--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not that you can't get things done…" description: "\"“It's not that you can't get things done with the use of a cell phone; indeed you can get a lot of things done. However, the nature of what you get don..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e33/jeff-davidson-33658_cell-phone_it-s-not-that-you-can-t-get-things-done_1699356.jpg" --- # It's not that you can't get things done with the use of a… ![“It's not that you can't get things done with the use of a cell phone; indeed you can get a lot of things done. However, the nature of what you get done is highly skewed. Just as the man with only a hammer sees everything as nails, the incessant cell phone user accomplishes a variety of tasks…” quote by Jeff Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e33/jeff-davidson-33658_cell-phone_it-s-not-that-you-can-t-get-things-done_1699356.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e33/jeff-davidson-33658_cell-phone_it-s-not-that-you-can-t-get-things-done_1699356.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e33/jeff-davidson-33658_cell-phone_it-s-not-that-you-can-t-get-things-done_1699356.jpg) > ““It's not that you can't get things done with the use of a cell phone; indeed you can get a lot of things done. However, the nature of what you get done is highly skewed. Just as the man with only a hammer sees everything as nails, the incessant cell phone user accomplishes a variety of tasks, understandably enough, that accrue directly to having a cell phone.”” [Jeff Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-davidson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cell phones enable many tasks, but they bias us toward certain activities, limiting broader productivity. **In simple terms:** Phones shape what we do. Key Takeaway Be mindful of tool bias. Themes technology productivity bias Mood reflective practical Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - remote work - personal planning - social media - education Key Concepts Cognitive bias tool use theory Questions to Reflect On - What tasks do you prioritize on your phone? - How can you balance quick tasks with deeper work? A Different Perspective The phone can also foster deep work if used intentionally. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cell phone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cell-phone/) [Cell phones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cell-phones/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [I write all the time. The wonderful thing about having a cell phone is that if I get an idea, I knock it out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-astbury/i-write-all-the-time-the-wonderful-thing-about-having-a-cell-phone-is/) [Ian Astbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-astbury/) > [Equipped with cell phones, beepers, and handheld computers, the 'conspicuously industrious' blur the line between home and office by working anytime, anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-ann-davis/equipped-with-cell-phones-beepers-and-handheld-computers-the/) [Jo Ann Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-ann-davis/) > [I hate television. I hate the internet. I hate cell phones. I hate cameras. I hate everything that destroys creativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-joe-armstrong/i-hate-television-i-hate-the-internet-i-hate-cell-phones-i-hate/) [Billie Joe Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-joe-armstrong/) > [“I had a real revelation. We were all in robes, and they made some Turkish coffee for us. The professor explained how the coffee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/i-had-a-real-revelation-we-were-all-in-robes-and-they-made-some/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [Cell phones, alas, have pretty much ruined train travel, which I used to love. I could read or even sketch notes for what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mallon/cell-phones-alas-have-pretty-much-ruined-train-travel-which-i-used-to/) [Thomas Mallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mallon/) > [Email, instant messaging, and cell phones give us fabulous communication ability, but because we live and work in our own little worlds, that communication…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/email-instant-messaging-and-cell-phones-give-us-fabulous/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [I sort of gave up on this whole human adventure a long time ago, divorced myself from it emotionally. It gives me an artistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-sort-of-gave-up-on-this-whole-human-adventure-a-long-time-ago/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [I think there's been a gigantic shift in the way we talk to each other, and the way that we communicate with each other.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-swanberg/i-think-there-s-been-a-gigantic-shift-in-the-way-we-talk-to-each/) [Joe Swanberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-swanberg/) > [As the OLPC laptop was getting ready to go into mass production in 2007, many executives approached me wanting the screen that I invented,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-jepsen/as-the-olpc-laptop-was-getting-ready-to-go-into-mass-production-in/) [Mary Lou Jepsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-jepsen/) > [But I'm acutely aware that the possibility of fraud is even more prevalent in today's world because of the Internet and cell phones and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armistead-maupin/but-i-m-acutely-aware-that-the-possibility-of-fraud-is-even-more/) [Armistead Maupin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armistead-maupin/) > [Cell phones are so convenient that they're an inconvenience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/cell-phones-are-so-convenient-that-they-re-an-inconvenience/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I remember one point seeing I had like 60-some different cell phones. I know I only use one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-kosar/i-remember-one-point-seeing-i-had-like-60-some-different-cell-phones/) Bernie Kosar > [“To me, at least in retrospect, the really interesting question is why dullness proves to be such a powerful impediment to attention. Why we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/to-me-at-least-in-retrospect-the-really-interesting-question-is-why/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“Kindle Paperwhite 3G models use the same technology as cell phones, so they are dependent on cellular coverage areas. By default, a 3G device…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amazon/kindle-paperwhite-3g-models-use-the-same-technology-as-cell-phones-so/) amazon ## More by Jeff Davidson > [“Once taken off one task without completing the transaction, the mind continues to seek closure. Fight to stay focused on the task at hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-davidson/once-taken-off-one-task-without-completing-the-transaction-the-mind/) [Jeff Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-davidson/) > [“A study at Cornell University found that low-level noise both lowered job motivation and increased stress levels. It appears as well that an open-office…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-davidson/a-study-at-cornell-university-found-that-low-level-noise-both-lowered/) [Jeff Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-davidson/) > [“Computers thwart, contort, and befuddle us. We mess around with fonts, change screen backgrounds, slow down or increase mouse speed. We tweak and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-davidson/computers-thwart-contort-and-befuddle-us-we-mess-around-with-fonts/) [Jeff Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-davidson/) > [“One third of managers are victims of "Information Fatigue Syndrome." 49 percent said they are unable to handle the vast amounts of information received.