--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I hate to point out the obvious, but…" description: "\"“I hate to point out the obvious, but here's this tiny bird that's been trying to get through a huge bulletproof glass wall. A totally impossible situa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfd/kevin-kwan-9838_every-day_i-hate-to-point-out-the-obvious-but-here_971496.jpg" --- # I hate to point out the obvious, but here's this tiny bird… ![“I hate to point out the obvious, but here's this tiny bird that's been trying to get through a huge bulletproof glass wall. A totally impossible situation. You tell me it's been here every day pecking away persistently for ten minutes. Well, today the glass wall came down.” quote by Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfd/kevin-kwan-9838_every-day_i-hate-to-point-out-the-obvious-but-here_971496.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfd/kevin-kwan-9838_every-day_i-hate-to-point-out-the-obvious-but-here_971496.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfd/kevin-kwan-9838_every-day_i-hate-to-point-out-the-obvious-but-here_971496.jpg) > ““I hate to point out the obvious, but here's this tiny bird that's been trying to get through a huge bulletproof glass wall. A totally impossible situation. You tell me it's been here every day pecking away persistently for ten minutes. Well, today the glass wall came down.”” [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Persistence can break seemingly impossible barriers when effort is sustained despite adversity. **In simple terms:** Keep trying; barriers can fall. Key Takeaway Never give up on tough problems. Themes persistence overcoming obstacles determination Mood determined optimistic Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - business negotiations - personal goals - creative projects - social activism Key Concepts psychology of grit systems thinking Questions to Reflect On - What barriers have you faced that seemed impossible? - How can you maintain effort when progress is invisible? A Different Perspective Even with persistence, external factors may still prevent success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/) ## Related quotes > [Even the woodpecker owes his success to the fact that he uses his head and keeps pecking away until he finishes the job he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coleman-cox/even-the-woodpecker-owes-his-success-to-the-fact-that-he-uses-his/) Coleman Cox > [So today, I learned that Titmouse is neither a tit, nor a mouse...but rather a tiny bird.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-bailey/so-today-i-learned-that-titmouse-is-neither-a-tit-nor-a-mouse-but/) [Candace Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-bailey/) > [“I have seen many cases like N. during the five years I've been in practice. I sometimes picture these unfortunates as men and women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/i-have-seen-many-cases-like-n-during-the-five-years-i-ve-been-in/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I feel like I turn into my grandma when I'm pecking away at Twitter. And I don't care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-levy/i-feel-like-i-turn-into-my-grandma-when-i-m-pecking-away-at-twitter/) [Ariel Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-levy/) > [The earth is moved from its position by the weight of a tiny bird resting upon it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-earth-is-moved-from-its-position-by-the-weight-of-a-tiny-bird/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [“It was merely the small, warm hand of a twelve-year-old girl, yet those five fingers and that palm were like a display case crammed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/it-was-merely-the-small-warm-hand-of-a-twelve-year-old-girl-yet-those/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I guess the glass ceiling is in the West. For us, it's the glass wall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reema-bint-bandar-al-saud/i-guess-the-glass-ceiling-is-in-the-west-for-us-it-s-the-glass-wall/) Reema Bint Bandar Al Saud > [“Seeing my father behind a thick glass wall in an orange jumpsuit was hammering it home, that life as I knew it was about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winter-travers/seeing-my-father-behind-a-thick-glass-wall-in-an-orange-jumpsuit-was/) Winter Travers > [“One more thing.” She remained still, waiting. The demon king lounged in his seat. “There is a glass wall in Rifthold. Impossible to miss.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/one-more-thing-she-remained-still-waiting-the-demon-king-lounged-in/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [“You know there’s this gaping space between us, and if I leaned forward I’d grab Dex’s shirt without ever touching him. You know there’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-berto/you-know-there-s-this-gaping-space-between-us-and-if-i-leaned-forward/) [Rebecca Berto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-berto/) > [“It had been easy to be comfortable with each other when there was a glass wall between them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayana-mathis/it-had-been-easy-to-be-comfortable-with-each-other-when-there-was-a/) [Ayana Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayana-mathis/) > [“It's like there's a glass wall between us now, invisible but impenetrable”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-s-like-there-s-a-glass-wall-between-us-now-invisible-but/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“I turn to the glass wall keeping me from the other half of my heart. Press my head against the cool surface. Wish he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-turn-to-the-glass-wall-keeping-me-from-the-other-half-of-my-heart/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [So you can be about your business, and then on it comes again. And this time you're ready, and you've got a wine glass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/so-you-can-be-about-your-business-and-then-on-it-comes-again-and-this/) [Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/) > [“It was my idea. It's the safest way, but it's strange pretending to be something different. It's like there's a glass wall between us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-rossi/it-was-my-idea-it-s-the-safest-way-but-it-s-strange-pretending-to-be/) [Veronica Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-rossi/) ## More by Kevin Kwan > [My grandparents were far more English in their manners than they were Chinese. For example, we spoke English at home, had afternoon tea every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/my-grandparents-were-far-more-english-in-their-manners-than-they-were/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [Canada has become such a staging area for Chinese money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/canada-has-become-such-a-staging-area-for-chinese-money/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [I really don't keep an outline; I don't organize in any way. I just write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/i-really-don-t-keep-an-outline-i-don-t-organize-in-any-way-i-just/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [Hollywood is a whole other level of crazy. I've