--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The one lesson I have learned is that…" description: "\"The one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention.\" — Diane Sawyer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a03/diane-sawyer-10936_attention_the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is-that-th_2496986.png" --- # The one lesson I have learned is that there is no… ![“The one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention.” quote by Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a03/diane-sawyer-10936_attention_the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is-that-th_2496986.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a03/diane-sawyer-10936_attention_the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is-that-th_2496986.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a03/diane-sawyer-10936_attention_the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is-that-th_2496986.png) > “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 full attention is irreplaceable for learning and effective action. **In simple terms:** Attention cannot be substituted. Key Takeaway Cultivate focused listening and observation. Themes mindfulness learning attention Mood thoughtful calm Type motivational practical When to use this quote - work meetings - parenting - studying - driving Key Concepts cognitive load presence Questions to Reflect On - What practices help you stay present? - How does attention affect decision quality? A Different Perspective Distractions can undermine attention. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/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/) [Paying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paying/) [Paying Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paying-attention/) [Substitute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/substitute/) ## Related quotes > [I think the one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/i-think-the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is-that-there-is-no-substitute/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [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/) > [When you're being looked at very hard, it's very hard to look back. And that made me stop paying attention to the world in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-motion/when-you-re-being-looked-at-very-hard-it-s-very-hard-to-look-back-and/) [Andrew Motion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-motion/) > [I think by paying attention to the feedback that you get on Yelp, you can very quickly integrate it into your business... The really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stoppelman/i-think-by-paying-attention-to-the-feedback-that-you-get-on-yelp-you/) [Jeremy Stoppelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stoppelman/) > [I have just enough people paying attention that I have the freedom to be in charge. And I have a great record company -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmylou-harris/i-have-just-enough-people-paying-attention-that-i-have-the-freedom-to/) [Emmylou Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmylou-harris/) > [If you are lucky enough to be successful, you get drawn further in and you stop paying attention to the stuff that matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-macaulay/if-you-are-lucky-enough-to-be-successful-you-get-drawn-further-in-and/) [David Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-macaulay/) > [You can't bluff someone that's not paying attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-mantegna/you-can-t-bluff-someone-that-s-not-paying-attention/) [Joe Mantegna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-mantegna/) > [Melbourne, where I grew up, is one of the street art capitals of the world. Something about discovering freshly painted walls always fills me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-mitchell/melbourne-where-i-grew-up-is-one-of-the-street-art-capitals-of-the/) [Penelope Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-mitchell/) > [I think it's nice to know that people in the industry are paying attention to all of the hard work you've done throughout the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-think-it-s-nice-to-know-that-people-in-the-industry-are-paying/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) ## 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": "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/the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is-that-there-is-no-substitute-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is-that-there-is-no-substitute-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a03/diane-sawyer-10936_attention_the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is-that-th_2496986.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a03/diane-sawyer-10936_attention_the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is-that-th_2496986.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a03/diane-sawyer-10936_attention_the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is-that-th_2496986.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“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": "The one lesson I have learned...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is-that-there-is-no-substitute-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/the-one-lesson-i-have-learned-is-that-there-is-no-substitute-for/#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 } } ] } ```