--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is what I like, sitting at a table…" description: "\"This is what I like, sitting at a table and watching people go by. It does something to your outlook on life. The Anglo-Saxons make a great mistake not..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/712/patricia-highsmith-3982_anglo-saxon_this-is-what-i-like-sitting-at-a-table-a_673715.jpg" --- # This is what I like, sitting at a table and watching… ![“This is what I like, sitting at a table and watching people go by. It does something to your outlook on life. The Anglo-Saxons make a great mistake not staring at people from a sidewalk table.” quote by Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/712/patricia-highsmith-3982_anglo-saxon_this-is-what-i-like-sitting-at-a-table-a_673715.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/712/patricia-highsmith-3982_anglo-saxon_this-is-what-i-like-sitting-at-a-table-a_673715.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/712/patricia-highsmith-3982_anglo-saxon_this-is-what-i-like-sitting-at-a-table-a_673715.jpg) > “This is what I like, sitting at a table and watching people go by. It does something to your outlook on life. The Anglo-Saxons make a great mistake not staring at people from a sidewalk table.” [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Observing everyday life from a café can shift perspective, revealing hidden narratives and enriching one’s worldview. **In simple terms:** Watching people pass by expands outlook. Key Takeaway Take time to people people. Themes observation perspective urban life Mood contemplative curious Type reflective observational When to use this quote - café culture - city walks - creative writing - travel - people watching Key Concepts social dynamics mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How does casual observation influence your creativity? - What stories emerge when you watch strangers? A Different Perspective Limited to those comfortable in public spaces; introverts may feel uneasy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anglo saxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anglo-saxon/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Anglo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-anglo-5343637/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Outlook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outlook/) [Outlook on life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outlook-on-life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sidewalk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sidewalk/) [Sitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sitting/) [Sitting Table](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sitting-table-652284/) [Staring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/staring/) [Staring People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/staring-people-1127671/) [Table Watching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/table-watching-5343636/) [Tables](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tables/) [Watching People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watching-people/) ## Related quotes > [Watching people is a good hobby, but you have to be careful about it. You can’t let people catch you staring at them. 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In fact, there was a small, defiant smile on her lips. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/katherine-was-sitting-alone-at-a-table-but-she-didn-t-look-lonely-in/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) > [But in a tournament, you can be said in for all your money at any point so you can't make any mistakes so you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-alvarez/but-in-a-tournament-you-can-be-said-in-for-all-your-money-at-any/) [Al Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-alvarez/) > [Sitting down at the table is a sacred event. It's the heart of the home. People have ginormous homes or crappy little homes, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debi-mazar/sitting-down-at-the-table-is-a-sacred-event-it-s-the-heart-of-the/) [Debi Mazar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debi-mazar/) > [Probably those three things affect the most people: reproductive freedom, freedom from violence, and democratic families. But there may well be someone sitting at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/probably-those-three-things-affect-the-most-people-reproductive/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [“Oh my gosh!” Millie exclaimed. “Look who’s sitting down at a table in McDonald’s”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-kahler/oh-my-gosh-millie-exclaimed-look-who-s-sitting-down-at-a-table-in/) [Katrina Kahler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-kahler/) > [“two people sitting at a table are seeing each other with a delay of a few nanoseconds”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/two-people-sitting-at-a-table-are-seeing-each-other-with-a-delay-of-a/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [I don't like sitting at a table that's too large, where everyone is too far apart. That's a party killer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ina-garten/i-don-t-like-sitting-at-a-table-that-s-too-large-where-everyone-is/) [Ina Garten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ina-garten/) > [They remember me as this shy girl sitting under the table. But they obviously didn't know what was going on in my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izabella-scorupco/they-remember-me-as-this-shy-girl-sitting-under-the-table-but-they/) [Izabella Scorupco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izabella-scorupco/) ## More by Patricia Highsmith > [“Thinking no more about it, he stepped off into that cool space, that fast descent to her, with nothing in his mind but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/thinking-no-more-about-it-he-stepped-off-into-that-cool-space-that/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [I didn't hang around films. I don't know if I'd ever seen Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/i-didn-t-hang-around-films-i-don-t-know-if-i-d-ever-seen-hitchcock-s/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [“I feel I stand in a desert with my hands outstretched, and you are raining down upon me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/i-feel-i-stand-in-a-desert-with-my-hands-outstretched-and-you-are/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [One situation – maybe one alone – could drive me to murder: family life, togetherness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/one-situation-maybe-one-alone-could-drive-me-to-murder-family-life/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [“He felt he was about to experience again some ancient, delicious childhood moment that the steam calliope's sour hollowness, the stitching hurdy-gurdy accompaniment, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/he-felt-he-was-about-to-experience-again-some-ancient-delicious/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [“It was a kind of arrogance, perhaps, to believe so in one's destiny. But, on the other hand, who could be more genuinely humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/it-was-a-kind-of-arrogance-perhaps-to-believe-so-in-one-s-destiny-but/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [I should love to do a novel, about one abnormal character seeing present-day life, very ordinary life, yet arresting through it, abnormality, until at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/i-should-love-to-do-a-novel-about-one-abnormal-character-seeing/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [I don't set the alarm to get up. I get up when I feel like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/i-don-t-set-the-alarm-to-get-up-i-get-up-when-i-feel-like-it/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [“Dusk was falling quickly. It was just after 7 P.M., and the month was October.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/dusk-was-falling-quickly-it-was-just-after-7-p-m-and-the-month-was/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [“What chance combination of shadow and sound and his own thoughts had created it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/what-chance-combination-of-shadow-and-sound-and-his-own-thoughts-had/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [“Happiness was like a green vine spreading through her, stretching fine tendrils, bearing flowers through her flesh. She had a vision of a pale-white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/happiness-was-like-a-green-vine-spreading-through-her-stretching-fine/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [“That's exactly where you're wrong! Any kind of person can murder. 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