--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And yet viewing several depictions of…" description: "\"“And yet viewing several depictions of even an imaginary city, is enlightening in a way,\" Leibniz said. \"Each painter can view the city from only one s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a3/neal-stephenson-362_artist_and-yet-viewing-several-depictions-of-ev_2436325.png" --- # And yet viewing several depictions of even an imaginary… ![“And yet viewing several depictions of even an imaginary city, is enlightening in a way," Leibniz said. "Each painter can view the city from only one standpoint at a time, so he will move about the place, and paint it from a hilltop on one side, then a tower on the other, then from a grand…” quote by Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a3/neal-stephenson-362_artist_and-yet-viewing-several-depictions-of-ev_2436325.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a3/neal-stephenson-362_artist_and-yet-viewing-several-depictions-of-ev_2436325.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a3/neal-stephenson-362_artist_and-yet-viewing-several-depictions-of-ev_2436325.png) > ““And yet viewing several depictions of even an imaginary city, is enlightening in a way," Leibniz said. "Each painter can view the city from only one standpoint at a time, so he will move about the place, and paint it from a hilltop on one side, then a tower on the other, then from a grand intersection in the middle--all in the same canvas. When we look at the canvas, then, we glimpse in a small way how God understands the universe--for he sees it from every point of view at once. By populating the world with so many different minds, each with its own point of view, God gives us a suggestion of what it means to be omniscient.”” [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Multiple perspectives reveal a fuller picture; omniscience is imagined as seeing all viewpoints simultaneously. **In simple terms:** Seeing many angles gives a deeper understanding. Key Takeaway Seek diverse viewpoints to broaden insight. Themes philosophy perspective knowledge diversity Mood curious thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - team brainstorming - research analysis - art criticism - conflict resolution Key Concepts epistemology multiview holistic thinking Questions to Reflect On - How do you integrate conflicting perspectives? - When is a single viewpoint sufficient? A Different Perspective Too many views can cause paralysis or conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Omniscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/omniscience/) [Point of view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-of-view/) ## Related quotes > [“Leibniz said, Music is the mind counting without being conscious it’s counting. An eclipse is maths; it’s the most beautiful maths there is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-kelly/leibniz-said-music-is-the-mind-counting-without-being-conscious-it-s/) [Erin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-kelly/) > [I was trying to run something to ground that had come to my attention when I was working on the Baroque Cycle. That series,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-was-trying-to-run-something-to-ground-that-had-come-to-my-attention/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Leibniz is at the disadvantage of not having seen it. Or perhaps we should count this as an advantage, for anyone who sees it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/leibniz-is-at-the-disadvantage-of-not-having-seen-it-or-perhaps-we/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Shut up about Leibniz for a moment, Rudy, because look here: You—Rudy—and I are on a train, as it were, sitting in the dining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/shut-up-about-leibniz-for-a-moment-rudy-because-look-here-you-rudy/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [The myth that the founding of American Republic was based on the philosophy of John Locke could only have been maintained, because the history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-trout/the-myth-that-the-founding-of-american-republic-was-based-on-the/) [Robert Trout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-trout/) > [The dot was introduced as a symbol for multiplication by Leibniz. 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They always say, "Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/because-children-have-abounding-vitality-because-they-are-in-spirit/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Leibniz's development of the symbols and theory behind calculus, which allows for the precise study and modeling of change, gave mathematicians a weapon with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-steiner/leibniz-s-development-of-the-symbols-and-theory-behind-calculus-which/) Christopher Steiner ## More by Neal Stephenson > [“I study dead languages for a living,” I said. “That’s why you hired me. 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Right now, he is preparing to carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-deliverator-belongs-to-an-elite-order-a-hallowed-subcategory-he-s/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Interesting things happen along borders - transitions - not in the middle where everything is the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/interesting-things-happen-along-borders-transitions-not-in-the-middle/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“and people could only make sense of complicated matters through stories. Likewise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/and-people-could-only-make-sense-of-complicated-matters-through/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Van Eck phreaking,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/van-eck-phreaking/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“When the Deliverator puts the hammer down, shit happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-the-deliverator-puts-the-hammer-down-shit-happens/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) [Explore all 633 Neal Stephenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. 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