--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there was one life skill everyone on…" description: "\"If there was one life skill everyone on the planet needed, it was the ability to think with critical objectivity\" — Josh Lanyon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/josh-lanyon-1827_ability_if-there-was-one-life-skill-everyone-on_1004319.png" --- # If there was one life skill everyone on the planet needed… ![“If there was one life skill everyone on the planet needed, it was the ability to think with critical objectivity” quote by Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/josh-lanyon-1827_ability_if-there-was-one-life-skill-everyone-on_1004319.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/josh-lanyon-1827_ability_if-there-was-one-life-skill-everyone-on_1004319.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/josh-lanyon-1827_ability_if-there-was-one-life-skill-everyone-on_1004319.png) > “If there was one life skill everyone on the planet needed, it was the ability to think with critical objectivity” [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critical objectivity—thinking without bias—is the most essential skill for navigating complex global challenges. **In simple terms:** Think objectively and critically. Key Takeaway Cultivate unbiased thinking. Themes critical thinking objectivity global competence Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - education - policy making - media consumption - personal decisions Key Concepts cognitive bias rational analysis Questions to Reflect On - What biases affect your decisions? - How can you practice objectivity daily? A Different Perspective Hard to achieve without self‑awareness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Critical thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critical-thinking/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life skills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-skills/) [Objectivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objectivity/) [Skills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skills/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [If my artist life didn't work or if I needed to work in some capacity part-time in something, I knew I'd have a real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-carlin-mccall/if-my-artist-life-didn-t-work-or-if-i-needed-to-work-in-some-capacity/) [Kelly Carlin-McCall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-carlin-mccall/) > [Money is a life skill – and as parents, grandparents, interested adults – it's up to us to make sure our children are prepared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-lechter/money-is-a-life-skill-and-as-parents-grandparents-interested-adults/) Sharon Lechter > [Cooking is a life skill. We need to eat every day so why not find out about what you're putting into your body?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-katt/cooking-is-a-life-skill-we-need-to-eat-every-day-so-why-not-find-out/) [William Katt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-katt/) > [Why can't it be a curriculum? Why can't it be a life skill that they learn just to look after themselves in terms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-ramsay/why-can-t-it-be-a-curriculum-why-can-t-it-be-a-life-skill-that-they/) [Gordon Ramsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-ramsay/) > [Pretending is a very valuable life skill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/pretending-is-a-very-valuable-life-skill/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [Not only do I know how to milk a cow, but I know how to herd a bunch of cows, too, which is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-mcbride/not-only-do-i-know-how-to-milk-a-cow-but-i-know-how-to-herd-a-bunch/) [Martina McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-mcbride/) > [Even scientific knowledge, if there is anything to it, is not a random observation of random objects; for the critical objectivity of significant knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-jaspers/even-scientific-knowledge-if-there-is-anything-to-it-is-not-a-random/) [Karl Jaspers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-jaspers/) > [I think fire is so critical in the wild. You can cook with it, you can make tools, you can deter a predator, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-grylls/i-think-fire-is-so-critical-in-the-wild-you-can-cook-with-it-you-can/) [Bear Grylls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-grylls/) > [I think we have a very critical role to play, within the spectrum of international law and human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/i-think-we-have-a-very-critical-role-to-play-within-the-spectrum-of/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [I think a critical part of being successful in our industry is having a beginner's mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-benioff/i-think-a-critical-part-of-being-successful-in-our-industry-is-having/) [Marc Benioff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-benioff/) > [“Never miss an opportunity to learn another life skill. Just because you are an author or a doctor does not mean that you cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-c-anderson/never-miss-an-opportunity-to-learn-another-life-skill-just-because/) Charles C. Anderson > [We all know that reading is an invaluable life skill. It is vital for children in their education and as they take their place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/we-all-know-that-reading-is-an-invaluable-life-skill-it-is-vital-for/) [Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) > [I think one of the greatest skills a person can have is to complete a task they start. To take something from beginning, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liane-balaban/i-think-one-of-the-greatest-skills-a-person-can-have-is-to-complete-a/) [Liane Balaban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liane-balaban/) > [“Life is a Skill when you are Chill”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nightbits-jeroen-saey/life-is-a-skill-when-you-are-chill/) NightBits (Jeroen Saey > [To stop jumping to conclusions is like any life skill. It takes practice. And practice makes perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-stop-jumping-to-conclusions-is-like-any-life-skill-it-takes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Josh Lanyon > [“Emma sat up very straight in the saddle. Her eyes were huge, but she said bravely, “I could do it!” “I know you can.