--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People generally pay attention to what…" description: "\"People generally pay attention to what they already know about and what they care about.\" — Ethan Zuckerman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/878/ethan-zuckerman-12315_about_people-generally-pay-attention-to-what-t_1476838.jpg" --- # People generally pay attention to what they already know… ![“People generally pay attention to what they already know about and what they care about.” quote by Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/878/ethan-zuckerman-12315_about_people-generally-pay-attention-to-what-t_1476838.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/878/ethan-zuckerman-12315_about_people-generally-pay-attention-to-what-t_1476838.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/878/ethan-zuckerman-12315_about_people-generally-pay-attention-to-what-t_1476838.jpg) > “People generally pay attention to what they already know about and what they care about.” [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) ## 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 familiar topics and personal interests, filtering information accordingly. **In simple terms:** We notice what we already know and care about. Key Takeaway Seek diverse perspectives to broaden understanding. Themes cognition attention bias learning Mood thoughtful analytical Type informative reflective When to use this quote - media consumption - education - team meetings - personal relationships Key Concepts confirmation bias selective exposure Questions to Reflect On - How can you expose yourself to unfamiliar ideas? - What habits reinforce your current focus? A Different Perspective May overlook new or critical information. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Attention Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention-know-746734/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Generally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generally/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Know Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-care-262633/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Pay attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay-attention/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Generally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-generally-371169/) ## Related quotes > [“But if you really learn how to pay attention, then you will know there are other options. It will actually be within your power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/but-if-you-really-learn-how-to-pay-attention-then-you-will-know-there/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [I like working-class people, generally speaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-peterson/i-like-working-class-people-generally-speaking/) [Jordan Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-peterson/) > [Every man becomes, to a certain degree, what the people he generally converses with are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-man-becomes-to-a-certain-degree-what-the-people-he-generally/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I’ve found that most people are generally a danger only to themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-maxwell/i-ve-found-that-most-people-are-generally-a-danger-only-to-themselves/) [Eliza Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-maxwell/) > [“She knew that people generally behaved only as well as they had to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-goodwin/she-knew-that-people-generally-behaved-only-as-well-as-they-had-to/) [Daisy Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-goodwin/) > [It has seemed to me that most people are generally good, in every race and in every country where I have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langston-hughes/it-has-seemed-to-me-that-most-people-are-generally-good-in-every-race/) [Langston Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langston-hughes/) > [I especially like the attention. I know that I'm one of the top guys in this game and the attention is on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-ramirez/i-especially-like-the-attention-i-know-that-i-m-one-of-the-top-guys/) [Manny Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-ramirez/) > [I should pay attention to what I know and not talk more just because I won a Nobel Prize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-tirole/i-should-pay-attention-to-what-i-know-and-not-talk-more-just-because/) [Jean Tirole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-tirole/) > [I'm aware that people see me as a sex symbol, and it's getting me attention. But I know I can act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diora-baird/i-m-aware-that-people-see-me-as-a-sex-symbol-and-it-s-getting-me/) [Diora Baird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diora-baird/) > [I love the attention and I hate the attention, you know? It's not always good for your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gunn/i-love-the-attention-and-i-hate-the-attention-you-know-it-s-not/) [James Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gunn/) > [“You are impossible to read if you’re not paying attention, but I am. And I may not know the details yet but I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-hawkins/you-are-impossible-to-read-if-you-re-not-paying-attention-but-i-am/) [Jessica Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-hawkins/) > [I know my limits. I dont pay any attention to them, but I know them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charith-thilina/i-know-my-limits-i-dont-pay-any-attention-to-them-but-i-know-them/) [Charith Thilina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charith-thilina/) > [People generally like to subscribe to celebrities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tristan-perich/people-generally-like-to-subscribe-to-celebrities/) [Tristan Perich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tristan-perich/) > [I think people generally have a good heart and the intention to help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-kompany/i-think-people-generally-have-a-good-heart-and-the-intention-to-help/) [Vincent Kompany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-kompany/) > [A