--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had spend a lot of time looking at…" description: "\"I had spend a lot of time looking at things intellectually, coming from the head, let's say, rather than the heart, and saying things that way. Turns o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/gord-downie-7576_heart_i-had-spend-a-lot-of-time-looking-at-thi_53614.jpg" --- # I had spend a lot of time looking at things… ![“I had spend a lot of time looking at things intellectually, coming from the head, let's say, rather than the heart, and saying things that way. Turns of phrases became paramount to any kind of feeling behind them, which is not to say they were all devoid of that.” quote by Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/gord-downie-7576_heart_i-had-spend-a-lot-of-time-looking-at-thi_53614.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/gord-downie-7576_heart_i-had-spend-a-lot-of-time-looking-at-thi_53614.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e5/gord-downie-7576_heart_i-had-spend-a-lot-of-time-looking-at-thi_53614.jpg) > “I had spend a lot of time looking at things intellectually, coming from the head, let's say, rather than the heart, and saying things that way. Turns of phrases became paramount to any kind of feeling behind them, which is not to say they were all devoid of that.” [Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects on prioritizing intellectual analysis over emotional intuition, noting that while clever phrasing can dominate, it doesn't necessarily eliminate feeling. **In simple terms:** Intellectual focus over emotional insight Key Takeaway Balance head and heart Themes self-awareness communication emotional intelligence authenticity language Mood reflective thoughtful introspective Type observation philosophical When to use this quote - writing - public speaking - leadership - personal reflection Key Concepts cognitive bias expressive nuance Practical Applications - improve storytelling - enhance empathy Questions to Reflect On - How can you ensure your words convey genuine feeling? - When does clever phrasing hinder authenticity? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I get overwhelmed when I approach things intellectually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keegan-michael-key/i-get-overwhelmed-when-i-approach-things-intellectually/) [Keegan-Michael Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keegan-michael-key/) > [The ideas of things intellectually known pass into the substance of the intellect much more than do foods into the substance of the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsilio-ficino/the-ideas-of-things-intellectually-known-pass-into-the-substance-of/) [Marsilio Ficino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsilio-ficino/) > [I tend not to approach things intellectually at first. Maybe after the fact i can look at it and see ultimately what it's doing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levinson/i-tend-not-to-approach-things-intellectually-at-first-maybe-after-the/) [Sam Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levinson/) > [Sometimes an actor doesn't sell an idea 100 percent. It just sounds like something that's coming out of their head. You can hear the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gordon-green/sometimes-an-actor-doesn-t-sell-an-idea-100-percent-it-just-sounds/) [David Gordon Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gordon-green/) > [When I watch a show, I want to feel like it is coming out of someone's head, not out of a boardroom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-konietzko/when-i-watch-a-show-i-want-to-feel-like-it-is-coming-out-of-someone-s/) [Bryan Konietzko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-konietzko/) > [I keep coming back to you in my head, but you couldn't know that, and I have no carbons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/i-keep-coming-back-to-you-in-my-head-but-you-couldn-t-know-that-and-i/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [With educated people, I suppose, punctuation is a matter of rule; with me it is a matter of feeling. But I must say I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/with-educated-people-i-suppose-punctuation-is-a-matter-of-rule-with/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I get the best feeling whenever you say hi because I know that even if it was just for a minute...I CROSSED YOUR MIND!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany/i-get-the-best-feeling-whenever-you-say-hi-because-i-know-that-even/) [Brittany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany/) > [Feeling has as much to say as the words do. You can have the greatest words in the world and if they're not believable,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-phillips/feeling-has-as-much-to-say-as-the-words-do-you-can-have-the-greatest/) [Sam Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-phillips/) > [I'm giving up. I'm sick of feeling. Is there anything you can say? Take all this away. I'm suffocating. Tell me what the hell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linkin-park/i-m-giving-up-i-m-sick-of-feeling-is-there-anything-you-can-say-take/) [Linkin Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linkin-park/) > [Thats feeling you get when they say the right words >.