--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Eyes often have an implicit censorious…" description: "\"“Eyes often have an implicit censorious power.22 Post a large picture of a pair of eyes at a bus stop (versus a picture of flowers), and people become ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/robert-m-sapolsky-1166_pair-eyes_eyes-often-have-an-implicit-censorious-p_183839.png" --- # Eyes often have an implicit censorious power.22 Post a… ![“Eyes often have an implicit censorious power.22 Post a large picture of a pair of eyes at a bus stop (versus a picture of flowers), and people become more likely to clean up litter. Post a picture of eyes in a workplace coffee room, and the money paid on the honor system triples. Show a pair of…” quote by Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/robert-m-sapolsky-1166_pair-eyes_eyes-often-have-an-implicit-censorious-p_183839.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/robert-m-sapolsky-1166_pair-eyes_eyes-often-have-an-implicit-censorious-p_183839.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05b/robert-m-sapolsky-1166_pair-eyes_eyes-often-have-an-implicit-censorious-p_183839.png) > ““Eyes often have an implicit censorious power.22 Post a large picture of a pair of eyes at a bus stop (versus a picture of flowers), and people become more likely to clean up litter. Post a picture of eyes in a workplace coffee room, and the money paid on the honor system triples. Show a pair of eyes on a computer screen and people become more generous in online economic games.”” [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Seeing eyes creates a feeling of being watched, which triggers prosocial behavior and honesty. **In simple terms:** Eyes make people act better because they feel observed. Key Takeaway Use visual cues of observation to encourage cooperation. Themes social influence behavioral economics honesty prosocial behavior Mood motivational influential Type behavioral psychological When to use this quote - public spaces - workplaces - online platforms Key Concepts social surveillance psychological priming norm activation Questions to Reflect On - How does perceived observation change personal responsibility? - Can this be ethically applied in public policy? A Different Perspective Effect may fade if people realize the cue is artificial. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Censorious Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censorious-power-1958143/) [Eyes Implicit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyes-implicit-1958141/) [Pair Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pair-eyes-933949/) [Picture Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picture-eyes-1958140/) [Versus Picture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/versus-picture-1958142/) ## Related quotes > [All I see is your picture and cant keep my eyes off from it... I even forget if real you exists as I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nidhi-saini/all-i-see-is-your-picture-and-cant-keep-my-eyes-off-from-it-i-even/) [Nidhi Saini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nidhi-saini/) > [“No one answered. They watched the picture, their eyes eating up their faces.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/no-one-answered-they-watched-the-picture-their-eyes-eating-up-their/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“There was a death sentence in every pair of eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/there-was-a-death-sentence-in-every-pair-of-eyes/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [A fresh pair of eyes can often find problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-fresh-pair-of-eyes-can-often-find-problems/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The third person is another pair of eyes. The third person is a presentiment of God. … a way to tell the story. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/the-third-person-is-another-pair-of-eyes-the-third-person-is-a/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [There is nothing left of him but curiosity and a pair of eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-is-nothing-left-of-him-but-curiosity-and-a-pair-of-eyes/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [When people says love is blind, they always forget.. That there is two pair of eyes..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-nigam/when-people-says-love-is-blind-they-always-forget-that-there-is-two/) [Arun Nigam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-nigam/) > [I may not be rich but I have pair of eyes that can stare you all day,pair of hands that can hold you when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/i-may-not-be-rich-but-i-have-pair-of-eyes-that-can-stare-you-all-day/) [Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/) > [One Heart Cares For You I Have A Pair Of Eyes But Cannot See You Everyday. I Have A Pair Of Ears But Cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raj/one-heart-cares-for-you-i-have-a-pair-of-eyes-but-cannot-see-you/) [Raj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raj/) > [Every pair of eyes facing you has probably experienced something you could not endure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-clifton/every-pair-of-eyes-facing-you-has-probably-experienced-something-you/) [Lucille Clifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-clifton/) > [“He knew what he'd see; one more slack face, one more pair of eyes that had barely learned to read, one more soul that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cronin/he-knew-what-he-d-see-one-more-slack-face-one-more-pair-of-eyes-that/) [Justin Cronin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cronin/) > [“A pair of eyes attached to a human brain can quickly make sense of the content presented on a web page and decide whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-amerland/a-pair-of-eyes-attached-to-a-human-brain-can-quickly-make-sense-of/) [David Amerland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-amerland/) > [You can talk film theory till you're blue in the face, but in the end, the thing that may haunt you most about a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-zacharek/you-can-talk-film-theory-till-you-re-blue-in-the-face-but-in-the-end/) [Stephanie Zacharek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-zacharek/) > [I like that sense of family in my workplace, having the same pair of eyes to look into.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-like-that-sense-of-family-in-my-workplace-having-the-same-pair-of/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [I Have A Pair Of Eyes But Cannot See You Everyday. I Have A Pair Of Ears But Cannot Hear Your Voice All The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/i-have-a-pair-of-eyes-but-cannot-see-you-everyday-i-have-a-pair-of/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) ## More by Robert M. Sapolsky > [“Secure-attachment 7Rs show more generosity than average. Thus 7R has something to do with generosity—but its effect is entirely context dependent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/secure-attachment-7rs-show-more-generosity-than-average-thus-7r-has/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [But if you get chronically, psychosocially stressed, you're going to compromise your health. So, essentially, we've evolved to be smart enough to make ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/but-if-you-get-chronically-psychosocially-stressed-you-re-going-to/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“Finally, for the same criminal conviction, the more stereotypically Af-rican a black individual’s facial features, the longer the sentence.15 In contrast, juries view black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/finally-for-the-same-criminal-conviction-the-more-stereotypically-af/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“So testosterone does subtle things to behavior. Nonetheless, this doesn’t tell us much because everything can be interpreted every which way. Testosterone increases