never met so many assistants who have assistants. It's a stratified society on its own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/hollywood-is-a-whole-other-level-of-crazy-i-ve-never-met-so-many/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [I grew up in a household where there were really, really strong matriarchal characters. I think that's true of many Asian households. People tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/i-grew-up-in-a-household-where-there-were-really-really-strong/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [I'm not revealing any deep, hidden secret that there are wealthy people in Asia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/i-m-not-revealing-any-deep-hidden-secret-that-there-are-wealthy/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [I grew up with a posh English accent, and all my aunts sounded as if they came out of a Merchant Ivory movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/i-grew-up-with-a-posh-english-accent-and-all-my-aunts-sounded-as-if/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [I love Netflix and Amazon and watching movies on streamers as much as the next person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/i-love-netflix-and-amazon-and-watching-movies-on-streamers-as-much-as/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [My golden dream was to move to New York and live in the Village and become that cool rebel beatnik Jack Kerouac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/my-golden-dream-was-to-move-to-new-york-and-live-in-the-village-and/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [“Scientists talk about how we inherit health issues from our parents through our genes, but we also inherit this entire lineage of fear and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/scientists-talk-about-how-we-inherit-health-issues-from-our-parents/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [I remember I had an aunt that lived in a house that had this beautiful ceramic wall that was entirely a painting of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/i-remember-i-had-an-aunt-that-lived-in-a-house-that-had-this/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [Living in the West, you see how there's only two versions of how Asian men are supposed to be. Either they're very nice, yuppie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/living-in-the-west-you-see-how-there-s-only-two-versions-of-how-asian/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [People are often disappointed when they meet me because I'm not this giant, flamboyant - you know, I don't wear sequined jackets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/people-are-often-disappointed-when-they-meet-me-because-i-m-not-this/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > ['Crazy Rich Asians' may be fiction, but given the situation I grew up in, I've had an unparalleled view into the very real world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/crazy-rich-asians-may-be-fiction-but-given-the-situation-i-grew-up-in/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [My father came from old money. There was less of an expectation for the children to earn a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/my-father-came-from-old-money-there-was-less-of-an-expectation-for/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) [Explore all 69 Kevin Kwan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) ## More Bird quotes > [And I have been very blessed, having coached some of the greatest that have ever played the game. But if I had to start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-auerbach/and-i-have-been-very-blessed-having-coached-some-of-the-greatest-that/) [Red Auerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-auerbach/) > [Some minds corrode and grow inactive under the loss of personal liberty; others grow morbid and irritable; but it is the nature of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/some-minds-corrode-and-grow-inactive-under-the-loss-of-personal/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [Set the bird's wings with gold and it will never again soar in thesky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/set-the-bird-s-wings-with-gold-and-it-will-never-again-soar-in-thesky/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [“He unfixes the metal notch and slips his hand around the body of the bird. Feels its heat, its small heart beating. He stares…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-schuyler/he-unfixes-the-metal-notch-and-slips-his-hand-around-the-body-of-the/) Nina Schuyler > [I would rather learn from one bird how to sing than to teach 10,000 stars how not to dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/i-would-rather-learn-from-one-bird-how-to-sing-than-to-teach-10-000/) [e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [Surely, God could have caused birds to fly with their bones made of solid gold, with their veins full of quicksilver, with their flesh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/surely-god-could-have-caused-birds-to-fly-with-their-bones-made-of/) [Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/) > [And wheresoever, in his rich creation, Sweet music breathes--in wave, or bird, or soul-- 'Tis but the faint and far reverberation Of that great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-sargent-osgood/and-wheresoever-in-his-rich-creation-sweet-music-breathes-in-wave-or/) [Frances Sargent Osgood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-sargent-osgood/) > [A clock struck out the hour of twelve, and the bird in the hedgerow was still singing as we marched out to the roadway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macgill/a-clock-struck-out-the-hour-of-twelve-and-the-bird-in-the-hedgerow/) [Patrick MacGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macgill/) > [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [When they started to drain a swamp where birds and fish had lived, for a new housing development down the road from his apartment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maile-meloy/when-they-started-to-drain-a-swamp-where-birds-and-fish-had-lived-for/) [Maile Meloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maile-meloy/) > [The bird with the thorn in its breast, it follows an immutable law; it is driven by it knows not what to impale itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-mccullough/the-bird-with-the-thorn-in-its-breast-it-follows-an-immutable-law-it/) [Colleen McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-mccullough/) > [Real like sucks the life out of losers. if you want to fuck with the eagles, you must learn how to fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/real-like-sucks-the-life-out-of-losers-if-you-want-to-fuck-with-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If we studied birds ,maybe we could learn to be free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/if-we-studied-birds-maybe-we-could-learn-to-be-free/) [Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) [Browse all 4,802 Bird quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I hate to point out the obvious, but here's this tiny bird that's been trying to get through a huge bulletproof glass wall. 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