--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Looking around me, I saw that all my…" description: "\"“Looking around me, I saw that all my colleagues were busy at the same task. Eyes were rolled up, mouths hung open, here and there a finger twitched. I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/john-varley-26359_journalism_looking-around-me-i-saw-that-all-my-coll_1480074.jpg" --- # Looking around me, I saw that all my colleagues were busy… ![“Looking around me, I saw that all my colleagues were busy at the same task. Eyes were rolled up, mouths hung open, here and there a finger twitched. It had to be either a day trip from the Catatonic Academy, or the modern press at work.” quote by John Varley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/john-varley-26359_journalism_looking-around-me-i-saw-that-all-my-coll_1480074.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/john-varley-26359_journalism_looking-around-me-i-saw-that-all-my-coll_1480074.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/john-varley-26359_journalism_looking-around-me-i-saw-that-all-my-coll_1480074.jpg) > ““Looking around me, I saw that all my colleagues were busy at the same task. Eyes were rolled up, mouths hung open, here and there a finger twitched. It had to be either a day trip from the Catatonic Academy, or the modern press at work.”” [John Varley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-varley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People at work often appear busy but may be disengaged, reflecting a lack of purpose or direction. **In simple terms:** Busy appearance can hide disengagement. Key Takeaway Seek meaningful work and clear goals. Themes workplace engagement purpose observation Mood reflective observational Type analytical observational When to use this quote - team meetings - project planning - performance reviews Key Concepts psychology motivation social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What tasks truly matter to you? - How can you align effort with purpose? A Different Perspective Being busy does not guarantee productivity or satisfaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Looking Around](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-around/) [Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/press/) ## Related quotes > [ He \[said of one or other eminent colleagues\] is a very busy man, and half of what he publishes is true, but I don't… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-chargaff/he-said-of-one-or-other-eminent-colleagues-is-a-very-busy-man-and/) [Erwin Chargaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-chargaff/) > [“She was so warm, her drenched clothes had almost dried. Her eyes were rolled back in her head. 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I bit my lip as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mclean/i-glanced-down-at-her-she-was-watching-my-face-my-eyes-rolled-to-the/) [Jay McLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mclean/) > [“Doc Webster's eyes rolled briefly, like loaded dice, and came up snake eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spider-robinson/doc-webster-s-eyes-rolled-briefly-like-loaded-dice-and-came-up-snake/) [Spider Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spider-robinson/) > [“Bailey’s eyes rolled upward. “The man ran a merry-go-round in a backwater town. Get over it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-noble/bailey-s-eyes-rolled-upward-the-man-ran-a-merry-go-round-in-a/) [Shelley Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-noble/) > [My eyes rolled so far back in my head that I could see myself think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/my-eyes-rolled-so-far-back-in-my-head-that-i-could-see-myself-think/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [“Carlin closed her eyes, rolled onto her side, and took a long, deep breath. 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"That was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/you-just-asked-me-to-marry-you-he-said-still-waiting-for-me-to-admit/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [“Most families have increased the speed of their lives and the number of their activities gradually--even unconsciously--over time. They realize that there are costs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-john-payne/most-families-have-increased-the-speed-of-their-lives-and-the-number/) [Kim John Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-john-payne/) > [“He stopped at an intersection, panting, rubbing at the twinge in his hamstrings, looking around, though he knew no cars were coming in either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-mina/he-stopped-at-an-intersection-panting-rubbing-at-the-twinge-in-his/) [Denise Mina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-mina/) > [We're wired to expect the world to be brighter and more meaningful and more obviously interesting than it actually is. And when we realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/we-re-wired-to-expect-the-world-to-be-brighter-and-more-meaningful/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) ## More by John Varley > [“He was an extraordinarily ugly person, Lilo thought, with the ugliness that only caricature can achieve. As repulsive as a twisted, stunted ghost from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-varley/he-was-an-extraordinarily-ugly-person-lilo-thought-with-the-ugliness/) [John Varley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-varley/) > [“We all love after-the-bomb stories. If we didn't, why would there be so many of them? There's something attractive about all those people being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-varley/we-all-love-after-the-bomb-stories-if-we-didn-t-why-would-there-be-so/) [John Varley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-varley/) > [“He couldn't think of a good place. At first he thought she hated all living beings equally. 