--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our sanity depends essentially on a…" description: "\"Our sanity depends essentially on a narrowness of vision--the ability to select the elements vital to survival, while ignoring the great truths.\" — Jos..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0b/josephine-hart-17041_ability_our-sanity-depends-essentially-on-a-narr_851200.png" --- # Our sanity depends essentially on a narrowness of… ![“Our sanity depends essentially on a narrowness of vision--the ability to select the elements vital to survival, while ignoring the great truths.” quote by Josephine Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0b/josephine-hart-17041_ability_our-sanity-depends-essentially-on-a-narr_851200.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0b/josephine-hart-17041_ability_our-sanity-depends-essentially-on-a-narr_851200.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0b/josephine-hart-17041_ability_our-sanity-depends-essentially-on-a-narr_851200.png) > “Our sanity depends essentially on a narrowness of vision--the ability to select the elements vital to survival, while ignoring the great truths.” [Josephine Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-hart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human cognition must filter information, focusing on essentials while discarding broader truths. **In simple terms:** We ignore big truths to survive. Key Takeaway Recognize what you ignore. Themes perception survival focus Mood reflective serious Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - decision making - media consumption - personal relationships Key Concepts cognitive bias selective attention Questions to Reflect On - What truths are you overlooking? - How does selective focus shape your life? A Different Perspective Over‑filtering can blind us to important insights. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [Essentially Narrowness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essentially-narrowness-751709/) [Narrowness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrowness/) [Narrowness Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrowness-vision-751707/) [Sanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sanity/) [Sanity Depends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sanity-depends-751708/) [Select](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/select/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/) ## Related quotes > [All sanity depends on this: that it should be a delight to feel heat strike the skin, a delight to stand upright, knowing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/all-sanity-depends-on-this-that-it-should-be-a-delight-to-feel-heat/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [Our sense of worth, of well-being, even our sanity depends upon our remembering. 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Obtain a broad outlook if you would agree with God in your philosophy and be able to transmit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-cook/narrowness-is-the-mother-of-unbelief-obtain-a-broad-outlook-if-you/) [Joseph Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-cook/) > [Life is a thin narrowness of taken-for-granted, a plank over a canyon in a fog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-wilder-lane/life-is-a-thin-narrowness-of-taken-for-granted-a-plank-over-a-canyon/) [Rose Wilder Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-wilder-lane/) > [“Handcrafted Humanity Sonnet 12 Here are some words born of narrowness, Activist, woke, religious, atheist, Socialist, communist, capitalist, conservative, Intellectual, intelligent, classy, elitist, Educated,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/handcrafted-humanity-sonnet-12-here-are-some-words-born-of-narrowness/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“should not talk so much about myself if there were anybody else whom I knew as well. 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Mistakenly, I think, we've come to believe that this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-boyle/jesus-in-matthew-s-gospel-says-how-narrow-is-the-gate-that-leads-to/) [Gregory Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-boyle/) > [Old age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-skelton/old-age-is-when-broadness-of-the-mind-and-narrowness-of-the-waist/) [Red Skelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-skelton/) > [“But an inferior talent can only be graceful when it's carrying inferior ideas. And the more narrowly you can look at a thing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/but-an-inferior-talent-can-only-be-graceful-when-it-s-carrying/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Narrowness of mind is often the cause of obstinacy; we do not easily believe beyond what we see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/narrowness-of-mind-is-often-the-cause-of-obstinacy-we-do-not-easily/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [A critic has no right to the narrowness which is the frequent prerogative of the creative artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster/a-critic-has-no-right-to-the-narrowness-which-is-the-frequent/) [E. M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster/) ## More by Josephine Hart > [Time, for a man who has never truly felt a second of it, it not a great sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-hart/time-for-a-man-who-has-never-truly-felt-a-second-of-it-it-not-a-great/) [Josephine Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-hart/) > [We do have choice, but not without some agony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-hart/we-do-have-choice-but-not-without-some-agony/) [Josephine Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-hart/) > [A concealed truth, that's all a lie is. Either by omission or commission we never do more than obscure. The truth stays in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-hart/a-concealed-truth-that-s-all-a-lie-is-either-by-omission-or/) [Josephine Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-hart/) > [Poetry contains almost all you need to know about life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-hart/poetry-contains-almost-all-you-need-to-know-about-life/) [Josephine Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-hart/) > [“What really makes us is beyond grasping. It's way beyond knowing. 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All this we say, as we sleepwalk our time through years of days and nights.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-hart/we-say-that-life-is-sweet-its-satisfactions-deep-all-this-we-say-as/) [Josephine Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-hart/) > [There is an eternal landscape, a geography of the soul; we search for its outline all our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-hart/there-is-an-eternal-landscape-a-geography-of-the-soul-we-search-for/) [Josephine Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-hart/) > [Lucky people should hide. Pray the days of wrath do not visit their home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-hart/lucky-people-should-hide-pray-the-days-of-wrath-do-not-visit-their/) [Josephine Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-hart/) > [“We learn from tragedy. Slowly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-hart/we-learn-from-tragedy-slowly/) [Josephine Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-hart/) > [We are here to add to the sum of human goodness. To prove the thing exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-hart/we-are-here-to-add-to-the-sum-of-human-goodness-to-prove-the-thing/) [Josephine Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-hart/) > [“There was a full moon in the starless sky. I thought how rarely I had noticed such things. Some deep failure of the soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-hart/there-was-a-full-moon-in-the-starless-sky-i-thought-how-rarely-i-had/) [Josephine Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-hart/) > [Those who do not have imaginary conversations do not love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-hart/those-who-do-not-have-imaginary-conversations-do-not-love/) [Josephine Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-hart/) > [Very odd, old age. Always knew it would happen, if I was lucky. I just didn't expect it so soon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-hart/very-odd-old-age-always-knew-it-would-happen-if-i-was-lucky-i-just/) [Josephine Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-hart/) [Explore all 38 Josephine Hart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-hart/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. 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I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our sanity depends essentially on a narrowness of vision--the ability to select the elements vital to survival, while ignoring the great truths.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Josephine Hart" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-hart/our-sanity-depends-essentially-on-a-narrowness-of-vision-the-ability/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-hart/our-sanity-depends-essentially-on-a-narrowness-of-vision-the-ability/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0b/josephine-hart-17041_ability_our-sanity-depends-essentially-on-a-narr_851200.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0b/josephine-hart-17041_ability_our-sanity-depends-essentially-on-a-narr_851200.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0b/josephine-hart-17041_ability_our-sanity-depends-essentially-on-a-narr_851200.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our sanity depends essentially on a narrowness of vision--the ability to select the elements vital to…” — Josephine Hart", "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": "Josephine Hart", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-hart/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Our sanity depends essentially on a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-hart/our-sanity-depends-essentially-on-a-narrowness-of-vision-the-ability/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-hart/our-sanity-depends-essentially-on-a-narrowness-of-vision-the-ability/#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 } } ] } ```