--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The totality of a record is usually…" description: "\"The totality of a record is usually beyond ones ability to imagine when you start working on it, but the component parts are, usually, fairly clear one..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/fred-frith-24018_ability_the-totality-of-a-record-is-usually-beyo_2382434.png" --- # The totality of a record is usually beyond ones ability to… ![“The totality of a record is usually beyond ones ability to imagine when you start working on it, but the component parts are, usually, fairly clear one way or another.” quote by Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/fred-frith-24018_ability_the-totality-of-a-record-is-usually-beyo_2382434.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/fred-frith-24018_ability_the-totality-of-a-record-is-usually-beyo_2382434.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/fred-frith-24018_ability_the-totality-of-a-record-is-usually-beyo_2382434.png) > “The totality of a record is usually beyond ones ability to imagine when you start working on it, but the component parts are, usually, fairly clear one way or another.” [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The whole of a record is often unimaginable, yet its parts can be clearly understood when examined individually. **In simple terms:** Big projects seem huge, but their pieces are clear. Key Takeaway Break complex tasks into manageable components. Themes analysis clarity process problem-solving productivity Mood analytical pragmatic Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - research - software development - music production - academic writing Key Concepts systems thinking modular design project management Questions to Reflect On - What part of a large task can you clarify now? - How do you ensure the whole stays coherent? A Different Perspective Over‑focus on parts may miss the emergent whole. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Art work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-work/) [Clear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clear/) [Fairly Clear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairly-clear-4088299/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Parts Usually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parts-usually-1992244/) [Record Usually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/record-usually-350984/) [Totality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/totality/) [Totality Record](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/totality-record-5905494/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [I guess my guitar parts are usually precise, but the execution of those parts is downright treacherous, since I'm not very good on guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-bejar/i-guess-my-guitar-parts-are-usually-precise-but-the-execution-of/) [Dan Bejar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-bejar/) > [As I worked to explain how to avoid bad strategy, I began to see that one cannot really evaluate or criticize a strategy unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-rumelt/as-i-worked-to-explain-how-to-avoid-bad-strategy-i-began-to-see-that/) [Richard P. Rumelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-rumelt/) > [I think it's fairly clear that playing hockey isn't the same as playing football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bettman/i-think-it-s-fairly-clear-that-playing-hockey-isn-t-the-same-as/) [Gary Bettman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bettman/) > [I felt like I needed to get a few side projects out of my system before I settled in to do the new record.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-condon/i-felt-like-i-needed-to-get-a-few-side-projects-out-of-my-system/) [Zach Condon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-condon/) > [If you like it live, you know that you're probably going to like the record, usually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lp/if-you-like-it-live-you-know-that-you-re-probably-going-to-like-the/) [LP](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lp/) > [If I hear a record once, I usually never listen to it again. I rarely listen to music - unless it's Billie Holiday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbra-streisand/if-i-hear-a-record-once-i-usually-never-listen-to-it-again-i-rarely/) [Barbra Streisand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbra-streisand/) > [When we make records, it's hard to pinpoint one thing that inspires a record. It's usually a number of different things that lead to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-boyd/when-we-make-records-it-s-hard-to-pinpoint-one-thing-that-inspires-a/) [Brandon Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-boyd/) > [The tendency in our spiritual life but also our more general attitude toward love is that our feelings are all that is going on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kolodiejchuk/the-tendency-in-our-spiritual-life-but-also-our-more-general-attitude/) [Brian Kolodiejchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kolodiejchuk/) > [We see parts of each other, and we put them together. But if I want to see you in totality, you need to move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-giacometti/we-see-parts-of-each-other-and-we-put-them-together-but-if-i-want-to/) [Diego Giacometti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-giacometti/) > [If you asked my kids to describe me, they'd go through a whole list of words before even thinking about Parkinson's. And honestly, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/if-you-asked-my-kids-to-describe-me-they-d-go-through-a-whole-list-of/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [“Our life as humans is a totality of time”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/our-life-as-humans-is-a-totality-of-time/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [A composition is always more than the sum of its parts. In other words, a really good piece of music is more than itself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-ma/a-composition-is-always-more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts-in-other-words/) [Yo-Yo Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-ma/) > [Of course, corporations and governments have a right to something for their money. They pay the wages. But they don't have the ethical right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/of-course-corporations-and-governments-have-a-right-to-something-for/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Every