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-davidson/one-third-of-managers-are-victims-of-information-fatigue-syndrome-49/) [Jeff Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-davidson/) > [“By some estimates, the data-storage curve is rocketing upward at the rate of 800 percent per year. Organizations are collecting so much data they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-davidson/by-some-estimates-the-data-storage-curve-is-rocketing-upward-at-the/) [Jeff Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-davidson/) > [“Since the 1980s, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) has been on the rise, not just among children, but now among the adult population as well.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-davidson/since-the-1980s-attention-deficit-disorder-add-has-been-on-the-rise/) [Jeff Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-davidson/) > [“When you don't have, or feel that you don't have, an extra moment to read philosophy, history, or science, when great literature, plays, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-davidson/when-you-don-t-have-or-feel-that-you-don-t-have-an-extra-moment-to/) [Jeff Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-davidson/) > [“Soetsu Yanagi, in the "Unknown Craftsman", writes, "Man is most free when his tools are proportionate to his needs." For example, for optimal productivity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-davidson/soetsu-yanagi-in-the-unknown-craftsman-writes-man-is-most-free-when/) [Jeff Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-davidson/) > [“Your everyday supermarket now carries roughly 40,000 items - twice as many as a decade ago. There are so many products, so many brands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-davidson/your-everyday-supermarket-now-carries-roughly-40-000-items-twice-as/) [Jeff Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-davidson/) > [“Over-communication at work can create a new level of tasks and responsibilities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-davidson/over-communication-at-work-can-create-a-new-level-of-tasks-and/) [Jeff Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-davidson/) > [“The results are in and the cell phone has become the most isruptive aspect of work and everyday life. With more than four fifths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-davidson/the-results-are-in-and-the-cell-phone-has-become-the-most-isruptive/) [Jeff Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-davidson/) > [“When your brain is always engaged, when your neurons are always firing, when you find yourself in a continual mode of reacting and responding,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-davidson/when-your-brain-is-always-engaged-when-your-neurons-are-always-firing/) [Jeff Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-davidson/) > [“I would be utterly emabarrassed to have others around me hear my half of what can only be described as pedestrian. "Yes, the elevator…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-davidson/i-would-be-utterly-emabarrassed-to-have-others-around-me-hear-my-half/) [Jeff Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-davidson/) [Explore all 14 Jeff Davidson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-davidson/) ## More Cell phone quotes > [“What you’re holding in your hands is a BookShots Flames story. It’s part of a revolution in reading. Hand-picked by James Patterson, BookShots Flames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ciotta/what-you-re-holding-in-your-hands-is-a-bookshots-flames-story-it-s/) Beth Ciotta > [“Kindle Paperwhite 3G models use the same technology as cell phones, so they are dependent on cellular coverage areas. By default, a 3G device…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amazon/kindle-paperwhite-3g-models-use-the-same-technology-as-cell-phones-so/) amazon > [“I’m not sure how the ponies happened, though I have an inkling: “Can I get you anything?” I’ll say, getting up from a dinner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/i-m-not-sure-how-the-ponies-happened-though-i-have-an-inkling-can-i/) [Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/) > [I like everything with a heaping dose of feminitity, including my cell phone. I created this phone for the classic woman, who like me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimora-lee-simmons/i-like-everything-with-a-heaping-dose-of-feminitity-including-my-cell/) [Kimora Lee Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimora-lee-simmons/) > [“People were sitting together, talking and telling stories face-to-face again, instead of staring at a cell phone screens while texting or chatting with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-foster/people-were-sitting-together-talking-and-telling-stories-face-to-face/) [Mike Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-foster/) > [“To me, at least in retrospect, the really interesting question is why dullness proves to be such a powerful impediment to attention. Why we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/to-me-at-least-in-retrospect-the-really-interesting-question-is-why/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“Another night then,' Mom said. 'Maybe on the weekend we can have a barbecue and invite your sister.' 'Or,' I said turning to Rafe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/another-night-then-mom-said-maybe-on-the-weekend-we-can-have-a/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [Girls are like cell phones they love to be held and talked to but whewn you press the wrong buttons you will be disconnected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/superman/girls-are-like-cell-phones-they-love-to-be-held-and-talked-to-but/) Superman > [Sometimes life really sucks. Then I see your name pop up on my cell phone and I cant help but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-life-really-sucks-then-i-see-your-name-pop-up-on-my-cell/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I remember one point seeing I had like 60-some different cell phones. I know I only use one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-kosar/i-remember-one-point-seeing-i-had-like-60-some-different-cell-phones/) Bernie Kosar > [Cell phones are so convenient that they're an inconvenience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/cell-phones-are-so-convenient-that-they-re-an-inconvenience/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“The history of the sexual vanguard in America was a long list of people who had been ridiculed, imprisoned, or subjected to violence. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-witt/the-history-of-the-sexual-vanguard-in-america-was-a-long-list-of/) Emily Witt > [The increase in chemicals and the increase in technology, like wi-fi and cell phone use that's going through our bodies all of the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-jennings/the-increase-in-chemicals-and-the-increase-in-technology-like-wi-fi/) [Mason Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-jennings/) > [But I'm acutely aware that the possibility of fraud is even more prevalent in today's world because of the Internet and cell phones and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armistead-maupin/but-i-m-acutely-aware-that-the-possibility-of-fraud-is-even-more/) [Armistead Maupin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armistead-maupin/) > [“was my first indication that the policies of Mamaw’s “party of the working man”—the Democrats—weren’t all they were cracked up to be. Political scientists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance/was-my-first-indication-that-the-policies-of-mamaw-s-party-of-the/) [J.D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance/) [Browse all 982 Cell phone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cell-phone/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It's not that you can't get things done with the use of a cell phone; indeed you can get a lot of things done. However, the nature of what you get done is highly skewed. 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