badly-she-wonders-if-what-she-believes-to/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [The city had defeated her, just like they said it would. Like some overcrowded party, no one had noticed her arrival, and would notice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/the-city-had-defeated-her-just-like-they-said-it-would-like-some/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Better by far to be good and courageous and bold and to make difference. Not change the world exactly, but the bit around you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/better-by-far-to-be-good-and-courageous-and-bold-and-to-make/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [A screenplay is really an instruction manual, and it can be interpreted in any number of ways. The casting, the choice of location, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/a-screenplay-is-really-an-instruction-manual-and-it-can-be/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Most of the books and films I love walk a knife edge between romance and cynicism, and I wanted 'One Day' to stay on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/most-of-the-books-and-films-i-love-walk-a-knife-edge-between-romance/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“That was a memorable day to me, for it made great changes in me. But, it is the same with any life. Imagine one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/that-was-a-memorable-day-to-me-for-it-made-great-changes-in-me-but-it/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) [Explore all 332 David Nicholls quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I still find it absurdly difficult to concentrate on a novel if there's a phone or computer to hand; I have taken to locking them outside the room like noisy pets.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Nicholls" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/i-still-find-it-absurdly-difficult-to-concentrate-on-a-novel-if-there/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/i-still-find-it-absurdly-difficult-to-concentrate-on-a-novel-if-there/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c05/david-nicholls-873_books_i-still-find-it-absurdly-difficult-to-co_16088.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c05/david-nicholls-873_books_i-still-find-it-absurdly-difficult-to-co_16088.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c05/david-nicholls-873_books_i-still-find-it-absurdly-difficult-to-co_16088.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I still find it absurdly difficult to concentrate on a novel if there's a phone or computer to hand; I have…” — David Nicholls", "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": "David Nicholls", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I still find it absurdly difficult...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/i-still-find-it-absurdly-difficult-to-concentrate-on-a-novel-if-there/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/i-still-find-it-absurdly-difficult-to-concentrate-on-a-novel-if-there/#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 } } ] } ```