--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you are describing any occurrence…" description: "\"If you are describing any occurrence... make two or more distinct reports at different times... We discriminate at first only a few features, and we ne..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/henry-david-thoreau-20_describing_if-you-are-describing-any-occurrence-mak_1891133.jpg" --- # If you are describing any occurrence... make two or more… ![“If you are describing any occurrence... make two or more distinct reports at different times... We discriminate at first only a few features, and we need to reconsider our experience from many points of view and in various moods in order to perceive the whole.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/henry-david-thoreau-20_describing_if-you-are-describing-any-occurrence-mak_1891133.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/henry-david-thoreau-20_describing_if-you-are-describing-any-occurrence-mak_1891133.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/henry-david-thoreau-20_describing_if-you-are-describing-any-occurrence-mak_1891133.jpg) > “If you are describing any occurrence... make two or more distinct reports at different times... We discriminate at first only a few features, and we need to reconsider our experience from many points of view and in various moods in order to perceive the whole.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. To understand fully, gather multiple reports over time and view them from varied perspectives and moods. **In simple terms:** Multiple viewpoints over time reveal the whole. Key Takeaway Seek diverse, repeated observations. Themes perception analysis truth Mood analytical philosophical Type cognitive methodological When to use this quote - research - journalism - decision making Key Concepts multidimensional view subjectivity Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance breadth and depth? - When is a single perspective sufficient? A Different Perspective Too many perspectives can cause analysis paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mood/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Point of view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-of-view/) [Reports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reports/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I long ago lost a hound, a bay horse, and a turtle-dove, and am still on their trail. Many are the travellers I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-long-ago-lost-a-hound-a-bay-horse-and-a-turtle-dove-and-am-still-on/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [So if there is a government grant offered for anything, like starting a business or going to school, they cannot discriminate because of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/so-if-there-is-a-government-grant-offered-for-anything-like-starting/) [Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/) > [Police departments, since the start of the history of this country, have been used to enforce unconstitutional laws that were designed to discriminate against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lightfoot/police-departments-since-the-start-of-the-history-of-this-country/) [Lori Lightfoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lightfoot/) > [You must discriminate between those who claim to help you and only want to manipulate you and those who are free, who never manipulate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-must-discriminate-between-those-who-claim-to-help-you-and-only/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I don't like kids that are pushed into things by stage mums, but when I can see they are having a good time, they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-cowell/i-don-t-like-kids-that-are-pushed-into-things-by-stage-mums-but-when/) [Simon Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-cowell/) > [I don't discriminate. I hate Mondays just as much as I hate any day that requires me to wake up before 10 am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-discriminate-i-hate-mondays-just-as-much-as-i-hate-any-day/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A guided missile corrects its trajectory as it flies, homing in, say, on the heat of a jet plane's exhaust. A great improvement on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/a-guided-missile-corrects-its-trajectory-as-it-flies-homing-in-say-on/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I used to be homophobic, but as I got older, I realized that wasn't the way to do things. I don't discriminate against anybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asap-rocky/i-used-to-be-homophobic-but-as-i-got-older-i-realized-that-wasn-t-the/) [ASAP Rocky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asap-rocky/) > [Discriminate, discriminate, and again discriminate! Be fastidious. Choose. Select.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-merrill-root/discriminate-discriminate-and-again-discriminate-be-fastidious-choose/) [E. Merrill Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-merrill-root/) > [For some of my friends who raise personal objections to marriage equality, they still recognize the importance of being accepting. And many of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-fujita/for-some-of-my-friends-who-raise-personal-objections-to-marriage/) [Scott Fujita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-fujita/) > [Never try to discriminate a person like me. I'm a dragon, once I'm getting mad, don't dare yourself to see me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marivil-ricacho/never-try-to-discriminate-a-person-like-me-i-m-a-dragon-once-i-m/) Marivil Ricacho > [Race is not the stumbling block to progress it once was, in large part because the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it illegal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/race-is-not-the-stumbling-block-to-progress-it-once-was-in-large-part/) [Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/) > [The ability to discriminate between that which is true and that which is false is one of the last attainments of the human mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/the-ability-to-discriminate-between-that-which-is-true-and-that-which/) [James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/) > [I don't see any reason to discriminate against