---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thought is an amazing thing: it can be a…"
description: "\"Thought is an amazing thing: it can be a mirror, a lens, a bridge, a wall, a window, a ladder or a house. There is nothing in the world that has the cu..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b8/john-o-donohue-1919_bridges_thought-is-an-amazing-thing-it-can-be-a_271860.jpg"
---

#  Thought is an amazing thing: it can be a mirror, a lens, a…

![“Thought is an amazing thing: it can be a mirror, a lens, a bridge, a wall, a window, a ladder or a house. There is nothing in the world that has the cutting edge of a new thought.” quote by John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b8/john-o-donohue-1919_bridges_thought-is-an-amazing-thing-it-can-be-a_271860.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b8/john-o-donohue-1919_bridges_thought-is-an-amazing-thing-it-can-be-a_271860.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b8/john-o-donohue-1919_bridges_thought-is-an-amazing-thing-it-can-be-a_271860.jpg)

> “Thought is an amazing thing: it can be a mirror, a lens, a bridge, a wall, a window, a ladder or a house. There is nothing in the world that has the cutting edge of a new thought.”

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

## About This Quote

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

Thought functions as various tools—mirror, lens, bridge, wall, window, ladder, house—shaping perception and reality; no other force matches its transformative power.

**In simple terms:** Thought is a versatile tool that shapes reality.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate mindful thinking.

Themes

philosophy psychology metaphor

Mood

thoughtful inquisitive

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- personal growth

Key Concepts

cognition perception creativity

Questions to Reflect On

- How does a new thought change your view?
- What barriers prevent fresh ideas?

A Different Perspective

thought can be limited by bias and rigidity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bridges/) [Cutting edge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cutting-edge/) [Mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirror/) [Mirrors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirrors/) [New thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-thought/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [“So much we once coveted. So much That would have saved us, but lived, Instead, its own quick span, returning To uselessness with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-k-smith/so-much-we-once-coveted-so-much-that-would-have-saved-us-but-lived/)

[Tracy K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-k-smith/)

> [“If there was no such thing as a mirror in this world, then seeing our face ‘exactly’ would be considered a huge wonder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/if-there-was-no-such-thing-as-a-mirror-in-this-world-then-seeing-our/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [“To be perfectly honest, it scared me a little. You get so used to seeing the same thing in the mirror every day you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-clarke/to-be-perfectly-honest-it-scared-me-a-little-you-get-so-used-to/)

[Cat Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-clarke/)

> [The thing about the Mirror is that no one knows where it is. In fact, no one knows what it is.” "It’s a mirror,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/the-thing-about-the-mirror-is-that-no-one-knows-where-it-is-in-fact/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [The thing about a mirror is this: The one who stares into it is condemned to consider the world from her own perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/the-thing-about-a-mirror-is-this-the-one-who-stares-into-it-is/)

[Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/)

> [“The philosopher Schopenhauer said, 'Opposites throw light upon each other.' Beauty does not belong exclusively to the regions of light and loveliness, cut off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/the-philosopher-schopenhauer-said-opposites-throw-light-upon-each/)

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

> [I've always been into fashion and thought it would be amazing to have a clothing line. I just never thought I would have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trace-cyrus/i-ve-always-been-into-fashion-and-thought-it-would-be-amazing-to-have/)

[Trace Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trace-cyrus/)

> [I guess I've been making records since I was 16, and even when 50 people bought them, I thought that was amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-b/i-guess-i-ve-been-making-records-since-i-was-16-and-even-when-50/)

[Katy B](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-b/)

> [When I met Oprah, the first thing I thought was, 'She is the most amazing hugger ever.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-stanchfield/when-i-met-oprah-the-first-thing-i-thought-was-she-is-the-most/)

[Darby Stanchfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-stanchfield/)

> [I never thought I would become amazing. I never thought I would be as great as my father. I would like to continue writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-hawking/i-never-thought-i-would-become-amazing-i-never-thought-i-would-be-as/)

[Lucy Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-hawking/)

