--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The late British-born philosopher Alan…" description: "\"The late British-born philosopher Alan Watts, in one of his wonderful lectures on eastern philosophy, used this analogy: \"If I draw a circle, most peop..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/eric-weiner-1843_analogies_the-late-british-born-philosopher-alan-w_1032569.jpg" --- # The late British-born philosopher Alan Watts, in one of… ![“The late British-born philosopher Alan Watts, in one of his wonderful lectures on eastern philosophy, used this analogy: "If I draw a circle, most people, when asked what I have drawn, will say I have drawn a circle or a disc, or a ball. Very few people will say I've drawn a hole in the wall…” quote by Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/eric-weiner-1843_analogies_the-late-british-born-philosopher-alan-w_1032569.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/eric-weiner-1843_analogies_the-late-british-born-philosopher-alan-w_1032569.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/eric-weiner-1843_analogies_the-late-british-born-philosopher-alan-w_1032569.jpg) > “The late British-born philosopher Alan Watts, in one of his wonderful lectures on eastern philosophy, used this analogy: "If I draw a circle, most people, when asked what I have drawn, will say I have drawn a circle or a disc, or a ball. Very few people will say I've drawn a hole in the wall, because most people think of the inside first, rather than thinking of the outside. But actually these two sides go together--you cannot have what is 'in here' unless you have what is out there.' " In other words, where we are is vital to who we are.” [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding both interior and exterior perspectives reveals how context shapes identity. **In simple terms:** Seeing both inside and outside defines who we are. Key Takeaway Consider both inner and outer contexts in self‑reflection. Themes identity perception context Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - self‑assessment - team dynamics - urban planning - creative design Key Concepts philosophy psychology metaphor Questions to Reflect On - What external factors shape your self‑image? - How can you balance inner and outer viewpoints? A Different Perspective Focusing only on interior can ignore external influences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Analogies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/analogies/) [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [Circles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/) [Eastern philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eastern-philosophy/) [Lectures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lectures/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosopher/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Two sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-sides/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) ## Related quotes > [“I’ve drawn this as a circle because the seasons will come and go. Joy always leads to another season of romance . . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-bubna/i-ve-drawn-this-as-a-circle-because-the-seasons-will-come-and-go-joy/) Kurt Bubna > [“it is again: that Hindu belief that all of life is maya, illusion. Once we see life as a game, no more consequential than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/it-is-again-that-hindu-belief-that-all-of-life-is-maya-illusion-once/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [“The philosopher Alan Watts, were he alive today, would nod knowingly when told of that experiment. Watts once said, “Only bad music has any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/the-philosopher-alan-watts-were-he-alive-today-would-nod-knowingly/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [“Through continual exposure to people and by attempting to think inside of them we can gain an increasing sense of their perspective, but this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/through-continual-exposure-to-people-and-by-attempting-to-think/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [I wouldn't know how to think inside the box because I don't even know where it is. I wouldn't know how to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waris-ahluwalia/i-wouldn-t-know-how-to-think-inside-the-box-because-i-don-t-even-know/) [Waris Ahluwalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waris-ahluwalia/) > [“People who think inside the box are sometimes the ones who give the “impossible” its power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlena-jackson/people-who-think-inside-the-box-are-sometimes-the-ones-who-give-the/) [Charlena Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlena-jackson/) > [I think it's what's inside that makes you beautiful on the outside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalki-koechlin/i-think-it-s-what-s-inside-that-makes-you-beautiful-on-the-outside/) [Kalki Koechlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalki-koechlin/) > [Sometimes you look out the window and you look at all the windows, and think inside very single one of them is somebody with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-you-look-out-the-window-and-you-look-at-all-the-windows-and/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [“We shouldn’t be ordinary; we should challenge ourselves and not just think inside the box. We should dare to be different and get out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlena-jackson/we-shouldn-t-be-ordinary-we-should-challenge-ourselves-and-not-just/) [Charlena Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlena-jackson/) > [I don't think inside the box, I don't think outside the box, I don't even know where the box is!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-think-inside-the-box-i-don-t-think-outside-the-box-i-don-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think I made you up inside my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-think-i-made-you-up-inside-my-head/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“One thing you will discover is that life is based less than you think on what you've learned and much more than you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/one-thing-you-will-discover-is-that-life-is-based-less-than-you-think/) [Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/) > [Think inside the work - outside the work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/think-inside-the-work-outside-the-work/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [“Inside-the-box thinkers, on the other hand, restrict their thought processes to conventional ways of looking at things. They go by what has been done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virender-kapoor/inside-the-box-thinkers-on-the-other-hand-restrict-their-thought/) [Virender Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virender-kapoor/) > [You'll have a whole eternity to think inside the