---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Have you noticed the weather? asked…"
description: "\"“Have you noticed the weather? asked Thomas. All turned to look for the weather.”\" — Donald Barthelme"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed9/donald-barthelme-2980_noticed-weather_have-you-noticed-the-weather-asked-thoma_1760335.png"
---

#  Have you noticed the weather? asked Thomas. All turned to…

![“Have you noticed the weather? asked Thomas. All turned to look for the weather.” quote by Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed9/donald-barthelme-2980_noticed-weather_have-you-noticed-the-weather-asked-thoma_1760335.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed9/donald-barthelme-2980_noticed-weather_have-you-noticed-the-weather-asked-thoma_1760335.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed9/donald-barthelme-2980_noticed-weather_have-you-noticed-the-weather-asked-thoma_1760335.png)

> ““Have you noticed the weather? asked Thomas. All turned to look for the weather.””

[Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People focus on trivial details, ignoring deeper issues.

**In simple terms:** Attention shifts to surface phenomena.

Key Takeaway

Question what truly matters.

Themes

attention perception society triviality

Mood

ironic critical

Type

literary observational

When to use this quote

- daily conversation
- news consumption
- political discourse

Key Concepts

media influence distraction

Questions to Reflect On

- What do we overlook when we chase the obvious?
- How does media shape our priorities?

A Different Perspective

Surface focus can obscure critical truths.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [“He looked around at the others…They were all staring at their computers, or reading books or newspapers. Not one of them has noticed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/he-looked-around-at-the-others-they-were-all-staring-at-their/)

[David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/)

> [It always seems to be raining harder than it really is when you look at the weather through the window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/it-always-seems-to-be-raining-harder-than-it-really-is-when-you-look/)

[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

> [The sun was in mind to come out but having a look at the weather it was in lost heart and went back again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-behan/the-sun-was-in-mind-to-come-out-but-having-a-look-at-the-weather-it/)

[Brendan Behan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-behan/)

> [ To my astonishment, when Wolf Hall came out, people asked if I made it up - \[Thomas More\] burning of heretics. It was well… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/to-my-astonishment-when-wolf-hall-came-out-people-asked-if-i-made-it/)

[Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/)

> [“Lionel was filled with awful remorse. He asked where had Thomas been last seen, and the boy told him he was headed for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-joseph-shosty/lionel-was-filled-with-awful-remorse-he-asked-where-had-thomas-been/)

[L. Joseph Shosty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-joseph-shosty/)

> [“You want to know the secret to raising good kids?” “What’s that? asked Thomas. “High expectations.” Thomas laughed. “Alright, well what’s the secret to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-nicolaisen/you-want-to-know-the-secret-to-raising-good-kids-what-s-that-asked/)

[Chris Nicolaisen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-nicolaisen/)

## More by Donald Barthelme

> [And I sat there getting drunker and drunker and more in love and more in love...And you can never touch a girl in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/and-i-sat-there-getting-drunker-and-drunker-and-more-in-love-and-more/)

[Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

> [“The story ends. It was written for several reasons. Nine of them are secrets. The tenth is that one should never cease considering human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/the-story-ends-it-was-written-for-several-reasons-nine-of-them-are/)

[Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

> [“INTERVIEWER Why don’t you write tragedy? BARTHELME I’m fated to deal in mixtures, slumgullions, which preclude tragedy, which require a pure line. It’s a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/interviewer-why-don-t-you-write-tragedy-barthelme-i-m-fated-to-deal/)

[Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

> [“Do I want to be loved in spite of?Do you? Does anyone? But aren't we all to some degree? Aren't there important parts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/do-i-want-to-be-loved-in-spite-of-do-you-does-anyone-but-aren-t-we/)

[Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

> [“Our becoming is done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/our-becoming-is-done/)

[Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

> [“Of course we had hoped that he would take up his sword as part of the President's war on poetry. The time is ripe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/of-course-we-had-hoped-that-he-would-take-up-his-sword-as-part-of-the/)

[Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

> [Capitalism places every man in competition with his fellows for a share of the available wealth. A few people accumulate big piles, but most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/capitalism-places-every-man-in-competition-with-his-fellows-for-a/)

[Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

> [“You came and fell upon me, I was sitting in the wicker chair. The wicker exclaimed as your weight fell upon me. You were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/you-came-and-fell-upon-me-i-was-sitting-in-the-wicker-chair-the/)

[Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

> [“Mother, have you noticed that this society we’re in tends to be a little…repressive?” “What does that mean, Eugenie? What does that mean, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/mother-have-you-noticed-that-this-society-we-re-in-tends-to-be-a/)

[Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

> [I keep wondering if, say, there is intelligent life on other planets, the scientists argue that something like two percent of the other planets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/i-keep-wondering-if-say-there-is-intelligent-life-on-other-planets/)

[Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

> [“This muck heaves and palpitates. It is multi-directional and has a mayor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/this-muck-heaves-and-palpitates-it-is-multi-directional-and-has-a/)

[Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

> [“They were heading I judged for the Sixth Precinct. Had I had the black hat with me, and sufficient men and horses and lariats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/they-were-heading-i-judged-for-the-sixth-precinct-had-i-had-the-black/)

[Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

> [“art is a meditation upon external reality rather than a representation of external reality”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/art-is-a-meditation-upon-external-reality-rather-than-a/)

[Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

> [“the hinder portion scalding-house good eating Curve B in addition to the usual baths and ablutions military police sumptuousness of the washhouse risking misstatements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/the-hinder-portion-scalding-house-good-eating-curve-b-in-addition-to/)

[Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

> [Any genuine work of art generates new work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/any-genuine-work-of-art-generates-new-work/)

[Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

[Explore all 142 Donald Barthelme quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/)

## More Noticed Weather quotes

> [“He looked around at the others…They were all staring at their computers, or reading books or newspapers. Not one of them has noticed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/he-looked-around-at-the-others-they-were-all-staring-at-their/)

[David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/)

Browse all 2 Noticed Weather quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Have you noticed the weather? asked Thomas. All turned to look for the weather.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Donald Barthelme"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/have-you-noticed-the-weather-asked-thomas-all-turned-to-look-for-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Noticed Weather"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/have-you-noticed-the-weather-asked-thomas-all-turned-to-look-for-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed9/donald-barthelme-2980_noticed-weather_have-you-noticed-the-weather-asked-thoma_1760335.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed9/donald-barthelme-2980_noticed-weather_have-you-noticed-the-weather-asked-thoma_1760335.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed9/donald-barthelme-2980_noticed-weather_have-you-noticed-the-weather-asked-thoma_1760335.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Have you noticed the weather? asked Thomas. All turned to look for the weather.” — Donald Barthelme",
                "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": "Donald Barthelme",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Have you noticed the weather? asked...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/have-you-noticed-the-weather-asked-thomas-all-turned-to-look-for-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/have-you-noticed-the-weather-asked-thomas-all-turned-to-look-for-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