anxiety—you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/so-testosterone-does-subtle-things-to-behavior-nonetheless-this-doesn/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“pain makes aggressive people more aggressive, while doing the opposite to unaggressive individuals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/pain-makes-aggressive-people-more-aggressive-while-doing-the-opposite/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“Thus, for our purposes, genes aren’t about inevitability. Instead they’re about context-dependent tendencies, propensities, potentials, and vulnerabilities. All embedded in the fabric of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/thus-for-our-purposes-genes-aren-t-about-inevitability-instead-they/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“If we accept that there will always be sides, it’s a nontrivial to-do list item to always be on the side of angels. Distrust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/if-we-accept-that-there-will-always-be-sides-it-s-a-nontrivial-to-do/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“In other words, the more genomically complex the organism, the larger the percentage of the genome devoted to gene regulation by the environment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/in-other-words-the-more-genomically-complex-the-organism-the-larger/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“The subject of one experiment is a rat that receives mild electric shocks (roughly equivalent to the static shock you might get from scuffing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/the-subject-of-one-experiment-is-a-rat-that-receives-mild-electric/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“No brain region is an island, and the formation of circuits connecting far-flung brain regions is crucial—how else can the frontal cortex use its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/no-brain-region-is-an-island-and-the-formation-of-circuits-connecting/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“We process emotionally salient information more rapidly and automatically, but with less accuracy. Frontal function—working memory, impulse control, executive decision making, risk assessment, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/we-process-emotionally-salient-information-more-rapidly-and/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“Most broadly, the PFC chooses between conflicting options—Coke or Pepsi; blurting out what you really think or restraining yourself; pulling the trigger or not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/most-broadly-the-pfc-chooses-between-conflicting-options-coke-or/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“One stretch of the gene is repeated a variable number of times, and the version with seven repeats (the “7R” form) produces a receptor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/one-stretch-of-the-gene-is-repeated-a-variable-number-of-times-and/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“some people always get more than their share of equality than others”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/some-people-always-get-more-than-their-share-of-equality-than-others/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [It's probably even the case that if you stoked up some Buddhist monks with tons of testosterone, they'd become wildly competitive as to who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/it-s-probably-even-the-case-that-if-you-stoked-up-some-buddhist-monks/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) [Explore all 280 Robert M. Sapolsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) ## More Pair Eyes quotes > [One Heart Cares For You I Have A Pair Of Eyes But Cannot See You Everyday. I Have A Pair Of Ears But Cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raj/one-heart-cares-for-you-i-have-a-pair-of-eyes-but-cannot-see-you/) [Raj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raj/) > [I like that sense of family in my workplace, having the same pair of eyes to look into.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-like-that-sense-of-family-in-my-workplace-having-the-same-pair-of/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [You can talk film theory till you're blue in the face, but in the end, the thing that may haunt you most about a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-zacharek/you-can-talk-film-theory-till-you-re-blue-in-the-face-but-in-the-end/) [Stephanie Zacharek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-zacharek/) > [“A pair of eyes attached to a human brain can quickly make sense of the content presented on a web page and decide whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-amerland/a-pair-of-eyes-attached-to-a-human-brain-can-quickly-make-sense-of/) [David Amerland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-amerland/) > [“He knew what he'd see; one more slack face, one more pair of eyes that had barely learned to read, one more soul that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cronin/he-knew-what-he-d-see-one-more-slack-face-one-more-pair-of-eyes-that/) [Justin Cronin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cronin/) > [Every pair of eyes facing you has probably experienced something you could not endure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-clifton/every-pair-of-eyes-facing-you-has-probably-experienced-something-you/) [Lucille Clifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-clifton/) > [I may not be rich but I have pair of eyes that can stare you all day,pair of hands that can hold you when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/i-may-not-be-rich-but-i-have-pair-of-eyes-that-can-stare-you-all-day/) [Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/) > [When people says love is blind, they always forget.. That there is two pair of eyes..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arun-nigam/when-people-says-love-is-blind-they-always-forget-that-there-is-two/) [Arun Nigam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arun-nigam/) > [There is nothing left of him but curiosity and a pair of eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-is-nothing-left-of-him-but-curiosity-and-a-pair-of-eyes/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The third person is another pair of eyes. The third person is a presentiment of God. … a way to tell the story. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/the-third-person-is-another-pair-of-eyes-the-third-person-is-a/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [A fresh pair of eyes can often find problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-fresh-pair-of-eyes-can-often-find-problems/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There was a death sentence in every pair of eyes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/there-was-a-death-sentence-in-every-pair-of-eyes/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [I Have A Pair Of Eyes But Cannot See You Everyday. I Have A Pair Of Ears But Cannot Hear Your Voice All The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/i-have-a-pair-of-eyes-but-cannot-see-you-everyday-i-have-a-pair-of/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“The only true voyage would be not to travel through a hundred different lands with the same pair of eyes, but to see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/the-only-true-voyage-would-be-not-to-travel-through-a-hundred/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [No ghost was every seen by two pair of eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/no-ghost-was-every-seen-by-two-pair-of-eyes/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) [Browse all 22 Pair Eyes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pair-eyes-933949/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Eyes often have an implicit censorious power.22 Post a large picture of a pair of eyes at a bus stop (versus a picture of flowers), and people become more likely to clean up litter. 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