box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-have-a-whole-eternity-to-think-inside-the-box/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Eric Weiner > [We can't love a place or a person if we always have one foot out the door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/we-can-t-love-a-place-or-a-person-if-we-always-have-one-foot-out-the/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [“Money sometimes buys happiness. You have to break it down, though. Money is a means to an end. The problem is when you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/money-sometimes-buys-happiness-you-have-to-break-it-down-though-money/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [“My way of thinking is completely different,” he says. “I have no such mountains to scale; basically, I find that living itself is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/my-way-of-thinking-is-completely-different-he-says-i-have-no-such/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [“Social scientists estimate that about 70 percent of our happiness stems from our relationships, both quantity and quality, with friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/social-scientists-estimate-that-about-70-percent-of-our-happiness/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [“It is not the skills we actually have that determine how we feel but the ones we think we have" ... we experience flow,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/it-is-not-the-skills-we-actually-have-that-determine-how-we-feel-but/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [“In a nutshell, Gross National Happiness seeks to measure a nation’s progress not by its balance sheet but rather by the happiness—or unhappiness—of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/in-a-nutshell-gross-national-happiness-seeks-to-measure-a-nation-s/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [You look around the world at geniuses, and they don't appear randomly, they appear in genius clusters. 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That’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/he-tells-me-of-one-american-woman-forty-five-years-old-who-was-able/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [“We need to a new word to describe Swiss happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/we-need-to-a-new-word-to-describe-swiss-happiness/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [“The narrator, in a voice-of-God tenor, explains the experiment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/the-narrator-in-a-voice-of-god-tenor-explains-the-experiment/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [“Yes, but it doesn’t matter, Csíkszentmihalyi argues. Either way, we experience flow, a state of mind where we are so engaged in an activity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/yes-but-it-doesn-t-matter-cs-kszentmihalyi-argues-either-way-we/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [“Maybe happiness is this: not feeling like you should be elsewhere, doing something else, being someone else. Maybe the current conditions in Switzerland .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/maybe-happiness-is-this-not-feeling-like-you-should-be-elsewhere/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [“Everyone has their own idea of happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/everyone-has-their-own-idea-of-happiness/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) [Explore all 194 Eric Weiner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) ## More Analogies quotes > [I always use the analogy that when you go to a jeans store and put on a new pair of jeans, it's a pair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bana/i-always-use-the-analogy-that-when-you-go-to-a-jeans-store-and-put-on/) [Eric Bana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bana/) > [ Kanye \[West\] just says the funniest analogies that are so random. I should start keeping a book - in 20 years, I'll have a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-kardashian/kanye-west-just-says-the-funniest-analogies-that-are-so-random-i/) [Kim Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-kardashian/) > [Historical analogy is the last refuge of people who can't grasp the current situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/historical-analogy-is-the-last-refuge-of-people-who-can-t-grasp-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Calvin: Today for show and tell, I've brought a tiny miracle of nature: a single snowflake! I think we might all learn a lesson…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/calvin-today-for-show-and-tell-i-ve-brought-a-tiny-miracle-of-nature/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [For some people, getting pregnant is as easy as catching cold." And there certainly was an analogy there: Colds and babies were both caused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/for-some-people-getting-pregnant-is-as-easy-as-catching-cold-and/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [That is why the analogy of stealing does not work. With a thief, we want to know how much money he or she stole,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lukas-foss/that-is-why-the-analogy-of-stealing-does-not-work-with-a-thief-we/) [Lukas Foss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lukas-foss/) > [The nude does not simply represent the body, but relates it, by analogy, to all structures that have become part of our imaginative experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clark/the-nude-does-not-simply-represent-the-body-but-relates-it-by-analogy/) [Kenneth Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clark/) > [His lessons were chock-full of analogies for a variety of musical situations. Those little things were my favorites. 'No . . . that's too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-laureano/his-lessons-were-chock-full-of-analogies-for-a-variety-of-musical/) Manny Laureano > [E-books are impervious to analogy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/e-books-are-impervious-to-analogy/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [Imagination runs out. But it makes sense, right? We probably just imagine things based on what we already know, and we run out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sloan/imagination-runs-out-but-it-makes-sense-right-we-probably-just/) [Robin Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sloan/) > [Apt analogies are among the most formidable weapons of the rhetorician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/apt-analogies-are-among-the-most-formidable-weapons-of-the-rhetorician/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [In my photographic work I'm generally attracted to places that contain memories, history, atmospheres and stories. 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Very few people will say I've drawn a hole in the wall, because most people think of the inside first, rather than thinking of the outside. 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