---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We often look with indifference on the…"
description: "\"We often look with indifference on the successive parts of something that, if the whole were seen together, would shake us with emotion.\" — Samuel Johnson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45b/samuel-johnson-50_emotion_we-often-look-with-indifference-on-the-s_2286760.png"
---

#  We often look with indifference on the successive parts of…

![“We often look with indifference on the successive parts of something that, if the whole were seen together, would shake us with emotion.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45b/samuel-johnson-50_emotion_we-often-look-with-indifference-on-the-s_2286760.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45b/samuel-johnson-50_emotion_we-often-look-with-indifference-on-the-s_2286760.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45b/samuel-johnson-50_emotion_we-often-look-with-indifference-on-the-s_2286760.png)

> “We often look with indifference on the successive parts of something that, if the whole were seen together, would shake us with emotion.”

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

We often miss emotional impact when focusing on parts instead of the whole.

**In simple terms:** Missing the whole’s emotion by focusing on parts.

Key Takeaway

See the bigger picture.

Themes

perception emotion holism

Mood

thoughtful reflective

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- art criticism
- storytelling
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

philosophy psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How does focusing on parts limit feeling?
- What helps us perceive the whole?

A Different Perspective

May ignore useful details.

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[Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Indifference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indifference/) [Indifference Successive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indifference-successive-5357718/) [Look Indifference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-indifference-614939/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Shake Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shake-emotion-5357719/) [Shakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakes/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/)

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