--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The common perception is it only happens…" description: "\"The common perception is it only happens to people who aren't paying attention.\" — Thomas Jones" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1c/thomas-jones-24526_attention_the-common-perception-is-it-only-happens_1238502.png" --- # The common perception is it only happens to people who… ![“The common perception is it only happens to people who aren't paying attention.” quote by Thomas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1c/thomas-jones-24526_attention_the-common-perception-is-it-only-happens_1238502.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1c/thomas-jones-24526_attention_the-common-perception-is-it-only-happens_1238502.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1c/thomas-jones-24526_attention_the-common-perception-is-it-only-happens_1238502.png) > “The common perception is it only happens to people who aren't paying attention.” [Thomas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People think it only happens to those who aren't paying attention. **In simple terms:** It’s often seen as a lack of awareness. Key Takeaway Stay alert to avoid missing opportunities. Themes awareness mistakes learning attention Mood cautious thoughtful Type educational practical When to use this quote - driving - workplace safety - financial decisions Key Concepts cognitive bias mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How can you improve situational awareness? - What systems help catch blind spots? A Different Perspective Even attentive people can be caught off guard by unexpected events. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Paying Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paying-attention/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Perception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perception/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) ## Related quotes > [Perception is not something that happens to us, or in us. It is something we do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alva-noe/perception-is-not-something-that-happens-to-us-or-in-us-it-is/) [Alva Noe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alva-noe/) > [Conflict happens. People aren't happy all of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-ramirez/conflict-happens-people-aren-t-happy-all-of-the-time/) [Sara Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-ramirez/) > [I'd beg to differ from the common perception that real-life soul mates don't make a good pair on camera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiten-tejwani/i-d-beg-to-differ-from-the-common-perception-that-real-life-soul/) [Hiten Tejwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiten-tejwani/) > [It is a common perception that actors don’t get along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepika-padukone/it-is-a-common-perception-that-actors-don-t-get-along/) [Deepika Padukone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepika-padukone/) > [I love, first of all, reading and discovering what the common perception is and then trying to figure out... well, how does your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/i-love-first-of-all-reading-and-discovering-what-the-common/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [Paying attention and awareness are universal capacities of human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-kabat-zinn/paying-attention-and-awareness-are-universal-capacities-of-human/) [Jon Kabat-Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-kabat-zinn/) > [Staring at her face, she began to fancy her outer layer had begun to melt away while she wasn't paying attention, and something --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/staring-at-her-face-she-began-to-fancy-her-outer-layer-had-begun-to/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [ \[If\] we can celebrate that in a way that celebrates our love for New England as well as our love for the Italian culture… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/if-we-can-celebrate-that-in-a-way-that-celebrates-our-love-for-new/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [If we never leave our house except to drive to work, do we need to be even remotely aware of this powerful, humbling, extraordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/if-we-never-leave-our-house-except-to-drive-to-work-do-we-need-to-be/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I think in any writing you're paying attention to detail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/i-think-in-any-writing-you-re-paying-attention-to-detail/) [Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/) > [We often miss hearing God's voice simply because we aren't paying attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/we-often-miss-hearing-god-s-voice-simply-because-we-aren-t-paying/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [Niches set back in the walls contained polished marble statues of entwined bodies. Will looked away from them hastily, and then back. It wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/niches-set-back-in-the-walls-contained-polished-marble-statues-of/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I want people to just be paying attention even if they're not necessarily laughing at something, or if it takes them a while to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-want-people-to-just-be-paying-attention-even-if-they-re-not/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [I want my whole life to be a great work of art, not just my art. And that means paying attention to my entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel/i-want-my-whole-life-to-be-a-great-work-of-art-not-just-my-art-and/) [Jewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel/) > [There is a nationwide shortage of drugs for Attention Deficit Disorder. The FDA says they're not sure how it happened. I guess somebody wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/there-is-a-nationwide-shortage-of-drugs-for-attention-deficit/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) ## More by Thomas Jones > [No one had ever made it big from my town until I was able to make it to the NFL and now the big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/no-one-had-ever-made-it-big-from-my-town-until-i-was-able-to-make-it/) [Thomas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/) > [I had a great family. My father was in the Air Force, so we were always disciplined, goal oriented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/i-had-a-great-family-my-father-was-in-the-air-force-so-we-were-always/) [Thomas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/) > [When I'm 75 years old, I want to say that I chased my dream. I didn't let other people's opinions dictate what I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/when-i-m-75-years-old-i-want-to-say-that-i-chased-my-dream-i-didn-t/) [Thomas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/) > [Football was everything to me. There was the physical aspect, sure. I did pushups and sit-ups every night, even as a kid. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/football-was-everything-to-me-there-was-the-physical-aspect-sure-i/) [Thomas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/) > [Friends may come and go, but barbecues accumulate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/friends-may-come-and-go-but-barbecues-accumulate/) [Thomas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/) > [Many do with opportunities as children do at the seashore; they fill their little hands with sand, and then let the grains fall through,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/many-do-with-opportunities-as-children-do-at-the-seashore-they-fill/) [Thomas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/) > [When you see a black guy on TV, he's always a thug or always portrayed as someone that's in trouble. It spreads the message…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/when-you-see-a-black-guy-on-tv-he-s-always-a-thug-or-always-portrayed/) [Thomas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/) > [You know you no where near me so that line you can step back in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/you-know-you-no-where-near-me-so-that-line-you-can-step-back-in/) [Thomas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/) > [My inspiration is my hometown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/my-inspiration-is-my-hometown/) [Thomas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/) > [There are a lot of black men doing really well, taking care of their families, taking care of their wives, being successful, doing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/there-are-a-lot-of-black-men-doing-really-well-taking-care-of-their/) [Thomas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/) > [I feel like there's no such thing as failure. When something doesn't go the way I want it to, I learn from it, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/i-feel-like-there-s-no-such-thing-as-failure-when-something-doesn-t/) [Thomas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/) > [Everybody dismissed athletes as being purely physical, but when you retire, you go from such an intense brain time - study of defense, audibles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/everybody-dismissed-athletes-as-being-purely-physical-but-when-you/) [Thomas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/) > [As a football player, you're really an actor. I spent all Sunday getting into character. Sunday at 10 a.m., I have to be upset…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/as-a-football-player-you-re-really-an-actor-i-spent-all-sunday/) [Thomas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/) > [I'm a gym rat, I have to admit. I live in the gym, and now that I don't have to get beat up for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/i-m-a-gym-rat-i-have-to-admit-i-live-in-the-gym-and-now-that-i-don-t/) [Thomas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/) > [My inspiration is my hometown. I feel that because I'm representing my very overlooked region of Virginia, I have to keep accomplishing my goals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/my-inspiration-is-my-hometown-i-feel-that-because-i-m-representing-my/) [Thomas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/) [Explore all 24 Thomas Jones quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The common perception is it only happens to people who aren't paying attention.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Jones" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/the-common-perception-is-it-only-happens-to-people-who-aren-t-paying/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Attention" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/the-common-perception-is-it-only-happens-to-people-who-aren-t-paying/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1c/thomas-jones-24526_attention_the-common-perception-is-it-only-happens_1238502.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1c/thomas-jones-24526_attention_the-common-perception-is-it-only-happens_1238502.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1c/thomas-jones-24526_attention_the-common-perception-is-it-only-happens_1238502.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The common perception is it only happens to people who aren't paying attention.” — Thomas Jones", "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": "Thomas Jones", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jones/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The common perception is it only...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/the-common-perception-is-it-only-happens-to-people-who-aren-t-paying/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jones/the-common-perception-is-it-only-happens-to-people-who-aren-t-paying/#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 } } ] } ```