--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hearing may make shorter intuitive leaps…" description: "\"“Hearing may make shorter intuitive leaps than sight, but it too is subject to illusions. The most pleasant of these are 'mondegreens,' named by the au..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cc/michael-kaplan-96934_quote_hearing-may-make-shorter-intuitive-leaps_1777983.jpg" --- # Hearing may make shorter intuitive leaps than sight, but… ![“Hearing may make shorter intuitive leaps than sight, but it too is subject to illusions. The most pleasant of these are 'mondegreens,' named by the author Sylvia Wright from her youthful mishearing of the Scottish ballad that actually says, 'They hae slain the Earl o' Moray / and they layd him on…” quote by Michael Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cc/michael-kaplan-96934_quote_hearing-may-make-shorter-intuitive-leaps_1777983.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cc/michael-kaplan-96934_quote_hearing-may-make-shorter-intuitive-leaps_1777983.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cc/michael-kaplan-96934_quote_hearing-may-make-shorter-intuitive-leaps_1777983.jpg) > ““Hearing may make shorter intuitive leaps than sight, but it too is subject to illusions. The most pleasant of these are 'mondegreens,' named by the author Sylvia Wright from her youthful mishearing of the Scottish ballad that actually says, 'They hae slain the Earl o' Moray / and they layd him on the green '--not, alas, 'the Lady Mondegreen.' Children, with their relaxed expectations for logic, are a rich source of these (pledging allegiance to 'one Asian in the vestibule, with little tea and just rice for all'), but everyone has the talent to infer the ridiculous from the inaudible--and, what's more, to believe in it. Here, at least, we do behave like computers, in that our voice-recognition software has little regard for probability but boldly assumes we live in a world of surrealist poets. We are certain that Mick Jagger will never leave our pizza burning and that the Shadow knows what evil lurks in the hot cement.”” [Michael Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kaplan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Explores how hearing can mislead, like mondegreens, and compares human perception to flawed voice‑recognition software. **In simple terms:** Hearing can create false interpretations. Key Takeaway Question assumptions from limited data. Themes perception language error Mood curious critical Type analytical null When to use this quote - listening tasks - language learning - technology design Key Concepts mondegreens audio illusion cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - What “mondegreen” have you heard? - How do you verify what you hear? A Different Perspective Reliance on flawed perception can misguide decisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Illusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusions/) [Illusions Pleasant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusions-pleasant-517249/) [Intuitive Leaps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intuitive-leaps-1836908/) [Mondegreen Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mondegreen-children-1836909/) [Shadow Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadow-knows-222981/) [Subject Illusions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subject-illusions-1836910/) ## Related quotes > [No doubt the truth is hard to come by for those who do not like the sound of it - dreams and illusions are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatoli-granovsky/no-doubt-the-truth-is-hard-to-come-by-for-those-who-do-not-like-the/) [Anatoli Granovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatoli-granovsky/) > [Life is like a walking shadow only those who knows the sound of the trigger knows where it is coming from!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-brown/life-is-like-a-walking-shadow-only-those-who-knows-the-sound-of-the/) [D Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-brown/) > [“It is a terrible thing to interrogate the shadow. Who knows what its reply will be?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/it-is-a-terrible-thing-to-interrogate-the-shadow-who-knows-what-its/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“Expectations are illusions; Pretense they hang on thin threads.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/expectations-are-illusions-pretense-they-hang-on-thin-threads/) [sir kristian goldmund aumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/) > [“we are set free from all the illusions we fostered for so many years of our life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelius-wencel/we-are-set-free-from-all-the-illusions-we-fostered-for-so-many-years/) [Cornelius Wencel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelius-wencel/) > [The most important part of our lives-our sensations, emotions, desires, and aspirations-takes place in a universe of illusions which science can attenuate or destroy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/the-most-important-part-of-our-lives-our-sensations-emotions-desires/) [Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/) > [Of course she had some pathetic illusions about herself or she would not be able to go on living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/of-course-she-had-some-pathetic-illusions-about-herself-or-she-would/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [“The more you think about illusions, the more they'll swell up and take on form. And no longer be an illusion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-more-you-think-about-illusions-the-more-they-ll-swell-up-and-take/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“A great magician is not more magical than other magicians; he is just more magical in his presentation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/a-great-magician-is-not-more-magical-than-other-magicians-he-is-just/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Strange, isn't it, that no chemical will give a human being the iridescence that illusions have given them? Give me your hat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/strange-isn-t-it-that-no-chemical-will-give-a-human-being-the/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [“Fear best lends itself to the creation of Nature-defying illusions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/fear-best-lends-itself-to-the-creation-of-nature-defying-illusions/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [“If men could see us as we really are, they would be a little amazed; but the cleverest, the acutest men are often under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-men-could-see-us-as-we-really-are-they-would-be-a-little-amazed/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [Things aren't always as they appear. I've been believing things to be a certain way because I want them to be that way. