--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A mind which really lays hold of a…" description: "\"A mind which really lays hold of a subject is not easily detached from it.\" — Ida Tarbell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/094/ida-tarbell-15988_mind_a-mind-which-really-lays-hold-of-a-subje_619874.png" --- # A mind which really lays hold of a subject is not easily… ![“A mind which really lays hold of a subject is not easily detached from it.” quote by Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/094/ida-tarbell-15988_mind_a-mind-which-really-lays-hold-of-a-subje_619874.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/094/ida-tarbell-15988_mind_a-mind-which-really-lays-hold-of-a-subje_619874.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/094/ida-tarbell-15988_mind_a-mind-which-really-lays-hold-of-a-subje_619874.png) > “A mind which really lays hold of a subject is not easily detached from it.” [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Deep mastery creates attachment, making it hard to disengage from a topic. **In simple terms:** Strong focus binds you to the subject. Key Takeaway Recognize when attachment hinders objectivity. Themes focus attachment learning Mood reflective serious Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - research - teaching - skill development - decision making Key Concepts psychology cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - How can you maintain objectivity while staying engaged? - When is detachment beneficial? A Different Perspective Attachment can limit perspective and adaptability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [When faith lays hold, impossibilities must yield.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smith-wigglesworth/when-faith-lays-hold-impossibilities-must-yield/) [Smith Wigglesworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smith-wigglesworth/) > [“She’s a sickness in my head.” Then get well. What you feel is self-made and attended to over time. You want to let go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-lynn-hope/she-s-a-sickness-in-my-head-then-get-well-what-you-feel-is-self-made/) [Donna Lynn Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-lynn-hope/) > [The act of forgiveness takes place in our own mind. It really has nothing to do with the other person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/the-act-of-forgiveness-takes-place-in-our-own-mind-it-really-has/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [Sometimes you have to say what's on your mind if it's something that's really important to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sami-zayn/sometimes-you-have-to-say-what-s-on-your-mind-if-it-s-something-that/) [Sami Zayn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sami-zayn/) > [A short story is something that you can hold in your mind. You can really analyze how the entire thing works, like a machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/a-short-story-is-something-that-you-can-hold-in-your-mind-you-can/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [For works of the mind really great there is no old age, no decrepitude. It is inconceivable that a time should come when Homer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-e-gladstone/for-works-of-the-mind-really-great-there-is-no-old-age-no-decrepitude/) [William E. Gladstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-e-gladstone/) > [Your thoughts construct patterns like scaffolding in your mind. You are really etching chemical patterns. In most cases, people get stuck in those patterns,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/your-thoughts-construct-patterns-like-scaffolding-in-your-mind-you/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [When you have something on your mind that you really have coming out of your brain... just talking to the beat, it's pretty easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-montgomery/when-you-have-something-on-your-mind-that-you-really-have-coming-out/) [Ryan Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-montgomery/) > [The forms are part of the mind, or really are the mind, they're just the contents of this universal night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-adamson/the-forms-are-part-of-the-mind-or-really-are-the-mind-they-re-just/) [Peter Adamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-adamson/) > [Waking up and knowing I was on your mind is all I really want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/waking-up-and-knowing-i-was-on-your-mind-is-all-i-really-want/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The mind cannot really rest or be still: it is either busy, or non-existent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/the-mind-cannot-really-rest-or-be-still-it-is-either-busy-or-non/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [It's not a matter of how much you know or can define, or how many millions of mantras or thousands of prostrations you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/it-s-not-a-matter-of-how-much-you-know-or-can-define-or-how-many/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [I would like the power of words, so I could speak my mind and what's really on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-would-like-the-power-of-words-so-i-could-speak-my-mind-and-what-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I say never mind I really mean you should have listened the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-say-never-mind-i-really-mean-you-should-have-listened-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you think all this is going on, all these gigantic fields of gravity and light with you in mind, then you really do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/if-you-think-all-this-is-going-on-all-these-gigantic-fields-of/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More by Ida Tarbell > [The whole force of the respectable circles to which I belonged, that respectable circle which knew as I did notthe value of security won,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/the-whole-force-of-the-respectable-circles-to-which-i-belonged-that/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [My whole theory for the improvement of society is based on a belief in the discipline and the education of the individual to self-control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/my-whole-theory-for-the-improvement-of-society-is-based-on-a-belief/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [Life is but a collection of habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/life-is-but-a-collection-of-habits/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [The surprise of the fight on the long day, of the experiments with the shorter one, has been not only that the business could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/the-surprise-of-the-fight-on-the-long-day-of-the-experiments-with-the/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [It's always a revolution, you know, when things occur of which you have never happened to hear!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/it-s-always-a-revolution-you-know-when-things-occur-of-which-you-have/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [In walking through the world there is a choice for a man to make. He can choose the fair and open path, the path…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/in-walking-through-the-world-there-is-a-choice-for-a-man-to-make-he/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [There is no more effective medicine to apply to feverish public sentiments than figures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/there-is-no-more-effective-medicine-to-apply-to-feverish-public/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [I have never had illusions about the value of my individual contribution! I realized early that what a man or a woman does is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/i-have-never-had-illusions-about-the-value-of-my-individual/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [ \[John D. Rockefeller\] didn't care about anyone he did anything just to be rich and be the only company standing without any competition. He… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/john-d-rockefeller-didn-t-care-about-anyone-he-did-anything-just-to/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [I decided to write the book to open the eyes of the people of how corrupt John D. Rockefeller company was and the unfair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/i-decided-to-write-the-book-to-open-the-eyes-of-the-people-of-how/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [Now, if the Standard Oil Company were the only concern in the country guilty of the practices which have given it monopolistic power, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/now-if-the-standard-oil-company-were-the-only-concern-in-the-country/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [Rockefeller and his associates did not build the Standard Oil Co. in the board rooms of Wall Street banks. They fought their way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/rockefeller-and-his-associates-did-not-build-the-standard-oil-co-in/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [Perhaps our national ambition to standardize ourselves has behind it the notion that democracy means standardization. But standardization is the surest way to destroy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/perhaps-our-national-ambition-to-standardize-ourselves-has-behind-it/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [Speculation in oil stock companies was another great evil ... From the first, oil men had to contend with wild fluctuations in the price…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/speculation-in-oil-stock-companies-was-another-great-evil-from-the/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [Ripe old age, cheerful, useful, and understanding, is one of the finest influences in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/ripe-old-age-cheerful-useful-and-understanding-is-one-of-the-finest/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) [Explore all 41 Ida Tarbell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) ## More Mind quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [“William didn't look like he'd be difficult about anything - he was thin and sandy-haired and already wore eyeglasses like his father. Most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-c-wrede/william-didn-t-look-like-he-d-be-difficult-about-anything-he-was-thin/) [Patricia C. Wrede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-c-wrede/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“MIND & GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [“He blinked. His eyes fell as he processed her response. Then he lifted his chin and attempted a grin that was almost painfully dejected.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/he-blinked-his-eyes-fell-as-he-processed-her-response-then-he-lifted/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [Once ye made up yer mind to do somethin', 'tis better t'stumble o'er the small hillock of jump-ahead than t'bash yer head on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/once-ye-made-up-yer-mind-to-do-somethin-tis-better-t-stumble-o-er-the/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [“Picking locks was not a skill he had ever cultivated, but he persisted day after day, turning the tip of his talon into different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/picking-locks-was-not-a-skill-he-had-ever-cultivated-but-he-persisted/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not here trying to convince anybody to vote for Donald Trump. I think every Christian needs to make up his own mind about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jeffress/i-m-not-here-trying-to-convince-anybody-to-vote-for-donald-trump-i/) [Robert Jeffress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jeffress/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [This is a proof of a well-trained mind, to rejoice in what is good and to grieve at the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/this-is-a-proof-of-a-well-trained-mind-to-rejoice-in-what-is-good-and/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-on-slumdog-millionaire-we-have/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 43,542 Mind quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A mind which really lays hold of a subject is not easily detached from it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ida Tarbell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/a-mind-which-really-lays-hold-of-a-subject-is-not-easily-detached/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Mind" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/a-mind-which-really-lays-hold-of-a-subject-is-not-easily-detached/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/094/ida-tarbell-15988_mind_a-mind-which-really-lays-hold-of-a-subje_619874.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/094/ida-tarbell-15988_mind_a-mind-which-really-lays-hold-of-a-subje_619874.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/094/ida-tarbell-15988_mind_a-mind-which-really-lays-hold-of-a-subje_619874.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A mind which really lays hold of a subject is not easily detached from it.” — Ida Tarbell", "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": "Ida Tarbell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A mind which really lays hold...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/a-mind-which-really-lays-hold-of-a-subject-is-not-easily-detached/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/a-mind-which-really-lays-hold-of-a-subject-is-not-easily-detached/#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 } } ] } ```