--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is an excellent habit to look at…" description: "\"It is an excellent habit to look at things as so many symbols.\" — Gustave Flaubert" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/950/gustave-flaubert-354_excellent_it-is-an-excellent-habit-to-look-at-thin_972741.jpg" --- # It is an excellent habit to look at things as so many… ![“It is an excellent habit to look at things as so many symbols.” quote by Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/950/gustave-flaubert-354_excellent_it-is-an-excellent-habit-to-look-at-thin_972741.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/950/gustave-flaubert-354_excellent_it-is-an-excellent-habit-to-look-at-thin_972741.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/950/gustave-flaubert-354_excellent_it-is-an-excellent-habit-to-look-at-thin_972741.jpg) > “It is an excellent habit to look at things as so many symbols.” [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Viewing life as symbols encourages deeper interpretation and understanding beyond surface appearances. **In simple terms:** Life is symbolic. Key Takeaway Seek deeper meaning in everyday events. Themes interpretation symbolism perception Mood introspective analytical Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - art criticism - personal growth - teaching Key Concepts philosophy literary analysis psychology Questions to Reflect On - What symbols dominate your worldview? - How does symbolic thinking affect decisions? A Different Perspective Symbols can be ambiguous and misread. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Symbols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symbols/) ## Related quotes > [Things are symbols of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-ginsberg/things-are-symbols-of-themselves/) [Allen Ginsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-ginsberg/) > [An excellent habit to cultivate is the analytical study of the King James Bible. For simple yet rich and forceful English, this masterly production…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft/an-excellent-habit-to-cultivate-is-the-analytical-study-of-the-king/) [H. P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft/) > [Never been in the habit to look back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-lesnar/never-been-in-the-habit-to-look-back/) [Brock Lesnar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-lesnar/) > [All things are symbols: the external shows Of Nature have their image in the mind , As flowers and fruits and falling of the leaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/all-things-are-symbols-the-external-shows-of-nature-have-their-image/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [All things are symbols.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/all-things-are-symbols/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [When you are describing, A shape, or sound, or tint; Don't state the matter plainly, But put it in a hint; And learn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/when-you-are-describing-a-shape-or-sound-or-tint-don-t-state-the/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [You have to look at things that happened in your life and ask why. It comes around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/you-have-to-look-at-things-that-happened-in-your-life-and-ask-why-it/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [“I guess we can all look back and see things in our lives that we could or should have done differently—and better—and”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duff-mckagan/i-guess-we-can-all-look-back-and-see-things-in-our-lives-that-we/) [Duff McKagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duff-mckagan/) > [I know I'm part of the changing process of the way we look at things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-roy/i-know-i-m-part-of-the-changing-process-of-the-way-we-look-at-things/) [Duncan Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-roy/) > [We look for things I can understand. A lot of businesses I don't understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/we-look-for-things-i-can-understand-a-lot-of-businesses-i-don-t/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [“There are those who look at things the way they are and ask why. I dream of things that never were and ask why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preeti-shenoy/there-are-those-who-look-at-things-the-way-they-are-and-ask-why-i/) [Preeti Shenoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preeti-shenoy/) > [We are so bemused by our own petard, that we are unable to look at things objectively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-child/we-are-so-bemused-by-our-own-petard-that-we-are-unable-to-look-at/) [Julia Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-child/) > [You know what? You didn't do anything wrong. I did. It's this dumb thing I do. I look into things and see more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/you-know-what-you-didn-t-do-anything-wrong-i-did-it-s-this-dumb-thing/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Take them as you find them. Make the best of them. Turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/live-in-the-world-you-inhabit-look-upon-things-as-they-are-take-them/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [I always try to find a less frustrating way to look at things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-w-k/i-always-try-to-find-a-less-frustrating-way-to-look-at-things/) [Andrew W.K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-w-k/) ## More by Gustave Flaubert > [As for the piano, the faster her fingers flew over it, the more he marveled. She struck the keys with aplomb and ran from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/as-for-the-piano-the-faster-her-fingers-flew-over-it-the-more-he/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [Caught up in life, you see it badly. You suffer from it or enjoy it too much. The artist, in my opinion, is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/caught-up-in-life-you-see-it-badly-you-suffer-from-it-or-enjoy-it-too/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [“When one does something, one must do it wholly and well. Those bastard existences where you sell suet all day and write poetry at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/when-one-does-something-one-must-do-it-wholly-and-well-those-bastard/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [Isn’t ‘not to be bored’ one of the principal goals of life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/isn-t-not-to-be-bored-one-of-the-principal-goals-of-life/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [Love is a springtime plant that perfumes everything with its hope, even the ruins to which it clings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/love-is-a-springtime-plant-that-perfumes-everything-with-its-hope/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [“But her life was as cold as an attic facing north; and boredom, like a silent spider, was weaving its web in the shadows,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/but-her-life-was-as-cold-as-an-attic-facing-north-and-boredom-like-a/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [When you reduce a woman to writing, she makes you think of a thousand other women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/when-you-reduce-a-woman-to-writing-she-makes-you-think-of-a-thousand/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/travel-makes-one-modest-you-see-what-a-tiny-place-you-occupy-in-the/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [“We must not touch our idols; the gilt sticks to our fingers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/we-must-not-touch-our-idols-the-gilt-sticks-to-our-fingers/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [A superhuman will is needed in order to write, and I am only a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/a-superhuman-will-is-needed-in-order-to-write-and-i-am-only-a-man/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [The writer must wade into life as into the sea, but only up to the navel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/the-writer-must-wade-into-life-as-into-the-sea-but-only-up-to-the/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [COLD. Healthier than heat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/cold-healthier-than-heat/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [And indeed, what is better than to sit by one's fireside in the evening with a book, while the wind beats against the window…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/and-indeed-what-is-better-than-to-sit-by-one-s-fireside-in-the/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [One's existence should be in two parts: one should live like a bourgeois and think like a demigod.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/one-s-existence-should-be-in-two-parts-one-should-live-like-a/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [Emma was no asleep, she was pretending to be asleep; and, while he was dozing off at her side, she lay awake, dreaming other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/emma-was-no-asleep-she-was-pretending-to-be-asleep-and-while-he-was/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) [Explore all 526 Gustave Flaubert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) ## More Excellent quotes > [Unmarried couples should get married - that's an excellent tax avoidance measure, if a bit drastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-whiting/unmarried-couples-should-get-married-that-s-an-excellent-tax/) John Whiting > [Things are going well in Germany because the economy is booming and as an export-driven nation, we are profiting from the fact that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/things-are-going-well-in-germany-because-the-economy-is-booming-and/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. 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