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-dennen/things-aren-t-always-as-they-appear-i-ve-been-believing-things-to-be/) [Brett Dennen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-dennen/) > [Life and death are illusions. We are in a constant state of transformation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/life-and-death-are-illusions-we-are-in-a-constant-state-of/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“To engage in dialogue is to serve others via whatever is real inside you; to engage in debate is to ultimately serve the illusions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oli-anderson/to-engage-in-dialogue-is-to-serve-others-via-whatever-is-real-inside/) [Oli Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oli-anderson/) ## More by Michael Kaplan > [“If you fret that the world grows short of genuine wonders, consider this: the most complex lump of matter in the universe. It works…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kaplan/if-you-fret-that-the-world-grows-short-of-genuine-wonders-consider/) [Michael Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kaplan/) [Explore all 2 Michael Kaplan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kaplan/) ## More Illusions quotes > [“To engage in dialogue is to serve others via whatever is real inside you; to engage in debate is to ultimately serve the illusions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oli-anderson/to-engage-in-dialogue-is-to-serve-others-via-whatever-is-real-inside/) [Oli Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oli-anderson/) > [Life and death are illusions. We are in a constant state of transformation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/life-and-death-are-illusions-we-are-in-a-constant-state-of/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [Things aren't always as they appear. I've been believing things to be a certain way because I want them to be that way. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-dennen/things-aren-t-always-as-they-appear-i-ve-been-believing-things-to-be/) [Brett Dennen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-dennen/) > [“If men could see us as we really are, they would be a little amazed; but the cleverest, the acutest men are often under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-men-could-see-us-as-we-really-are-they-would-be-a-little-amazed/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“Fear best lends itself to the creation of Nature-defying illusions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft-2/fear-best-lends-itself-to-the-creation-of-nature-defying-illusions/) [H.P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft-2/) > [Strange, isn't it, that no chemical will give a human being the iridescence that illusions have given them? Give me your hat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/strange-isn-t-it-that-no-chemical-will-give-a-human-being-the/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [“A great magician is not more magical than other magicians; he is just more magical in his presentation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/a-great-magician-is-not-more-magical-than-other-magicians-he-is-just/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“The more you think about illusions, the more they'll swell up and take on form. And no longer be an illusion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-more-you-think-about-illusions-the-more-they-ll-swell-up-and-take/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Of course she had some pathetic illusions about herself or she would not be able to go on living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/of-course-she-had-some-pathetic-illusions-about-herself-or-she-would/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [The most important part of our lives-our sensations, emotions, desires, and aspirations-takes place in a universe of illusions which science can attenuate or destroy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/the-most-important-part-of-our-lives-our-sensations-emotions-desires/) [Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/) > [“we are set free from all the illusions we fostered for so many years of our life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelius-wencel/we-are-set-free-from-all-the-illusions-we-fostered-for-so-many-years/) [Cornelius Wencel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelius-wencel/) > [“Expectations are illusions; Pretense they hang on thin threads.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/expectations-are-illusions-pretense-they-hang-on-thin-threads/) [sir kristian goldmund aumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/) > [“Subhuti, someone might fill innumerable worlds with the seven treasures and give all away in gifts of alms, but if any good man or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddh-rtha-gautama/subhuti-someone-might-fill-innumerable-worlds-with-the-seven/) [Siddhārtha Gautama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddh-rtha-gautama/) > [“The masses have never thirsted after truth. They turn aside from evidence that is not to their taste, preferring to deify error, if error…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-le-bon/the-masses-have-never-thirsted-after-truth-they-turn-aside-from/) [Gustave Le Bon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-le-bon/) > [I have no illusions of being an icon to young girls or anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anushka-sharma/i-have-no-illusions-of-being-an-icon-to-young-girls-or-anybody/) [Anushka Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anushka-sharma/) [Browse all 587 Illusions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illusions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Hearing may make shorter intuitive leaps than sight, but it too is subject to illusions. 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