Skip to content

Attention Quote by Stephen Colbert

“Sir, pay no attention to the people who say the glass is half empty, because 32% means it's 2/3 empty. There's still some liquid in that glass is my point, but I wouldn't drink it. The last third is usually backwash. (Said to President Bush at the White House Correspondents Dinner)” quote by Stephen Colbert
Download Open image
“Sir, pay no attention to the people who say the glass is half empty, because 32% means it's 2/3 empty. There's still some liquid in that glass is my point, but I wouldn't drink it. The last third is usually backwash. (Said to President Bush at the White House Correspondents Dinner)”

Stephen Colbert

About This Quote

Source Speech: White House Correspondents Dinner, 2006

He jokes that focusing on a glass’s emptiness ignores the remaining content, yet the remainder is undesirable.

In simple terms: Focus on emptiness misses the rest, which may be unpleasant.

Key Takeaway

Don’t fixate on negative framing.

Themes

humor critique perception

Mood

witty critical

Type

satirical commentary

When to use this quote

  • public speaking
  • media analysis
  • personal mindset

Key Concepts

cognitive bias satire

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does framing affect decisions?
  • When is it useful to highlight emptiness?
A Different Perspective

Humor may downplay serious issues.

4.7 out of 5 (5 ratings)

More by Stephen Colbert

Explore all 514 Stephen Colbert quotes

More Attention quotes

Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes