---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I started thinking about what I've always…"
description: "\"I started thinking about what I've always been interested in: how people can't see things that are right in front of them. All you have to do is read t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/jean-hanff-korelitz-16719_about_i-started-thinking-about-what-i-ve-alway_2225471.jpg"
---

#  I started thinking about what I've always been interested…

![“I started thinking about what I've always been interested in: how people can't see things that are right in front of them. All you have to do is read the papers to see endless examples of smart people who can't see the nose on their faces.” quote by Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/jean-hanff-korelitz-16719_about_i-started-thinking-about-what-i-ve-alway_2225471.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/jean-hanff-korelitz-16719_about_i-started-thinking-about-what-i-ve-alway_2225471.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/jean-hanff-korelitz-16719_about_i-started-thinking-about-what-i-ve-alway_2225471.jpg)

> “I started thinking about what I've always been interested in: how people can't see things that are right in front of them. All you have to do is read the papers to see endless examples of smart people who can't see the nose on their faces.”

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People often overlook obvious truths; reading scholarly work reveals many experts missing simple facts.

**In simple terms:** Experts can miss obvious details; reading shows this.

Key Takeaway

Question assumptions and seek simple evidence.

Themes

perception knowledge humility critical thinking

Mood

reflective skeptical

Type

philosophical advice

When to use this quote

- academic research
- media consumption
- decision making
- teaching

Key Concepts

cognitive bias epistemology information overload

Questions to Reflect On

- What obvious facts might you be missing?
- How can you balance expertise with common sense?

A Different Perspective

Overreliance on complex sources can obscure simple truths.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/been/) [Endless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endless/) [Examples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/examples/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Front](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/front/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Interested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interested/) [Interested People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interested-people/) [Nose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nose/) [Papers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/papers/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read/) [Read Papers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-papers-494321/) [Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right/) [See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/see/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Smart people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart-people/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Started Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-thinking/) [Them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/them/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/)

## Related quotes

> [I tend not to read the papers or listen to what the pundits say about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jones/i-tend-not-to-read-the-papers-or-listen-to-what-the-pundits-say-about/)

[Phil Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jones/)

> [I always read the papers, the political bits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-always-read-the-papers-the-political-bits/)

[John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/)

> [When I was a kid and L.S.U. lost, you didn't read the papers until, like, Thursday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carville/when-i-was-a-kid-and-l-s-u-lost-you-didn-t-read-the-papers-until-like/)

[James Carville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carville/)

> [I've always read the papers but didn't feel I knew enough in the past. But doing the research and looking at newspapers and online…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-parris/i-ve-always-read-the-papers-but-didn-t-feel-i-knew-enough-in-the-past/)

[Rachel Parris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-parris/)

> [All I know is just what I read in the papers, and that's an alibi for my ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/all-i-know-is-just-what-i-read-in-the-papers-and-that-s-an-alibi-for/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [I read about myself in the papers all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhay-deol/i-read-about-myself-in-the-papers-all-the-time/)

[Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/)

> [I like to read the papers. I make my living from football, and I like to know what's going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xavi/i-like-to-read-the-papers-i-make-my-living-from-football-and-i-like/)

[Xavi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xavi/)

> [I'm not a Wall Street expert, but I can read the papers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-kaus/i-m-not-a-wall-street-expert-but-i-can-read-the-papers/)

[Mickey Kaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-kaus/)

> [Here's the weird thing about the Murdoch family; They believe what they read in the papers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-freud/here-s-the-weird-thing-about-the-murdoch-family-they-believe-what/)

[Matthew Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-freud/)

> [I don't read the papers. I don't want to read what the press says.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-gasol/i-don-t-read-the-papers-i-don-t-want-to-read-what-the-press-says/)

[Marc Gasol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-gasol/)

> [I don't read the papers, I don't gamble, I don't even know what day it is!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mcclaren/i-don-t-read-the-papers-i-don-t-gamble-i-don-t-even-know-what-day-it/)

[Steve McClaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mcclaren/)

> [I'm not ashamed of any of my papers at all and I'm rather sick of snobs that tell us that they're bad papers, snobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-not-ashamed-of-any-of-my-papers-at-all-and-i-m-rather-sick-of/)

[Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/)

> [Don't believe something just because you didn't read it in the papers. Wait until you haven't seen it on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-kelly/don-t-believe-something-just-because-you-didn-t-read-it-in-the-papers/)

[Walt Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-kelly/)

> [I don't really read the papers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajon-rondo/i-don-t-really-read-the-papers/)

[Rajon Rondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajon-rondo/)

> [Do let him read the papers. But not while you accusingly tiptoe around the room, or perch much like a silent bird of prey…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/do-let-him-read-the-papers-but-not-while-you-accusingly-tiptoe-around/)

[Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/)

## More by Jean Hanff Korelitz

> [Most of all, I am struck by an irony central to the lot of a purebred dog: As it attains the hallmarks of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/most-of-all-i-am-struck-by-an-irony-central-to-the-lot-of-a-purebred/)

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

> [I'm not in a position to tell anyone anything about how to live his or her life, but I think it's worth noting that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/i-m-not-in-a-position-to-tell-anyone-anything-about-how-to-live-his/)

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

> [Back in the 1980s, when I was a lowly editorial assistant by day and trying to be a novelist by night, no god reigned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/back-in-the-1980s-when-i-was-a-lowly-editorial-assistant-by-day-and/)

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

> [The implication of AKC registration is that a dog who has it is better than a dog who hasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/the-implication-of-akc-registration-is-that-a-dog-who-has-it-is/)

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

> [The Thames could be thought of as England's longest archaeological site, and no fewer than 90,000 objects recovered from its foreshore are in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/the-thames-could-be-thought-of-as-england-s-longest-archaeological/)

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

> [My first three novels were all the subjects of intensely exciting flurries of calls from producers and even stars' production companies, and once someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/my-first-three-novels-were-all-the-subjects-of-intensely-exciting/)

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

> [To me, respect for human life begins with making it more difficult to obtain an inanimate object that is designed to snuff it out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/to-me-respect-for-human-life-begins-with-making-it-more-difficult-to/)

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

> [“If a woman chose the wrong person, he was always going to be the wrong person: that was all. The most capable therapist in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/if-a-woman-chose-the-wrong-person-he-was-always-going-to-be-the-wrong/)

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

> [My dog is vicious to the uninvited guest, lavishly affectionate to the invited one, and so freakishly acute that he has mastered the English…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/my-dog-is-vicious-to-the-uninvited-guest-lavishly-affectionate-to-the/)

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

> [“All ghost stories come to this, she understood. All ghost stories end in one of two ways: You are dead or I am dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/all-ghost-stories-come-to-this-she-understood-all-ghost-stories-end/)

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

> [“I know it’s supposed to take a village to raise our children, but why does ours have so many village idiots?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/i-know-it-s-supposed-to-take-a-village-to-raise-our-children-but-why/)

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

> [A successful birth is not a birth without drugs or monitors or surgery. A successful birth is when you're alive and the baby's alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/a-successful-birth-is-not-a-birth-without-drugs-or-monitors-or/)

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

> [“There is a sound to waiting. It sounds like held breath pounding its fists against the walls of the lung, damp and muffled beats.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/there-is-a-sound-to-waiting-it-sounds-like-held-breath-pounding-its/)

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

> [People need a narrative, and if there isn't one on offer, they make one up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/people-need-a-narrative-and-if-there-isn-t-one-on-offer-they-make-one/)

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

> [“All these years, her sole objective had been to keep still and hope no one would ever know. She had been a mistress of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/all-these-years-her-sole-objective-had-been-to-keep-still-and-hope-no/)

[Jean Hanff Korelitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

[Explore all 39 Jean Hanff Korelitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

[Browse all 26,122 About quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I started thinking about what I've always been interested in: how people can't see things that are right in front of them. All you have to do is read the papers to see endless examples of smart people who can't see the nose on their faces.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jean Hanff Korelitz"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/i-started-thinking-about-what-i-ve-always-been-interested-in-how/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/i-started-thinking-about-what-i-ve-always-been-interested-in-how/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/jean-hanff-korelitz-16719_about_i-started-thinking-about-what-i-ve-alway_2225471.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/jean-hanff-korelitz-16719_about_i-started-thinking-about-what-i-ve-alway_2225471.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/jean-hanff-korelitz-16719_about_i-started-thinking-about-what-i-ve-alway_2225471.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I started thinking about what I've always been interested in: how people can't see things that are right in…” — Jean Hanff Korelitz",
                "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": "Jean Hanff Korelitz",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-hanff-korelitz/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I started thinking about what I've...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/i-started-thinking-about-what-i-ve-always-been-interested-in-how/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-hanff-korelitz/i-started-thinking-about-what-i-ve-always-been-interested-in-how/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
