--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have always thought that by observing…" description: "\"I have always thought that by observing things with a great deal of attention you eventually wrest some of their secrets from them, making them utter w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71f/julien-green-13685_attention_i-have-always-thought-that-by-observing_112718.jpg" --- # I have always thought that by observing things with a… ![“I have always thought that by observing things with a great deal of attention you eventually wrest some of their secrets from them, making them utter what they would most like to keep to themselves.” quote by Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71f/julien-green-13685_attention_i-have-always-thought-that-by-observing_112718.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71f/julien-green-13685_attention_i-have-always-thought-that-by-observing_112718.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71f/julien-green-13685_attention_i-have-always-thought-that-by-observing_112718.jpg) > “I have always thought that by observing things with a great deal of attention you eventually wrest some of their secrets from them, making them utter what they would most like to keep to themselves.” [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intense, reveals hidden motives, allowing subjects to disclose what they normally conceal. **In simple terms:** Close observation forces secrets to surface. Key Takeaway Observation can extract concealed truths. Themes perception psychology attention revelation Mood curious analytical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - interviewing a suspect - conducting market research - reading body language in negotiations Key Concepts the observer effect trust dynamics Practical Applications - Use focused listening in counseling - Apply detailed observation in investigative journalism Questions to Reflect On - When does observation become intrusion? - How can we balance curiosity with respect for privacy? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis may lead to misinterpretation or privacy intrusion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Secrets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secrets/) ## Related quotes > [I love the line of Flaubert about observing things very intensely. I think our duty as writers begins not with our own feelings, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/i-love-the-line-of-flaubert-about-observing-things-very-intensely-i/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [I've always found that I personally love to observe things, and I'm good at observing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-johnson/i-ve-always-found-that-i-personally-love-to-observe-things-and-i-m/) [Jamie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-johnson/) > [We have forgotten to observe. Instead of observing, we do things according to patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-tarkovsky/we-have-forgotten-to-observe-instead-of-observing-we-do-things/) [Andrei Tarkovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-tarkovsky/) > [“You will see the effects of dark secrets making themselves known-- via their minds and bodies and via the stories your friends...will begin telling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/you-will-see-the-effects-of-dark-secrets-making-themselves-known-via/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [A sister is for telling secrets and making promises that will never be broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-sister-is-for-telling-secrets-and-making-promises-that-will-never/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I also have experience working with American producer Roger Corman who knows a lot of secrets in making movies look bigger than their budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timur-bekmambetov/i-also-have-experience-working-with-american-producer-roger-corman/) [Timur Bekmambetov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timur-bekmambetov/) > [“Given that you desire to change things in your life much bigger than particles, how long do you maintain your observation and how much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/given-that-you-desire-to-change-things-in-your-life-much-bigger-than/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [The Bible is to us what the star was to the wise men; but if we spend all our time in gazing upon it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-adams/the-bible-is-to-us-what-the-star-was-to-the-wise-men-but-if-we-spend/) [Thomas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-adams/) > [Some theists, observing that all 'effects' need a cause, assert that God is a cause but not an effect. But no one has ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/some-theists-observing-that-all-effects-need-a-cause-assert-that-god/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [If you live with a single parent, you don't see compromise. You witness a grown person living in a world where they do what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/if-you-live-with-a-single-parent-you-don-t-see-compromise-you-witness/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [I pretend no originality in observing that mass education was motivated in part by the perceived need to "educate them to keep them from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-pretend-no-originality-in-observing-that-mass-education-was/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Many are observing Ferguson and witnessing the anger, demonstrations, looting and vandalism and calling for quiet. But quiet isn't enough. The absence of noise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/many-are-observing-ferguson-and-witnessing-the-anger-demonstrations/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [I love reading people. I really enjoy watching, observing, and being able to figure out a person, the reason they wore that dress, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rihanna/i-love-reading-people-i-really-enjoy-watching-observing-and-being/) [Rihanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rihanna/) > [I think that, in the end, the military behavior and intelligence services are not very different from each other. It's an attitude of