--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The obsessions of others are opaque to…" description: "\"The obsessions of others are opaque to the unobsessed, and thus easy to mock. NASCAR, jazz, baseball, roses, poetry, quilts, fishing. If we're lucky, w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/roberta-smith-54285_baseball_the-obsessions-of-others-are-opaque-to-t_2301118.jpg" --- # The obsessions of others are opaque to the unobsessed, and… ![“The obsessions of others are opaque to the unobsessed, and thus easy to mock. NASCAR, jazz, baseball, roses, poetry, quilts, fishing. If we're lucky, we all have at least one.” quote by Roberta Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/roberta-smith-54285_baseball_the-obsessions-of-others-are-opaque-to-t_2301118.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/roberta-smith-54285_baseball_the-obsessions-of-others-are-opaque-to-t_2301118.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/roberta-smith-54285_baseball_the-obsessions-of-others-are-opaque-to-t_2301118.jpg) > “The obsessions of others are opaque to the unobsessed, and thus easy to mock. NASCAR, jazz, baseball, roses, poetry, quilts, fishing. If we're lucky, we all have at least one.” [Roberta Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberta-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often mock what they don’t understand, especially when they lack personal connection to those interests. **In simple terms:** Mocking comes from ignorance and lack of personal experience. Key Takeaway Seek to understand before judging. Themes empathy misunderstanding culture humor Mood reflective thoughtful Type observational social When to use this quote - conversations - social media - friend groups - cultural exchange Key Concepts social perception bias communication Questions to Reflect On - What interests do you share with others? - How can you turn mockery into curiosity? A Different Perspective Mocking can reinforce stereotypes and alienate others. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) [Easy Mock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy-mock-2655195/) [Fishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fishing/) [Jazz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jazz/) [Lucky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lucky/) [Mock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mock/) [Mock Nascar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mock-nascar-5439257/) [Nascar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nascar/) [Obsessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsessions/) [Obsessions Opaque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsessions-opaque-5439258/) [Opaque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opaque/) [Others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/others/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Roses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roses/) [Thus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thus/) ## Related quotes > [Radicalization is very easy when you mock what people hold dear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamza-yusuf/radicalization-is-very-easy-when-you-mock-what-people-hold-dear/) [Hamza Yusuf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamza-yusuf/) > [It's certainly easy to mock some things ... Oddly enough though I've never found it easy to mock anything of value. Only things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/it-s-certainly-easy-to-mock-some-things-oddly-enough-though-i-ve/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“For careers you say you went to be remembered for your art Your obsessions get you known throughout the school for being strange Making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belle-sebastian/for-careers-you-say-you-went-to-be-remembered-for-your-art-your/) [Belle & Sebastian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belle-sebastian/) > [“The writer’s obsessions are twofold. First, communicate their thoughts onto paper with a great degree of precision in order accurately to express everything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/the-writer-s-obsessions-are-twofold-first-communicate-their-thoughts/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [I'm not a computer guy. I'm like an anthropologist. I'm fascinated with people's obsessions. I've learned to wear them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/i-m-not-a-computer-guy-i-m-like-an-anthropologist-i-m-fascinated-with/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [“Soon enough, we are all going to leave this earth for good. The thought of this alone should make us love deeply, and live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/soon-enough-we-are-all-going-to-leave-this-earth-for-good-the-thought/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [People never cease to project on to God their individual and collective obsessions, so that they can appropriate and make use of him. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-clement/people-never-cease-to-project-on-to-god-their-individual-and/) [Olivier Clement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-clement/) > [“How much of our lives is spent in reverie, in wishing for what cannot be, in regretting what might have been avoided. These obsessions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-k-reynolds/how-much-of-our-lives-is-spent-in-reverie-in-wishing-for-what-cannot/) [David K. Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-k-reynolds/) > [“Finally, Luther, Bunyan, and Thérèse all developed mature religious philosophies that differed from those of their communities because (from a psychiatric standpoint) each needed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-osborn/finally-luther-bunyan-and-th-r-se-all-developed-mature-religious/) [Ian Osborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-osborn/) > [“Peeves are like that: my peeves are law, yours are unhealthy obsessions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lane-greene/peeves-are-like-that-my-peeves-are-law-yours-are-unhealthy-obsessions/) [Robert Lane Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lane-greene/) > [One of my pet peeves, one of my obsessions, is litter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-wax/one-of-my-pet-peeves-one-of-my-obsessions-is-litter/) [Amy Wax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-wax/) > [Love is an obsession. It has that quality to it. But there are healthy obsessions, and mine is one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-stephenson/love-is-an-obsession-it-has-that-quality-to-it-but-there-are-healthy/) [Pamela Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-stephenson/) > [A people represents not so much an aggregate of ideas and theories as of obsessions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/a-people-represents-not-so-much-an-aggregate-of-ideas-and-theories-as/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [For many people it's Facebook, or sports on TV, whatever it is. I have my own demons that I battle. But whatever they are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-walter/for-many-people-it-s-facebook-or-sports-on-tv-whatever-it-is-i-have/) [Jess Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-walter/) > [OBSESSED, p.p. Vexed by an evil spirit, like the Gadarene swine and other critics. Obsession was once more common than it is now. Arasthus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/obsessed-p-p-vexed-by-an-evil-spirit-like-the-gadarene-swine-and/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) ## More by Roberta Smith > [Performa's founder and prime mover, Roselee Goldberg, has great instincts for which artists might collaborate well together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberta-smith/performa-s-founder-and-prime-mover-roselee-goldberg-has-great/) [Roberta Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberta-smith/) > [I am a noncook, although I'm very interested and have a large collection of cookbooks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberta-smith/i-am-a-noncook-although-i-m-very-interested-and-have-a-large/) [Roberta Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberta-smith/) > [You never know when contemporary art is going to insinuate itself into a normally art-free zone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberta-smith/you-never-know-when-contemporary-art-is-going-to-insinuate-itself/) [Roberta Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberta-smith/) > [Thanks to a hacker known as Guccifer who wormed into the computer of the 43rd president's sister, the world has learned that George W.