--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the one lesson I have learned is…" description: "\"I think the one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention.\" — Diane Sawyer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/diane-sawyer-10936_attention_i-think-the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is_2016794.png" --- # I think the one lesson I have learned is that there is no… ![“I think the one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention.” quote by Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/diane-sawyer-10936_attention_i-think-the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is_2016794.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/diane-sawyer-10936_attention_i-think-the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is_2016794.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/diane-sawyer-10936_attention_i-think-the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is_2016794.png) > “I think the one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention.” [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Paying close attention is irreplaceable for understanding nuance, making informed decisions, and learning effectively. **In simple terms:** Attention is essential for deep understanding. Key Takeaway Practice focused listening and observation. Themes learning focus decisionmaking Mood reflective alert Type advice insight When to use this quote - classroom lectures - news reporting - medical diagnostics - team meetings Key Concepts cognitive science mindfulness communication Questions to Reflect On - When have you missed a crucial detail due to inattention? - What strategies improve your focus? A Different Perspective Attention can be limited by distractions and cognitive overload. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [I have learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-have-learned/) [Learned Substitute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learned-substitute-1022849/) [Lesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lesson/) [Lesson learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lesson-learned/) [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [Listening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listening/) [Pay attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay-attention/) [Paying Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paying-attention/) [Substitutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/substitutes/) [Think Lesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-lesson-330380/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [The one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is-that-there-is-no-substitute-for/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [I think the lesson's learned are that we have to have to have a strategy to get and a strategy to get out. Which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/i-think-the-lesson-s-learned-are-that-we-have-to-have-to-have-a/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [“Would you not marry even for love?" "Love does not seem to bring anyone much happiness as far as I have observed. So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-shinn/would-you-not-marry-even-for-love-love-does-not-seem-to-bring-anyone/) [Sharon Shinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-shinn/) > [“Ruby: You can put whatever name you like on it but at the end of the day a missed opportunity is a missed opportunity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/ruby-you-can-put-whatever-name-you-like-on-it-but-at-the-end-of-the/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [I think the biggest lesson I have learned is not to get too anxious about your work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morfydd-clark/i-think-the-biggest-lesson-i-have-learned-is-not-to-get-too-anxious/) [Morfydd Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morfydd-clark/) > [The biggest lesson I have learned is the stupendous importance of what we think. If I knew what you think, I would know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/the-biggest-lesson-i-have-learned-is-the-stupendous-importance-of/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [Try to accomplish things you have always dreamt of while you can. I know it sounds cliche, but the biggest lesson I have learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-ling/try-to-accomplish-things-you-have-always-dreamt-of-while-you-can-i/) [Lisa Ling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-ling/) > [Everything in life is a lesson and I have learned from each marriage. Yes, I've made mistakes but every experience is a learning curve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patsy-kensit/everything-in-life-is-a-lesson-and-i-have-learned-from-each-marriage/) [Patsy Kensit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patsy-kensit/) > [That's the chief lesson I have learned: the texture of our universe is one where there is no question at all but that good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/that-s-the-chief-lesson-i-have-learned-the-texture-of-our-universe-is/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Happiness is fleeting - I think that's the main lesson I have learned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/happiness-is-fleeting-i-think-that-s-the-main-lesson-i-have-learned/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [I have to say that the biggest lesson I have learned is to find your way to stand out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zelina-vega/i-have-to-say-that-the-biggest-lesson-i-have-learned-is-to-find-your/) [Zelina Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zelina-vega/) > [“I think that lesson was the most important: that none of us actually grow up. We get bigger, and older, but put of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-raeder/i-think-that-lesson-was-the-most-important-that-none-of-us-actually/) [Leah Raeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-raeder/) > [The things I learned from the army - and I think it was a lesson for life - was how to work in unison…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oded-fehr/the-things-i-learned-from-the-army-and-i-think-it-was-a-lesson-for/) [Oded Fehr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oded-fehr/) > [Never, never, never think - that's one lesson you should have in life. Never think that lack of variability is stability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/never-never-never-think-that-s-one-lesson-you-should-have-in-life/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [I think my lesson is to back yourself once you've been given a job. Far too often, I've been given a job and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dornan/i-think-my-lesson-is-to-back-yourself-once-you-ve-been-given-a-job/) [Jamie Dornan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dornan/) ## More by Diane Sawyer > [Don't let other people tell you who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/don-t-let-other-people-tell-you-who-you-are/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [I've always found a cure for the blues is wandering into something unknown, and resting there, before coming back to whatever weight you were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/i-ve-always-found-a-cure-for-the-blues-is-wandering-into-something/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [I have a contract but it's not a commitment in the ordinary sense. It's our ongoing conversation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/i-have-a-contract-but-it-s-not-a-commitment-in-the-ordinary-sense-it/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [Wake up curious, and determined to find an answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/wake-up-curious-and-determined-to-find-an-answer/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [Whatever you want in life, other people are going to want it too. Believe in yourself enough to accept the idea that you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/whatever-you-want-in-life-other-people-are-going-to-want-it-too/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [There's a definite sense this morning on the part of the Kerry voters that perhaps this is code, 'moral values,' is code for something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/there-s-a-definite-sense-this-morning-on-the-part-of-the-kerry-voters/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [Sometimes I forget some of the things I've done. I recently recalled that after Watergate I went away by myself to Tahiti for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/sometimes-i-forget-some-of-the-things-i-ve-done-i-recently-recalled/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [... the greatest act of love is to pay attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/the-greatest-act-of-love-is-to-pay-attention/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [I think there's a point at which you know how you dress isn't going to affect how much you do in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/i-think-there-s-a-point-at-which-you-know-how-you-dress-isn-t-going/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [Every time somebody tries to go in and reinvent what we do, it always ends up being more about technology and sets, and flash…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/every-time-somebody-tries-to-go-in-and-reinvent-what-we-do-it-always/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [“Do something you really love in the most adventurous place you can and make sure it helps other people. --Diane Sawyer quoted from her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/do-something-you-really-love-in-the-most-adventurous-place-you-can/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [My husband has said even he doesn't know my politics. In the nonromantic-compliment category, that's a good one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/my-husband-has-said-even-he-doesn-t-know-my-politics-in-the/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [I have a liberal definition of news because I think news can be what excites people. I'm not very sanctimonious about what news is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/i-have-a-liberal-definition-of-news-because-i-think-news-can-be-what/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [One day you're the statue. One day you're the pigeon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/one-day-you-re-the-statue-one-day-you-re-the-pigeon/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [Start in a small TV station so you can make all of your embarrassing mistakes early and in front of fewer people!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/start-in-a-small-tv-station-so-you-can-make-all-of-your-embarrassing/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) [Explore all 62 Diane Sawyer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) ## 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 think the one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Diane Sawyer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/i-think-the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is-that-there-is-no-substitute/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/i-think-the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is-that-there-is-no-substitute/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/diane-sawyer-10936_attention_i-think-the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is_2016794.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/diane-sawyer-10936_attention_i-think-the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is_2016794.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b0/diane-sawyer-10936_attention_i-think-the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is_2016794.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think the one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention.” — Diane Sawyer", "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": "Diane Sawyer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think the one lesson I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/i-think-the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is-that-there-is-no-substitute/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/i-think-the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is-that-there-is-no-substitute/#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 } } ] } ```