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/emma-sat-up-very-straight-in-the-saddle-her-eyes-were-huge-but-she/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) > [“Max's scarred brow crinkled. He reached for the coffee mug on his desk. “Motive is tricky. See, what might be a good reason for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/max-s-scarred-brow-crinkled-he-reached-for-the-coffee-mug-on-his-desk/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) > [“It was nearly five before Jake walked in. He was sunburnt, wet, and smelled faintly of fish. Sexy as hell. Don’t ask me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/it-was-nearly-five-before-jake-walked-in-he-was-sunburnt-wet-and/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) > [“Law enforcement hardened you. It made you cynical about people. Even people you loved. The people who deserved your unconditional trust.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/law-enforcement-hardened-you-it-made-you-cynical-about-people-even/) [josh lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) > [Drink your coffee -- people in Africa are sleeping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/drink-your-coffee-people-in-africa-are-sleeping/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) > [“So you're like a ... an amateur sleuth?" "God no. I'm more like the hapless guys in those film-noir flicks we used to watch.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/so-you-re-like-a-an-amateur-sleuth-god-no-i-m-more-like-the-hapless/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) > [“ 'You know what I thought the first time I saw you?' 'No.' 'Point of no return.' ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/you-know-what-i-thought-the-first-time-i-saw-you-no-point-of-no-return/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) > [Jake's mouth found mine, his lips molding hot and soft to my own. His tongue tentatively tested the seal of my lips; I parted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/jake-s-mouth-found-mine-his-lips-molding-hot-and-soft-to-my-own-his/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) > [He needed fresh air and sunshine. A walk in the woods and afterward a good book to read by the fire. Yeah, that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/he-needed-fresh-air-and-sunshine-a-walk-in-the-woods-and-afterward-a/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) > [I love you," Jake whispered. "Are you strong enough for this?" I made myself comfortable. Said over my shoulder, "Sure." "Would you tell me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/i-love-you-jake-whispered-are-you-strong-enough-for-this-i-made/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) > [Kit, you're forty. You look thirty. You act...well, never mind. You're carrying on like you think you're seventy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/kit-you-re-forty-you-look-thirty-you-act-well-never-mind-you-re/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) > [“That's one of the oldest tricks in the world, Adrien-with-an-e.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/that-s-one-of-the-oldest-tricks-in-the-world-adrien-with-an-e/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) > [“You're Professor Mills? The new one who teaches history?" As opposed to the old Professor Mills who preached overthrow of the government?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/you-re-professor-mills-the-new-one-who-teaches-history-as-opposed-to/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) > [He never lied to me. I just didn't ask the questions I didn't want to know the answers to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/he-never-lied-to-me-i-just-didn-t-ask-the-questions-i-didn-t-want-to/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) > [“If there was one thing I learned in the last twenty-four hours, it was how short life is – how long death – and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/if-there-was-one-thing-i-learned-in-the-last-twenty-four-hours-it-was/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) [Explore all 203 Josh Lanyon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) ## 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. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. 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": "If there was one life skill everyone on the planet needed, it was the ability to think with critical objectivity", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Josh Lanyon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/if-there-was-one-life-skill-everyone-on-the-planet-needed-it-was-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/if-there-was-one-life-skill-everyone-on-the-planet-needed-it-was-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/josh-lanyon-1827_ability_if-there-was-one-life-skill-everyone-on_1004319.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/josh-lanyon-1827_ability_if-there-was-one-life-skill-everyone-on_1004319.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c77/josh-lanyon-1827_ability_if-there-was-one-life-skill-everyone-on_1004319.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If there was one life skill everyone on the planet needed, it was the ability to think with critical…” — Josh Lanyon", "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": "Josh Lanyon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If there was one life skill...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/if-there-was-one-life-skill-everyone-on-the-planet-needed-it-was-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/if-there-was-one-life-skill-everyone-on-the-planet-needed-it-was-the/#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 } } ] } ```