philosophy is complete in itself and, like a genuine work of art, contains the totality. Just as the works of Apelles and Sophocles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/every-philosophy-is-complete-in-itself-and-like-a-genuine-work-of-art/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [ The self is defined psychologically as the psychic totality of the individual. Anything that a \[person\] postulates as being a greater totality than \[oneself\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/the-self-is-defined-psychologically-as-the-psychic-totality-of-the/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) ## More by Fred Frith > [We play melodic music, we play songs, we play all kinds of things and when you improvise you don't just shut out different languages,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/we-play-melodic-music-we-play-songs-we-play-all-kinds-of-things-and/) [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) > [Some things don't wind up sounding like you'd expect, which is just as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/some-things-don-t-wind-up-sounding-like-you-d-expect-which-is-just-as/) [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) > [We played some gigs in Switzerland a couple of weeks ago and it was the first time I really felt the group was really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/we-played-some-gigs-in-switzerland-a-couple-of-weeks-ago-and-it-was/) [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) > [We went through this business of me writing out all the parts for these old songs from Gravity and Speechless and we'd been performing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/we-went-through-this-business-of-me-writing-out-all-the-parts-for/) [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) > [If you write songs you have an idea how they're going to sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/if-you-write-songs-you-have-an-idea-how-they-re-going-to-sound/) [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) > [I think that one of the things that influences me most as a composer is to what extent I can deconstruct and reconstruct the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/i-think-that-one-of-the-things-that-influences-me-most-as-a-composer/) [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) > [And so many of the kinds of labels you get stuck with don't really tell the story; Progressive, Art Rock, Noise Music, Downtown -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/and-so-many-of-the-kinds-of-labels-you-get-stuck-with-don-t-really/) [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) > [It's like learning a language; you can't speak a language fluently until you find out who you are in that language, and that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/it-s-like-learning-a-language-you-can-t-speak-a-language-fluently/) [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) > [You could say that everything the musicians have learned and known over the years, all of their technical resources, are in a dialogue with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/you-could-say-that-everything-the-musicians-have-learned-and-known/) [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) > [I started getting interested in the notes that I could hear being generated when I hammered on while playing a classical guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/i-started-getting-interested-in-the-notes-that-i-could-hear-being/) [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) > [Well, I think music for kids is never anything but experimental is it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/well-i-think-music-for-kids-is-never-anything-but-experimental-is-it/) [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) > [There's an awful lot of resources that can be drawn upon in an improvised music concert.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/there-s-an-awful-lot-of-resources-that-can-be-drawn-upon-in-an/) [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) > [One of the things I particularly enjoyed doing was taking raw sound from locations during the film, like the candy machine, and writing pieces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/one-of-the-things-i-particularly-enjoyed-doing-was-taking-raw-sound/) [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) > [...what's always exciting is when you hear something amazing when you least expected it. Every now and then I'll hear something for the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/what-s-always-exciting-is-when-you-hear-something-amazing-when-you/) [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) > [I don't know if I'm striving for anything that I can put into words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/i-don-t-know-if-i-m-striving-for-anything-that-i-can-put-into-words/) [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) [Explore all 25 Fred Frith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The totality of a record is usually beyond ones ability to imagine when you start working on it, but the component parts are, usually, fairly clear one way or another.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fred Frith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/the-totality-of-a-record-is-usually-beyond-ones-ability-to-imagine/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/the-totality-of-a-record-is-usually-beyond-ones-ability-to-imagine/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/fred-frith-24018_ability_the-totality-of-a-record-is-usually-beyo_2382434.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/fred-frith-24018_ability_the-totality-of-a-record-is-usually-beyo_2382434.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fb/fred-frith-24018_ability_the-totality-of-a-record-is-usually-beyo_2382434.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The totality of a record is usually beyond ones ability to imagine when you start working on it, but the…” — Fred Frith", "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": "Fred Frith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The totality of a record is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/the-totality-of-a-record-is-usually-beyond-ones-ability-to-imagine/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/the-totality-of-a-record-is-usually-beyond-ones-ability-to-imagine/#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 } } ] } ```