well governed people are generally a people who do not think much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-siegfried/a-well-governed-people-are-generally-a-people-who-do-not-think-much/) [Andre Siegfried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-siegfried/) ## More by Ethan Zuckerman > [A world where everyone creates content gets confusing pretty quickly without a good search engine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/a-world-where-everyone-creates-content-gets-confusing-pretty-quickly/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) > [Cute. I'm on the waitlist to beta a new product, and have been offered the chance to move up in the list if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/cute-i-m-on-the-waitlist-to-beta-a-new-product-and-have-been-offered/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) > [While the Internet is censored in China, the censorship is allowing a level of speech to take place that's unprecedented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/while-the-internet-is-censored-in-china-the-censorship-is-allowing-a/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) > [Moments of crisis, like the shooting in Newtown, tend to produce brief spikes of popular interest in gun control. My research on media attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/moments-of-crisis-like-the-shooting-in-newtown-tend-to-produce-brief/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) > [It's becoming clear that the world is listening, so now we're trying to get new groups of people talking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/it-s-becoming-clear-that-the-world-is-listening-so-now-we-re-trying/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) > [People who know me well have learned to insist that I commit to obligations by opening my laptop and putting them onto the appropriate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/people-who-know-me-well-have-learned-to-insist-that-i-commit-to/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) > [Now if you're using Twitter or other social networks, and you didn't realize this was a space with a lot of Brazilians in it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/now-if-you-re-using-twitter-or-other-social-networks-and-you-didn-t/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) > [The wider world is a click away, but whether we mean to or not, we're usually filtering it out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/the-wider-world-is-a-click-away-but-whether-we-mean-to-or-not-we-re/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) > [Reddit names are unconnected to real-world identities and it's commonplace for users to create 'throwaway' accounts to reveal sensitive information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/reddit-names-are-unconnected-to-real-world-identities-and-it-s/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) > [ \[According to Twitter\] 24 percent of American Twitter users are African-American. That's about twice as high as African-Americans are represented in the population. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/according-to-twitter-24-percent-of-american-twitter-users-are-african/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) > [If we need simple narratives so people can amplify and spread them, are we forced to engage only with the simplest of problems?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/if-we-need-simple-narratives-so-people-can-amplify-and-spread-them/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) > [If I use Facebook to stay in touch with my high school friends who are church-going Republicans, I may be getting more ideological diversity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/if-i-use-facebook-to-stay-in-touch-with-my-high-school-friends-who/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) > [On the Internet, information from Indiana and India is equally cheap and easy to access.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/on-the-internet-information-from-indiana-and-india-is-equally-cheap/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) > [A common language is a first step towards communication across cultural boundaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/a-common-language-is-a-first-step-towards-communication-across/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) > [Re-tweeting is a pretty common practice on Twitter, but on an average day, we see maybe one out of 20 posts is a re-tweet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/re-tweeting-is-a-pretty-common-practice-on-twitter-but-on-an-average/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) [Explore all 55 Ethan Zuckerman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) [Browse all 26,122 About quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People generally pay attention to what they already know about and what they care about.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ethan Zuckerman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/people-generally-pay-attention-to-what-they-already-know-about-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "About" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/people-generally-pay-attention-to-what-they-already-know-about-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/878/ethan-zuckerman-12315_about_people-generally-pay-attention-to-what-t_1476838.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/878/ethan-zuckerman-12315_about_people-generally-pay-attention-to-what-t_1476838.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/878/ethan-zuckerman-12315_about_people-generally-pay-attention-to-what-t_1476838.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People generally pay attention to what they already know about and what they care about.” — Ethan Zuckerman", "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": "Ethan Zuckerman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People generally pay attention to what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/people-generally-pay-attention-to-what-they-already-know-about-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/people-generally-pay-attention-to-what-they-already-know-about-and/#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 } } ] } ```