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberta-smith/thanks-to-a-hacker-known-as-guccifer-who-wormed-into-the-computer-of/) [Roberta Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberta-smith/) > [A certain rough-around-the-edges improvisational looseness - a sense of something coming together before your eyes, or not quite - may be one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberta-smith/a-certain-rough-around-the-edges-improvisational-looseness-a-sense-of/) [Roberta Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberta-smith/) [Explore all 6 Roberta Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberta-smith/) ## More Baseball quotes > [I'd always have grease in at least two places, in case the umpires would ask me to wipe one off. I never wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaylord-perry/i-d-always-have-grease-in-at-least-two-places-in-case-the-umpires/) [Gaylord Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaylord-perry/) > [When you're in the middle of a pennant race, you can't go up there thinking about home runs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammy-sosa/when-you-re-in-the-middle-of-a-pennant-race-you-can-t-go-up-there/) [Sammy Sosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammy-sosa/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [Spring training means flowers, people coming outdoors, sunshine, optimism and baseball. Spring training is a time to think about being young again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-banks/spring-training-means-flowers-people-coming-outdoors-sunshine/) [Ernie Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-banks/) > [Pitchers pitch differently. Hitters, hardly anyone has the same stance. That's just how it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-zimmerman/pitchers-pitch-differently-hitters-hardly-anyone-has-the-same-stance/) [Ryan Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-zimmerman/) > [Five World Series rings, 3000-plus hits, the fame, the fortune and playing for the second most historic franchise in baseball... These are just some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mookie-betts/five-world-series-rings-3000-plus-hits-the-fame-the-fortune-and/) [Mookie Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mookie-betts/) > [I don't want the electronic strike zone. I like the element of sometimes pitches don't get called. Guys don't receive it well or whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schwarber/i-don-t-want-the-electronic-strike-zone-i-like-the-element-of/) [Kyle Schwarber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schwarber/) > [I sang the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium - at a baseball game - which was crazy; there was, like, 60,000 people there, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-devine/i-sang-the-national-anthem-at-dodger-stadium-at-a-baseball-game-which/) [Adam DeVine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-devine/) > [If I was going to make one rule change, I would bring the DH to the National League.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-brett/if-i-was-going-to-make-one-rule-change-i-would-bring-the-dh-to-the/) [George Brett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-brett/) > [In all honesty, once you become a professional, number one, you're no longer a fan. I don't root for the Dodgers, really. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vin-scully/in-all-honesty-once-you-become-a-professional-number-one-you-re-no/) [Vin Scully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vin-scully/) > [I'll tell you what's helped me my entire life. I look at baseball as a game. It's something where people can go out, enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-caray/i-ll-tell-you-what-s-helped-me-my-entire-life-i-look-at-baseball-as-a/) [Harry Caray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-caray/) > [When I step into the batters box. The fans, the noise, the cheers, they all disappear. For that moment, the world is just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/when-i-step-into-the-batters-box-the-fans-the-noise-the-cheers-they/) [Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley/) > [What we should have done is kept the same team that played in the '95 World Series. Those trades (Eddie Murray & Carlos Baerga)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-belle/what-we-should-have-done-is-kept-the-same-team-that-played-in-the-95/) [Albert Belle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-belle/) > [“I can buy baseball cards to view an entire career on the back of a little square of cardboard. But nobody sells major league…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg-jr/i-can-buy-baseball-cards-to-view-an-entire-career-on-the-back-of-a/) [John Ortberg Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg-jr/) > [The wind always seems to blow against catchers when they are running.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-garagiola/the-wind-always-seems-to-blow-against-catchers-when-they-are-running/) [Joe Garagiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-garagiola/) [Browse all 7,461 Baseball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The obsessions of others are opaque to the unobsessed, and thus easy to mock. NASCAR, jazz, baseball, roses, poetry, quilts, fishing. If we're lucky, we all have at least one.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Roberta Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberta-smith/the-obsessions-of-others-are-opaque-to-the-unobsessed-and-thus-easy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Baseball" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberta-smith/the-obsessions-of-others-are-opaque-to-the-unobsessed-and-thus-easy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/roberta-smith-54285_baseball_the-obsessions-of-others-are-opaque-to-t_2301118.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/roberta-smith-54285_baseball_the-obsessions-of-others-are-opaque-to-t_2301118.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/roberta-smith-54285_baseball_the-obsessions-of-others-are-opaque-to-t_2301118.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The obsessions of others are opaque to the unobsessed, and thus easy to mock. NASCAR, jazz, baseball, roses…” — Roberta Smith", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Roberta Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberta-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The obsessions of others are opaque...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberta-smith/the-obsessions-of-others-are-opaque-to-the-unobsessed-and-thus-easy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberta-smith/the-obsessions-of-others-are-opaque-to-the-unobsessed-and-thus-easy/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```