--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I find that, as a rule, when a thing is a…" description: "\"“I find that, as a rule, when a thing is a wonder to us it is not because of what we see in it, but because of what others have seen in it. We get almo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/mark-twain-22_curiosity_i-find-that-as-a-rule-when-a-thing-is-a_3144547.png" --- # I find that, as a rule, when a thing is a wonder to us it… ![“I find that, as a rule, when a thing is a wonder to us it is not because of what we see in it, but because of what others have seen in it. We get almost all our wonders at second hand.” quote by Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/mark-twain-22_curiosity_i-find-that-as-a-rule-when-a-thing-is-a_3144547.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/mark-twain-22_curiosity_i-find-that-as-a-rule-when-a-thing-is-a_3144547.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/mark-twain-22_curiosity_i-find-that-as-a-rule-when-a-thing-is-a_3144547.png) > ““I find that, as a rule, when a thing is a wonder to us it is not because of what we see in it, but because of what others have seen in it. We get almost all our wonders at second hand.”” [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wonders often come from others’ interpretations rather than direct observation, making second‑hand experiences powerful. **In simple terms:** We marvel more at others’ views than what we see. Key Takeaway Value others’ perspectives. Themes wonder perception interpretation Mood curious contemplative Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - travel - art appreciation Key Concepts subjectivity collective insight Questions to Reflect On - How do others’ stories shape your awe? - When do you trust your own perception? A Different Perspective May overlook personal experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Curiosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Second hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/second-hand/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [I'll show you shit you've never seen The 7 wonders of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ugk/i-ll-show-you-shit-you-ve-never-seen-the-7-wonders-of-the-world/) [UGK](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ugk/) > [Deeper understanding confers that most precious thing - wonder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-cox/deeper-understanding-confers-that-most-precious-thing-wonder/) [Brian Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-cox/) > [“But Froi looked around with wonder. As if he had never seen the world from up so high before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/but-froi-looked-around-with-wonder-as-if-he-had-never-seen-the-world/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [The kernel, the soul — let us go further and say the substance, the bulk, the actual and valuable material of all human utterances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-kernel-the-soul-let-us-go-further-and-say-the-substance-the-bulk-2/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [In religion and politics, people's belief's and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second hand, and without examination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/in-religion-and-politics-people-s-belief-s-and-convictions-are-in/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“Let us not be too particular. 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Please refrain from contaminating the ideosphere with harmful memes through prayer, reverence, holy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-erwin/all-religious-vows-codes-and-commitments-are-null-void-herein-please/) Greg Erwin ## More by Mark Twain > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“The Creator sat upon the throne, thinking. 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Like little calves poking their heads through the fence with big eyes and a headful of curiosity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carew-papritz/so-curious-you-must-be-like-little-calves-poking-their-heads-through/) [Carew Papritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carew-papritz/) > [ “\[T\]he question "What is everything?" has no meaning, even though it seems to be profound. \[...\] The point is, perhaps, that I am not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/t-he-question-what-is-everything-has-no-meaning-even-though-it-seems/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [ By profession a biologist, \[Thomas Henry Huxley\] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-huxley-covered-in-fact-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [How do we know that we have a right to kill creatures that we are so little above, as dogs, for our curiosity or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/how-do-we-know-that-we-have-a-right-to-kill-creatures-that-we-are-so/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [Be curious not judge mental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow/be-curious-not-judge-mental/) Unknow > [There is nothing so carking as the pangs of unsatisfied curiosity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-atherton/there-is-nothing-so-carking-as-the-pangs-of-unsatisfied-curiosity/) [Gertrude Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-atherton/) > [Curiosity is the essence of human existence. 'Who are we? Where are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going?'... I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/curiosity-is-the-essence-of-human-existence-who-are-we-where-are-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes curiosity is a poison, not only for those who drink it but for everyone around it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-norman-lippert/sometimes-curiosity-is-a-poison-not-only-for-those-who-drink-it-but/) [G. Norman Lippert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-norman-lippert/) > [As long as your curiosity is greater than your fear, you will move forward!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/as-long-as-your-curiosity-is-greater-than-your-fear-you-will-move/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it sure has earned a lot of people graduate degrees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-irving/curiosity-may-have-killed-the-cat-but-it-sure-has-earned-a-lot-of/) Robyn Irving [Browse all 2,721 Curiosity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I find that, as a rule, when a thing is a wonder to us it is not because of what we see in it, but because of what others have seen in it. 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