> [I find it funny that people now come up to me and say, 'Wow, you are absolutely gorgeous. I'm like, 'I was beautiful before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raven-symone/i-find-it-funny-that-people-now-come-up-to-me-and-say-wow-you-are/)

[Raven-Symone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raven-symone/)

> [When I was in high school, I read the whole thing about Don King and he had this quote that said, "Set yourself on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-mackie/when-i-was-in-high-school-i-read-the-whole-thing-about-don-king-and/)

[Anthony Mackie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-mackie/)

> [I was 15 when I read the script for 'Earth to Echo.' I thought it was amazing, and I couldn't think of turning it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/astro/i-was-15-when-i-read-the-script-for-earth-to-echo-i-thought-it-was/)

[Astro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/astro/)

> [For me, I always gravitated towards Jacqueline. I thought she was amazing in the ring, she was beautiful, she was strong, she was powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-belair/for-me-i-always-gravitated-towards-jacqueline-i-thought-she-was/)

[Bianca Belair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-belair/)

> [I learned a lot from observing Wayne at the Rogers Cup. He was offered a cart across the grounds, but he wouldn't take it;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-shapovalov/i-learned-a-lot-from-observing-wayne-at-the-rogers-cup-he-was-offered/)

[Denis Shapovalov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-shapovalov/)

## More by John O'Donohue

> [I always was kind of on the edge of the church when I was fully in it , cos I was always asking the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/i-always-was-kind-of-on-the-edge-of-the-church-when-i-was-fully-in-it/)

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

> [Real friendship or love is not manufactured or achieved by an act of will or intention. Friendship is always an act of recognition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/real-friendship-or-love-is-not-manufactured-or-achieved-by-an-act-of/)

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

> [It is lovely to meet an old person whose face is deeply lined, a face that has been deeply inhabited, to look in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/it-is-lovely-to-meet-an-old-person-whose-face-is-deeply-lined-a-face/)

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

> [“For Someone Awakening To The Trauma of His or Her Past: For everything under the sun there is a time. This is the season…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/for-someone-awakening-to-the-trauma-of-his-or-her-past-for-everything/)

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

> [It is a strange and wonderful fact to be here, walking around in a body, to have a whole world within you and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/it-is-a-strange-and-wonderful-fact-to-be-here-walking-around-in-a/)

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

> [“If we could be mindful of how short our time is, we might learn how precious each day is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/if-we-could-be-mindful-of-how-short-our-time-is-we-might-learn-how/)

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

> [If you try to avoid or remove the awkward quality, it will pursue you. The only effective way to still its unease is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/if-you-try-to-avoid-or-remove-the-awkward-quality-it-will-pursue-you/)

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

> [A friend is a loved one who awakens your life in order to free the wild possibilities within you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/a-friend-is-a-loved-one-who-awakens-your-life-in-order-to-free-the/)

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

> [“There is a poetic import to the phrase ‘without a shadow of a doubt’: in all probability, there is no doubt without a shadow.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/there-is-a-poetic-import-to-the-phrase-without-a-shadow-of-a-doubt-in/)

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

> [If you allow yourself to be the person you are then everything will come into rhythm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/if-you-allow-yourself-to-be-the-person-you-are-then-everything-will/)

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

> [Much of the stress and emptiness that haunt us can be traced back to our lack of attention to beauty. Internally, the mind becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/much-of-the-stress-and-emptiness-that-haunt-us-can-be-traced-back-to/)

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

> [Consumerism is the worship of the god of quantity; advertising is its liturgy. Advertising is schooling in false longing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/consumerism-is-the-worship-of-the-god-of-quantity-advertising-is-its/)

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

> [Inspiration is always a surprising visitor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/inspiration-is-always-a-surprising-visitor/)

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

> [ We \[humans\] are the only creatures who are in-between. We're of the earth, but don't belong to it, because we strain after the heavens;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/we-humans-are-the-only-creatures-who-are-in-between-we-re-of-the/)

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

> [To have true integrity, poise, and courage is to be attuned to the silent and invisible nature within you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/to-have-true-integrity-poise-and-courage-is-to-be-attuned-to-the/)