hunters;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-ramirez/i-think-that-in-the-end-the-military-behavior-and-intelligence/) [Edgar Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-ramirez/) > [“Observing is not just seeing. It is watching with attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/observing-is-not-just-seeing-it-is-watching-with-attention/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) ## More by Julien Green > [“The novelist is like a scout commissioned to go and see what is happening in the depth of the soul. He comes back and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/the-novelist-is-like-a-scout-commissioned-to-go-and-see-what-is/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) > [Perhaps the greatest consolation of the oppressed is to consider themselves superior to their tyrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/perhaps-the-greatest-consolation-of-the-oppressed-is-to-consider/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) > [“It has become somewhat trite, nowadays, to say that after so many years of destruction it is a kind of miracle that Paris is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/it-has-become-somewhat-trite-nowadays-to-say-that-after-so-many-years/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) > [The secret is to write just anything, to dare to write just anything, because when you write just anything, you begin to say what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/the-secret-is-to-write-just-anything-to-dare-to-write-just-anything/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) > [“Sometimes we do things, without thinking, that make no sense to us until much later, and yet appear to have been prompted by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/sometimes-we-do-things-without-thinking-that-make-no-sense-to-us/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) > [If people only knew what lies at the heart of my novels! What a tumult of desires these carefully written pages conceal! I sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/if-people-only-knew-what-lies-at-the-heart-of-my-novels-what-a-tumult/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) > [“What we give the world, we have borrowed from no one; it is ours. It may be taken from us, stolen from us, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/what-we-give-the-world-we-have-borrowed-from-no-one-it-is-ours-it-may/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) > [The greatest explorer on this earth never takes voyages as long as those of the man who descends to the depth of his heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/the-greatest-explorer-on-this-earth-never-takes-voyages-as-long-as/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) > [A dish around which I see too many people doesn't tempt me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/a-dish-around-which-i-see-too-many-people-doesn-t-tempt-me/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) > [“Things we could not tell each other with the width of the Atlantic between us we communicated from heart to heart in those imaginary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/things-we-could-not-tell-each-other-with-the-width-of-the-atlantic/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) > [“I am the road running through Paris," says the Seine. 'I have carried off many images since you were a child and reflected many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/i-am-the-road-running-through-paris-says-the-seine-i-have-carried-off/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) > [“Have you never noticed how absorbed people look as they climb from floor to floor? So many resolutions reached, so many anxious questions to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/have-you-never-noticed-how-absorbed-people-look-as-they-climb-from/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) > [“A novelist is like a scout commissioned to go and see what is happening in the depth of the soul. He comes back and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/a-novelist-is-like-a-scout-commissioned-to-go-and-see-what-is/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) > [I enter the world called real as one enters a mist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/i-enter-the-world-called-real-as-one-enters-a-mist/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) > [Thought flies and words go on foot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/thought-flies-and-words-go-on-foot/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) [Explore all 35 Julien Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [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/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [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 went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have always thought that by observing things with a great deal of attention you eventually wrest some of their secrets from them, making them utter what they would most like to keep to themselves.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Julien Green" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/i-have-always-thought-that-by-observing-things-with-a-great-deal-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/i-have-always-thought-that-by-observing-things-with-a-great-deal-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71f/julien-green-13685_attention_i-have-always-thought-that-by-observing_112718.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71f/julien-green-13685_attention_i-have-always-thought-that-by-observing_112718.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71f/julien-green-13685_attention_i-have-always-thought-that-by-observing_112718.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have always thought that by observing things with a great deal of attention you eventually wrest some of…” — Julien Green", "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": "Julien Green", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have always thought that by...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/i-have-always-thought-that-by-observing-things-with-a-great-deal-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/i-have-always-thought-that-by-observing-things-with-a-great-deal-of/#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 } } ] } ```