--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I was going to sum up my approach to…" description: "\"If I was going to sum up my approach to this whole mind issue, I would say this: the question is often formulated in a very bad way - for example, by p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/tim-crane-19350_mind_if-i-was-going-to-sum-up-my-approach-to_1276542.jpg" --- # If I was going to sum up my approach to this whole mind… ![“If I was going to sum up my approach to this whole mind issue, I would say this: the question is often formulated in a very bad way - for example, by posing the question in terms of stuff. It's better to start with the things we do know: for example, that there are people and other thinking…” quote by Tim Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/tim-crane-19350_mind_if-i-was-going-to-sum-up-my-approach-to_1276542.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/tim-crane-19350_mind_if-i-was-going-to-sum-up-my-approach-to_1276542.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/tim-crane-19350_mind_if-i-was-going-to-sum-up-my-approach-to_1276542.jpg) > “If I was going to sum up my approach to this whole mind issue, I would say this: the question is often formulated in a very bad way - for example, by posing the question in terms of stuff. It's better to start with the things we do know: for example, that there are people and other thinking creatures, who have mental capacities. Our next step should be to say something about these capacities.” [Tim Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-crane/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Approach complex problems by first identifying known entities and capacities before defining the question. **In simple terms:** Start with what we know. Key Takeaway Ground analysis in known facts. Themes methodology clarity philosophy Mood analytical inquisitive Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - scientific research - policy design - ethical debates - education curriculum Key Concepts epistemology conceptual analysis cognitive science Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions are you making? - How can unknowns be explored? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on knowns may miss novel insights. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Next step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-step/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“Journeys to relive your past?' was the Khan's question at this point, a question which could also have been formulated: 'Journeys to recover your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/journeys-to-relive-your-past-was-the-khan-s-question-at-this-point-a/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [To have something to say is a question of sleepless nights and worry and endless ratiocination of subject - of endless trying to dig…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/to-have-something-to-say-is-a-question-of-sleepless-nights-and-worry/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Say, what's the question mark for? Sexual identity?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-slott/say-what-s-the-question-mark-for-sexual-identity/) [Dan Slott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-slott/) > [As a father, safety is always a top of mind issue for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/as-a-father-safety-is-always-a-top-of-mind-issue-for-me/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [Anyone who makes up their mind about an issue before they hear the issue is a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/anyone-who-makes-up-their-mind-about-an-issue-before-they-hear-the/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [When you're a little kid, you don't see color, and the fact that my friends were black never crossed my mind. It never became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eminem/when-you-re-a-little-kid-you-don-t-see-color-and-the-fact-that-my/) [Eminem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eminem/) > [Theres no stress in the world, only people thinking stressful thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/theres-no-stress-in-the-world-only-people-thinking-stressful-thoughts/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [Women are constantly taught to think about what other people are thinking, from those 'Jackie' magazine quizzes - 'What's he thinking?' - to being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/women-are-constantly-taught-to-think-about-what-other-people-are/) [Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/) > [“As far back as history records people thinking, thinking people have been befuddled by the mysteries of life and existence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-n-roe/as-far-back-as-history-records-people-thinking-thinking-people-have/) [Lewis N. Roe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-n-roe/) > [“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/your-time-is-limited-so-don-t-waste-it-living-someone-else-s-life-don/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The prospering of God's cause on earth depends upon his people thinking well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/the-prospering-of-god-s-cause-on-earth-depends-upon-his-people/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [I realize now that people are not thinking about you and me or caring what is said about us. They are thinking about themselves-before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/i-realize-now-that-people-are-not-thinking-about-you-and-me-or-caring/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [Normally when people say they haven't decided, they're being polite but they're definitely not voting for you. I think it's different this time. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cameron/normally-when-people-say-they-haven-t-decided-they-re-being-polite/) [David Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cameron/) > [You must not become a mere peddler of words. 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Are unobserved things real? etc. and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-crane/science-will-always-raise-philosophical-questions-like-is-any/) [Tim Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-crane/) > [The wine itself has aesthetic value; but what it is for a wine to have aesthetic value cannot be understood without making reference to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-crane/the-wine-itself-has-aesthetic-value-but-what-it-is-for-a-wine-to-have/) [Tim Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-crane/) > [One odd thing about the current debate between religious people and atheists is that the participants don't seem to care that they entirely fail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-crane/one-odd-thing-about-the-current-debate-between-religious-people-and/) [Tim Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-crane/) > [I do think that if you are trying to think empirically about the relationship between conscious experience and the underlying physical reality, wine provides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-crane/i-do-think-that-if-you-are-trying-to-think-empirically-about-the/) [Tim Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-crane/) > [I'm not a militant atheist, just an atheist. 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If one wanted to find the origin of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-crane/problems-come-and-go-over-time-and-to-understand-why-is-a-difficult/) [Tim Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-crane/) [Explore all 33 Tim Crane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-crane/) ## More Mind 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/) > [“William didn't look like he'd be difficult about anything - he was thin and sandy-haired and already wore eyeglasses like his father. Most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-c-wrede/william-didn-t-look-like-he-d-be-difficult-about-anything-he-was-thin/) [Patricia C. 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A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [“Picking locks was not a skill he had ever cultivated, but he persisted day after day, turning the tip of his talon into different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/picking-locks-was-not-a-skill-he-had-ever-cultivated-but-he-persisted/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not here trying to convince anybody to vote for Donald Trump. 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It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 43,542 Mind quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If I was going to sum up my approach to this whole mind issue, I would say this: the question is often formulated in a very bad way - for example, by posing the question in terms of stuff. It's better to start with the things we do know: for example, that there are people and other thinking creatures, who have mental capacities. 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