homosexuals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yitzhak-rabin/i-don-t-see-any-reason-to-discriminate-against-homosexuals/) [Yitzhak Rabin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yitzhak-rabin/) > [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/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Describing quotes > [In a general way, the literature of the twentieth century is essentially psychological; and psychology consists of describing states of the soul by displaying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/in-a-general-way-the-literature-of-the-twentieth-century-is/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [Without sounding overly sentimental about the process, I'd say trying to describe how you tend to conceive of a book is like describing how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-walter/without-sounding-overly-sentimental-about-the-process-i-d-say-trying/) [Jess Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-walter/) > [There was a special challenge in describing the awful childhood of a person who happens to be my own husband. It was very painful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-stephenson/there-was-a-special-challenge-in-describing-the-awful-childhood-of-a/) [Pamela Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-stephenson/) > [Describing comic sensibility is near impossible. It's sort of an abstract silliness, that sometimes the joke isn't the star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-carvey/describing-comic-sensibility-is-near-impossible-it-s-sort-of-an/) [Dana Carvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-carvey/) > [With Gnaw I was thinking about traditional sculpture, about carving. I was also interested in figurative sculpture. I put those two ideas together and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-antoni/with-gnaw-i-was-thinking-about-traditional-sculpture-about-carving-i/) Janine Antoni > [Writing is not describing, painting is not depicting. Verisimilitude is merely an illusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-braque/writing-is-not-describing-painting-is-not-depicting-verisimilitude-is/) [Georges Braque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-braque/) > [Murder is a crime. Describing Murder is not. Sex is not a crime. Describing sex is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gershon-legman/murder-is-a-crime-describing-murder-is-not-sex-is-not-a-crime/) Gershon Legman > [In describing someone's character, I reveal my own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/in-describing-someone-s-character-i-reveal-my-own/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Some people as a result of adversity are sadder, wiser, kinder, more human. Most of us are better, though, when things go better. Knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/some-people-as-a-result-of-adversity-are-sadder-wiser-kinder-more/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [If I had to choose between the two ways of approaching the deity, I should prefer the existential relational way, to the abstract philosophical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-moore-cross/if-i-had-to-choose-between-the-two-ways-of-approaching-the-deity-i/) [Frank Moore Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-moore-cross/) > [When I returned to short stories, I'd started working on what is still central to much of what I try to do: putting myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-tidbeck/when-i-returned-to-short-stories-i-d-started-working-on-what-is-still/) [Karin Tidbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-tidbeck/) > [When in doubt, the rule of threes is a rule that plays well with all of storytelling. When describing a thing? No more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-wendig/when-in-doubt-the-rule-of-threes-is-a-rule-that-plays-well-with-all/) [Chuck Wendig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-wendig/) > [ I certainly don't feel like I have a monopoly on \[opinions\] because I have the job at FOX - any one of a thousand… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-buck/i-certainly-don-t-feel-like-i-have-a-monopoly-on-opinions-because-i/) [Joe Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-buck/) > [“When describing nature, a writer should seize upon small details, arranging them so that the reader will see an image in his mind after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/when-describing-nature-a-writer-should-seize-upon-small-details/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [When I write about "realizations," I am describing a state in which a practitioner has wisdom of who she or he is, and has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-targ/when-i-write-about-realizations-i-am-describing-a-state-in-which-a/) Russell Targ Browse all 375 Describing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you are describing any occurrence... make two or more distinct reports at different times... We discriminate at first only a few features, and we need to reconsider our experience from many points of view and in various moods in order to perceive the whole.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-you-are-describing-any-occurrence-make-two-or-more-distinct/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Describing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-you-are-describing-any-occurrence-make-two-or-more-distinct/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/henry-david-thoreau-20_describing_if-you-are-describing-any-occurrence-mak_1891133.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/henry-david-thoreau-20_describing_if-you-are-describing-any-occurrence-mak_1891133.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/henry-david-thoreau-20_describing_if-you-are-describing-any-occurrence-mak_1891133.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you are describing any occurrence... make two or more distinct reports at different times... We…” — Henry David Thoreau", "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": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you are describing any occurrence......", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-you-are-describing-any-occurrence-make-two-or-more-distinct/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-you-are-describing-any-occurrence-make-two-or-more-distinct/#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 } } ] } ```