--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There have been occasions - and I think…" description: "\"There have been occasions - and I think it's very good for any human being that such occasions would be rare - that one would feel that one is a channe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/jessye-norman-13345_any_there-have-been-occasions-and-i-think-it_813608.png" --- # There have been occasions - and I think it's very good for… ![“There have been occasions - and I think it's very good for any human being that such occasions would be rare - that one would feel that one is a channel, and there have been some occasions when it seemed as though I was standing outside of myself watching and listening to myself sing.” quote by Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/jessye-norman-13345_any_there-have-been-occasions-and-i-think-it_813608.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/jessye-norman-13345_any_there-have-been-occasions-and-i-think-it_813608.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/jessye-norman-13345_any_there-have-been-occasions-and-i-think-it_813608.png) > “There have been occasions - and I think it's very good for any human being that such occasions would be rare - that one would feel that one is a channel, and there have been some occasions when it seemed as though I was standing outside of myself watching and listening to myself sing.” [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She describes rare moments of feeling detached from self, observing her own expression as an outside observer. **In simple terms:** Sometimes we feel like we watch ourselves from outside. Key Takeaway Embrace moments of self‑observation. Themes self‑reflection artistic expression mindfulness Mood introspective contemplative Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - Creative rehearsal - meditation - therapy sessions - public speaking Key Concepts Phenomenology identity performance art Questions to Reflect On - When have you felt like an observer of your own actions? - What can this perspective teach about authenticity? A Different Perspective Such detachment can cause disorientation or loss of authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Human being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-being/) [Occasions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occasions/) ## Related quotes > [“But that doesn't mean to say, of course, there aren't occasions now and then - extremely desolate occasions - when you think to yourself:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/but-that-doesn-t-mean-to-say-of-course-there-aren-t-occasions-now-and/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [Occasions are rare; and those, who know how to seize upon them, are rarer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/occasions-are-rare-and-those-who-know-how-to-seize-upon-them-are-rarer/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [It's rare when I feel like I can extract a lyrical message out of combining two things together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/girl-talk/it-s-rare-when-i-feel-like-i-can-extract-a-lyrical-message-out-of/) [Girl Talk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/girl-talk/) > [It's easy to feel equal to wanting. It's rare to feel equal to having.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-humphreys/it-s-easy-to-feel-equal-to-wanting-it-s-rare-to-feel-equal-to-having/) [Helen Humphreys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-humphreys/) > [I actually love the Discovery Channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-flintoff/i-actually-love-the-discovery-channel/) [Andrew Flintoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-flintoff/) > [My guilty pleasures tend to be weird, old shows that I find on channel 20 that I've never seen before like 'Voyage to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kitsis/my-guilty-pleasures-tend-to-be-weird-old-shows-that-i-find-on-channel/) [Edward Kitsis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kitsis/) > [I was just a little girl watching TV and wanting to be in it. My parents had no idea how to get me there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-song/i-was-just-a-little-girl-watching-tv-and-wanting-to-be-in-it-my/) [Brenda Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-song/) > [We are now focused on the brand, not the channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-katz/we-are-now-focused-on-the-brand-not-the-channel/) [Karen Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-katz/) > [I normally ignore the History Channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diablo-cody/i-normally-ignore-the-history-channel/) [Diablo Cody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diablo-cody/) > [I watched the Disney Channel all the time growing up. 'Lizzie McGuire' was my all-time favorite. I'm pretty sure I had every piece of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-holt/i-watched-the-disney-channel-all-the-time-growing-up-lizzie-mcguire/) [Olivia Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-holt/) > [I kind of watch anything on the Syfy channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-rubins/i-kind-of-watch-anything-on-the-syfy-channel/) [Kathleen Rubins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-rubins/) > [“THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER MISUSE OF THIS CHANNEL. YOU ARE DISTURBING OTHERS WHO ARE USING IT TO SERIOUS PURPOSE. ACCESS WILL BE RESTORED…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/there-will-be-no-further-misuse-of-this-channel-you-are-disturbing/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [My tears will keep no channel, know no laws to guide their streams, but like the waves, their cause, run with disturbance till they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleveland/my-tears-will-keep-no-channel-know-no-laws-to-guide-their-streams-but/) [John Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleveland/) > [The tides which flow and lapse in the Bristol Channel are often distained by the freshets of many streams falling through wooded coombes below…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-williamson/the-tides-which-flow-and-lapse-in-the-bristol-channel-are-often/) [Henry Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-williamson/) > [I've always been interested in socially political, or overtly political, comedy. And I guess I've always liked to channel some kind of personal element…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-socially-political-or-overtly/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) ## More by Jessye Norman > [One needs more than ambition and talent to make a success of anything, really. There must be love and a vocation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/one-needs-more-than-ambition-and-talent-to-make-a-success-of-anything/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [I am grateful that my horizons were not narrowed at the outset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/i-am-grateful-that-my-horizons-were-not-narrowed-at-the-outset/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [I have a particular affliction. I am unable to say a word I can't spell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/i-have-a-particular-affliction-i-am-unable-to-say-a-word-i-can-t-spell/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [The high notes always hard to hit. I mean, one has to understand how high notes even happen. The vocal cords have to vibrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/the-high-notes-always-hard-to-hit-i-mean-one-has-to-understand-how/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [I want to sing more in Spanish. I want to sing the songs of Granados; the songs of Montsalvatge. To do things that truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/i-want-to-sing-more-in-spanish-i-want-to-sing-the-songs-of-granados/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [I love singing jazz. I don't like the idea that classical music should be over here and jazz should be someplace else. It's all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/i-love-singing-jazz-i-don-t-like-the-idea-that-classical-music-should/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [I wasn't born Austrian; I wasn't born German. My roots are from Africa, and I do not have any reason for not wanting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/i-wasn-t-born-austrian-i-wasn-t-born-german-my-roots-are-from-africa/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > ['Swan,' by Mary Oliver. Poems and prose. Reading from this book is as if visiting a very wise friend. There is wisdom and welcoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/swan-by-mary-oliver-poems-and-prose-reading-from-this-book-is-as-if/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [If you send up a weather vane or put your thumb up in the air every time you want to do something different, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/if-you-send-up-a-weather-vane-or-put-your-thumb-up-in-the-air-every/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [There's no anger ever in a spiritual. There's always the dream of a hope of a better day coming. That God understands the troubles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/there-s-no-anger-ever-in-a-spiritual-there-s-always-the-dream-of-a/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [I enjoy reading about the lives of musicians, and find many similarities in their ideas of preparation and their utter devotion to this great,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/i-enjoy-reading-about-the-lives-of-musicians-and-find-many/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [As for my voice, it cannot be categorized-and I like it that way, because I sing things that would be considered in the dramatic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/as-for-my-voice-it-cannot-be-categorized-and-i-like-it-that-way/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [The very best thing that could happen to a voice, if it shows any promise at all, is when it is very young to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/the-very-best-thing-that-could-happen-to-a-voice-if-it-shows-any/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [We singers have a different level of responsibility from other musicians. We have words that we must convey; we have meanings that we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/we-singers-have-a-different-level-of-responsibility-from-other/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [I feel comfortable singing in the great cathedrals of the world because I spent so much time as a child singing in church. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/i-feel-comfortable-singing-in-the-great-cathedrals-of-the-world/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) [Explore all 50 Jessye Norman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) ## More Any quotes > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [Any incarnation of 'Batman' I am delighted to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-west/any-incarnation-of-batman-i-am-delighted-to-do/) [Adam West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-west/) > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [We earned any fans with the way we play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-white/we-earned-any-fans-with-the-way-we-play/) [Jimmy White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-white/) > [Hard work and a good education will take you further than any government program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-schock/hard-work-and-a-good-education-will-take-you-further-than-any/) [Aaron Schock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-schock/) > [Anyone who's read my 'Terror in the Skies' series knows that I have not been writing with an eye toward approval from any government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/anyone-who-s-read-my-terror-in-the-skies-series-knows-that-i-have-not/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [The system in Germany is different, as you sign up with a company for two or three years, and you work exclusively with them;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wlaschiha/the-system-in-germany-is-different-as-you-sign-up-with-a-company-for/) [Tom Wlaschiha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wlaschiha/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [I haven't shut any doors, and I'm really open to anything, so I think it's just about the material and what is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-panabaker/i-haven-t-shut-any-doors-and-i-m-really-open-to-anything-so-i-think/) [Danielle Panabaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-panabaker/) > [I never want to look back on any moment and say I could have done more. So I go all in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-haze/i-never-want-to-look-back-on-any-moment-and-say-i-could-have-done/) [Scott Haze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-haze/) > [I love the sea, but I avoid any sort of seaside resort that has skyscrapers or seaside entertainments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-blake/i-love-the-sea-but-i-avoid-any-sort-of-seaside-resort-that-has/) [Quentin Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-blake/) Browse all 6,938 Any quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There have been occasions - and I think it's very good for any human being that such occasions would be rare - that one would feel that one is a channel, and there have been some occasions when it seemed as though I was standing outside of myself watching and listening to myself sing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jessye Norman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/there-have-been-occasions-and-i-think-it-s-very-good-for-any-human/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Any" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/there-have-been-occasions-and-i-think-it-s-very-good-for-any-human/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/jessye-norman-13345_any_there-have-been-occasions-and-i-think-it_813608.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/jessye-norman-13345_any_there-have-been-occasions-and-i-think-it_813608.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97e/jessye-norman-13345_any_there-have-been-occasions-and-i-think-it_813608.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There have been occasions - and I think it's very good for any human being that such occasions would be rare…” — Jessye Norman", "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": "Jessye Norman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There have been occasions - and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/there-have-been-occasions-and-i-think-it-s-very-good-for-any-human/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/there-have-been-occasions-and-i-think-it-s-very-good-for-any-human/#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 } } ] } ```