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

[Explore all 198 John O'Donohue quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

## More Bridges quotes

> [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/)

[Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/)

> [Nothing teaches great writing like the very best books do. Yet, good teachers often help students cross that bridge, and I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/nothing-teaches-great-writing-like-the-very-best-books-do-yet-good/)

[Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/)

> [In my rear view mirror the sun is going down sinking behind bridges in the road and I think of all the good things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/in-my-rear-view-mirror-the-sun-is-going-down-sinking-behind-bridges/)

[Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/)

> [My first big mistake was made when, in a moment of weakness, I consented to learn the game; for a man who can frankly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-benchley/my-first-big-mistake-was-made-when-in-a-moment-of-weakness-i/)

[Robert Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-benchley/)

> [The WPA was one of the most productive elements of FDR's alphabet soup of agencies because it put people to work building roads, bridges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-wpa-was-one-of-the-most-productive-elements-of-fdr-s-alphabet/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When you walk, try to think nothing! You can then obtain the silence of a streetlight or a bridge; stop thinking; after that, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/when-you-walk-try-to-think-nothing-you-can-then-obtain-the-silence-of/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [By the time they were pulling into the parking lot of the A&amp;P, the mood was fading, the moment gone. Amy could feel it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/by-the-time-they-were-pulling-into-the-parking-lot-of-the-a-p-the/)

[Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/)

> [Al Pacino and Jeff Bridges do it for me in a big way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-scanlon/al-pacino-and-jeff-bridges-do-it-for-me-in-a-big-way/)

[Angela Scanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-scanlon/)

> [Instead of building castles against your enemies, build bridges for them to come to you!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/instead-of-building-castles-against-your-enemies-build-bridges-for/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [Instead of finding himself in nerd heaven—where every nerd gets fifty-eight virgins to role-play with—he woke up in Robert Wood Johnson with two broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/instead-of-finding-himself-in-nerd-heaven-where-every-nerd-gets-fifty/)

[Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/)

> [Each person is an island unto himself, in a very real sense; and he can only build bridges to other islands if he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/each-person-is-an-island-unto-himself-in-a-very-real-sense-and-he-can/)

[Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/)

> [The real test of a bridge player isn’t in keeping out of trouble, but in escaping once he’s in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-sheinwold/the-real-test-of-a-bridge-player-isn-t-in-keeping-out-of-trouble-but/)

[Alfred Sheinwold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-sheinwold/)

> [The law ... allows rich as well as poor to sleep under bridges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/the-law-allows-rich-as-well-as-poor-to-sleep-under-bridges/)

[Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/)

> [Guys like Todd Bridges never overcame being a child star. You can't have any big failures. I've always felt regular. I played organized ball…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bow-wow/guys-like-todd-bridges-never-overcame-being-a-child-star-you-can-t/)

[Bow Wow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bow-wow/)

[Browse all 1,521 Bridges quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bridges/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Thought is an amazing thing: it can be a mirror, a lens, a bridge, a wall, a window, a ladder or a house. There is nothing in the world that has the cutting edge of a new thought.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John O'Donohue"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/thought-is-an-amazing-thing-it-can-be-a-mirror-a-lens-a-bridge-a-wall/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bridges"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/thought-is-an-amazing-thing-it-can-be-a-mirror-a-lens-a-bridge-a-wall/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b8/john-o-donohue-1919_bridges_thought-is-an-amazing-thing-it-can-be-a_271860.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b8/john-o-donohue-1919_bridges_thought-is-an-amazing-thing-it-can-be-a_271860.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b8/john-o-donohue-1919_bridges_thought-is-an-amazing-thing-it-can-be-a_271860.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Thought is an amazing thing: it can be a mirror, a lens, a bridge, a wall, a window, a ladder or a house…” — John O'Donohue",
                "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": "John O'Donohue",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Thought is an amazing thing: it...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/thought-is-an-amazing-thing-it-can-be-a-mirror-a-lens-a-bridge-a-wall/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/thought-is-an-amazing-thing-it-can-be-a-mirror-a-lens-a-bridge-a-wall/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