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You do what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-varley/but-i-don-t-believe-in-heroes-anymore-i-just-believe-in-people-coping/) [John Varley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-varley/) > [“river burial had a certain rustic poetry, but Ophion cared not at all about preserving the decency of the dead. The river deposited Psaltery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-varley/river-burial-had-a-certain-rustic-poetry-but-ophion-cared-not-at-all/) [John Varley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-varley/) > [“Gaby shouldn’t have called this place Themis. Call it Gaia.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-varley/gaby-shouldn-t-have-called-this-place-themis-call-it-gaia/) [John Varley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-varley/) > [“I wasn’t around, and I guess if I had been, I would have been part of the oppressor class and think it was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-varley/i-wasn-t-around-and-i-guess-if-i-had-been-i-would-have-been-part-of/) [John Varley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-varley/) > [“There are carnivores, but not many. Symbiosis is the basic fact of life. That, and worship. Whistletop says all of the higher life forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-varley/there-are-carnivores-but-not-many-symbiosis-is-the-basic-fact-of-life/) [John Varley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-varley/) > [“Gas chamber, gallows. Electric chair, stake, firing squad. Hang by the neck till you’re dead, dead, dead, and may God recycle your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-varley/gas-chamber-gallows-electric-chair-stake-firing-squad-hang-by-the/) [John Varley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-varley/) > [“All in all, it was the goldarndest, Barnum-and-Baileyest, rib-stickinest, rough-and-tumblest infernal foofaraw of a media circus anybody had seen since grandpaw chased the possum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-varley/all-in-all-it-was-the-goldarndest-barnum-and-baileyest-rib-stickinest/) [John Varley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-varley/) > [“no matter how tough you think you are, thought you were, you haven’t been around long enough to be tested in many, many ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-varley/no-matter-how-tough-you-think-you-are-thought-you-were-you-haven-t/) [John Varley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-varley/) > [“If it’s not worth making beautiful,” Valiha said, “it’s not worth making.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-varley/if-it-s-not-worth-making-beautiful-valiha-said-it-s-not-worth-making/) [John Varley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-varley/) > [“Cirocco liked space, reading, and sex, not necessarily in that order. She had never been able to satisfactorily combine all three, but two was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-varley/cirocco-liked-space-reading-and-sex-not-necessarily-in-that-order-she/) [John Varley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-varley/) [Explore all 22 John Varley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-varley/) ## More Journalism quotes > [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [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/) > [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [One lesson to learn is that the press and the broadcasters are not neutral. And it seems we have to learn it each time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-loach/one-lesson-to-learn-is-that-the-press-and-the-broadcasters-are-not/) [Ken Loach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-loach/) > [If you want to change something by Tuesday, theater is no good. Journalism is what does that. But, if you want to just alter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/if-you-want-to-change-something-by-tuesday-theater-is-no-good/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Newspapers have an extraordinary amount of local content, including real estate listings and restaurant reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/newspapers-have-an-extraordinary-amount-of-local-content-including/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [If, for instance, they have heard something from the postman, they attribute it to a semi-official statement; if they have fallen into conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/if-for-instance-they-have-heard-something-from-the-postman-they/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [In essence, I see the value of journalism as resting in a twofold mission: informing the public of accurate and vital information, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/in-essence-i-see-the-value-of-journalism-as-resting-in-a-twofold/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Drill in exact translation is an excellent way of disposing the mind against that looseness and exaggeration with which the sensationalists have corrupted our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/drill-in-exact-translation-is-an-excellent-way-of-disposing-the-mind/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [People think they're getting objective information, but they're not. They're getting news wrapped up in opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-samuels/people-think-they-re-getting-objective-information-but-they-re-not/) [Lynn Samuels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-samuels/) [Browse all 8,189 Journalism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Looking around me, I saw that all my colleagues were busy at the same task. Eyes were rolled up, mouths hung open, here and there a finger twitched. 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