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thats-feeling-you-get-when-they-say-the-right-words/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It scares me that you never know what someone is thinking or feeling towards you and everything they say could be one massive lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-scares-me-that-you-never-know-what-someone-is-thinking-or-feeling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I get the best feeling when you say Hi or even smile at me because I know, even if its just for a second,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiv/i-get-the-best-feeling-when-you-say-hi-or-even-smile-at-me-because-i/) [Shiv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiv/) > [Fiction is about feeling, which is to say that short stories are about all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-bailey/fiction-is-about-feeling-which-is-to-say-that-short-stories-are-about/) Tom Bailey > [As dancers, especially for myself, personally, dance constitutes a lot of the conversation that I have. While I'm not a ridiculous wordsmith and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-boss/as-dancers-especially-for-myself-personally-dance-constitutes-a-lot/) [Stephen Boss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-boss/) ## More by Gord Downie > [I come to America because if you're a rock 'n' roll musician you should come here every chance you get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-come-to-america-because-if-you-re-a-rock-n-roll-musician-you-should/) [Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) > [I used to run the band hockey pool - regular season and playoffs. I would write weekly reports, which were meant to demoralize and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-used-to-run-the-band-hockey-pool-regular-season-and-playoffs-i/) [Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) > [I love dance - trying to express myself wordlessly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-love-dance-trying-to-express-myself-wordlessly/) [Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) > [I grew up on the lake and spent most of that time outdoors. As a musician, I travel widely around the country and talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-grew-up-on-the-lake-and-spent-most-of-that-time-outdoors-as-a/) [Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) > [You sort of get so lulled into thinking of yourself as this five-headed thing, the group, the band, The Hip. I guess you just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/you-sort-of-get-so-lulled-into-thinking-of-yourself-as-this-five/) [Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) > [As we move towards resolution and understanding and greater serenity in all aspects of our life, love's pretty elemental and that's nice to know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/as-we-move-towards-resolution-and-understanding-and-greater-serenity/) [Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) > [You know, Prime Minister Trudeau's got me. His work with First Nations. He's got everybody. He's going to take us where we need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/you-know-prime-minister-trudeau-s-got-me-his-work-with-first-nations/) [Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) > [If we weren't in this band, some of us wouldn't be playing at all. You have tiffs with someone when he has smelly feet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/if-we-weren-t-in-this-band-some-of-us-wouldn-t-be-playing-at-all-you/) [Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) > [I enjoy making and creating things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-enjoy-making-and-creating-things/) [Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) > [I think I'm a dancer in terms of what I do onstage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-think-i-m-a-dancer-in-terms-of-what-i-do-onstage/) [Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) > [I'm grateful for the friendships and being able to show it, for people's dancing pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-m-grateful-for-the-friendships-and-being-able-to-show-it-for-people/) [Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) > [I work a couple of hours a day with a guitar or pushing words around, so over time I have a lot of material,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-work-a-couple-of-hours-a-day-with-a-guitar-or-pushing-words-around/) [Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) > [I've always liked R.E.M. because, like so many things I like, they exude a warmth; I like to think that we do, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-ve-always-liked-r-e-m-because-like-so-many-things-i-like-they-exude/) [Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) > [When I'm in front of a crowd, I don't think 'Oh, there's some hard-core metalheads and some alternative fringe types, so we should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/when-i-m-in-front-of-a-crowd-i-don-t-think-oh-there-s-some-hard-core/) [Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) > [I have no illusions of the future. Or maybe it's all illusion. I don't know. I've always been ready for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-have-no-illusions-of-the-future-or-maybe-it-s-all-illusion-i-don-t/) [Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) [Explore all 89 Gord Downie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) ## More Heart quotes > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“He held her like a new woman and what she felt felt almost as good as love had, and each of them called it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/he-held-her-like-a-new-woman-and-what-she-felt-felt-almost-as-good-as/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [My heart jumps out of its cage to see what the fuss is about. Damn thing. Always so hopeful, but my voice hides it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wylie/my-heart-jumps-out-of-its-cage-to-see-what-the-fuss-is-about-damn/) [Sarah Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wylie/) > [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/) Rena Kornreich Gelissen > [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) > [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/) [Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Love will fan the flame, and that flame will warm the heart that's waiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-w-smith/love-will-fan-the-flame-and-that-flame-will-warm-the-heart-that-s/) [Michael W. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-w-smith/) > [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/) [Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/) > [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) [Browse all 45,172 Heart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had spend a lot of time looking at things intellectually, coming from the head, let's say, rather than the heart, and saying things that way. 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