--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But this was one way of knowing people…" description: "\"“But this was one way of knowing people, she thought: to know the outline, not the detail, to sit in one's garden and look at the slopes of a hill runn..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69f/virginia-woolf-49_knowing-people_but-this-was-one-way-of-knowing-people-s_1324264.jpg" --- # But this was one way of knowing people, she thought: to… ![“But this was one way of knowing people, she thought: to know the outline, not the detail, to sit in one's garden and look at the slopes of a hill running purple down into the distant heather.” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69f/virginia-woolf-49_knowing-people_but-this-was-one-way-of-knowing-people-s_1324264.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69f/virginia-woolf-49_knowing-people_but-this-was-one-way-of-knowing-people-s_1324264.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69f/virginia-woolf-49_knowing-people_but-this-was-one-way-of-knowing-people-s_1324264.jpg) > ““But this was one way of knowing people, she thought: to know the outline, not the detail, to sit in one's garden and look at the slopes of a hill running purple down into the distant heather.”” [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding people through broad impressions rather than fine details, appreciating the overall shape of their lives. **In simple terms:** Know the big picture, not every detail. Key Takeaway Focus on essential traits. Themes perception understanding human nature Mood contemplative melancholic Type literary reflective When to use this quote - social observation - character study - personal reflection Key Concepts literary insight holistic view Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance overview with detail? - What details reveal hidden truths? A Different Perspective May miss crucial nuances that change perception. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Knowing people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing-people/) ## Related quotes > [“Clarissa had a theory in those days - they had heaps of theories, always theories, as young people have. It was to explain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/clarissa-had-a-theory-in-those-days-they-had-heaps-of-theories-always-3/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Clarissa had a theory in those days - they had heaps of theories, always theories, as young people have. It was to explain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/clarissa-had-a-theory-in-those-days-they-had-heaps-of-theories-always/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Her only gift was knowing people almost by instinct, she thought, walking on. If you put her in a room with someone, up went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/her-only-gift-was-knowing-people-almost-by-instinct-she-thought/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Clarissa had a theory in those days—they had heaps of theories, always theories, as young people have. It was to explain the feeling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/clarissa-had-a-theory-in-those-days-they-had-heaps-of-theories-always-2/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“...lose your mind so that you can gain a new way of knowing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-lynn-payne/lose-your-mind-so-that-you-can-gain-a-new-way-of-knowing/) [Holly Lynn Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-lynn-payne/) > [“Intuition is not a single way of knowing - it's our ability to hold space for uncertainty and our willingness to trust the many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/intuition-is-not-a-single-way-of-knowing-it-s-our-ability-to-hold/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Working together is a way of knowing each other better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/additi-gupta/working-together-is-a-way-of-knowing-each-other-better/) Additi Gupta > [“her on the train all the way to Billings. She had no way of knowing that”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliet-james/her-on-the-train-all-the-way-to-billings-she-had-no-way-of-knowing/) Juliet James > [How do we know imagination isn't just a different way of knowing something? A message from outside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-s-tolan/how-do-we-know-imagination-isn-t-just-a-different-way-of-knowing/) [Stephanie S. Tolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-s-tolan/) > [My religion is no way of knowing me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeet-thayil/my-religion-is-no-way-of-knowing-me/) [Jeet Thayil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeet-thayil/) > [Actions are the doors and windows of being. Unless we act, we have no way of knowing what we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/actions-are-the-doors-and-windows-of-being-unless-we-act-we-have-no/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“There's no way of knowing that your last good day is your Last Good Day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/there-s-no-way-of-knowing-that-your-last-good-day-is-your-last-good-2/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [The sure way of knowing nothing about life is to try to make oneself useful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-sure-way-of-knowing-nothing-about-life-is-to-try-to-make-oneself/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The child has no way of knowing what's good information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-child-has-no-way-of-knowing-what-s-good-information/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [You don't deploy forces into harm's way without knowing what's going on,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/you-don-t-deploy-forces-into-harm-s-way-without-knowing-what-s-going/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) ## More by Virginia Woolf > [Fatigue is the safest sleeping draught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fatigue-is-the-safest-sleeping-draught/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“The train slows and lengthens, as we approach London, the centre, and my heart draws out too, in fear, in exaltation. I am about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-train-slows-and-lengthens-as-we-approach-london-the-centre-and-my/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Across the broad continent of a woman's life falls the shadow of a sword. On one side all is correct, definite, orderly; the paths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/across-the-broad-continent-of-a-woman-s-life-falls-the-shadow-of-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Other worshipful objects were content with worship; men, women, God, all let one kneel prostrate; but this form, were it only the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/other-worshipful-objects-were-content-with-worship-men-women-god-all/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Why does Samuel Butler say, 'Wise men never say what they think of women'? Wise men never say anything else apparently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/why-does-samuel-butler-say-wise-men-never-say-what-they-think-of/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Sometimes he woke with a brain like lead; at others it was as if a thousand wax tapers were alight and people were throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/sometimes-he-woke-with-a-brain-like-lead-at-others-it-was-as-if-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [The extraordinary woman depends on the ordinary woman. It is only when we know what were the conditions of the average woman's life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-extraordinary-woman-depends-on-the-ordinary-woman-it-is-only-when/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [A veil of insanity everywhere: Oh why I was born in this age? It is a terrible age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-veil-of-insanity-everywhere-oh-why-i-was-born-in-this-age-it-is-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Love ought to stop on both sides, don’t you think, simultaneously?’ He spoke without any stress on the words, so as not to wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/love-ought-to-stop-on-both-sides-don-t-you-think-simultaneously-he/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“It is so vast an alleviation to be able to point for another to look at. And then not to talk. To follow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/it-is-so-vast-an-alleviation-to-be-able-to-point-for-another-to-look/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“What a vast fertility of pleasure books hold for me! (...) I think I could happily live here & read forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-vast-fertility-of-pleasure-books-hold-for-me-i-think-i-could/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“what a luxury to be alone once more,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-luxury-to-be-alone-once-more/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“...a woman writing thinks back through her mothers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-woman-writing-thinks-back-through-her-mothers/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“For one's children so often gave one's own perceptions a little thrust forwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-one-s-children-so-often-gave-one-s-own-perceptions-a-little/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“She would not say of anyone in the world now that they were this or were that. She felt very young; at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-would-not-say-of-anyone-in-the-world-now-that-they-were-this-or/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) [Explore all 1,872 Virginia Woolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## More Knowing people quotes > [I don't at all like knowing what people say of me behind my back. It makes me far too conceited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-don-t-at-all-like-knowing-what-people-say-of-me-behind-my-back-it/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“I wish I knew more about people, besides the trivial, superficial things - I wish I knew something essential about each and every person.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ebba-haslund/i-wish-i-knew-more-about-people-besides-the-trivial-superficial/) [Ebba Haslund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ebba-haslund/) > [Being on tour, it's really easy to stop knowing people that you want to know, because you're not sharing experiences; you're not existing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-dacus/being-on-tour-it-s-really-easy-to-stop-knowing-people-that-you-want/) [Lucy Dacus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-dacus/) > [Most people don't walk around knowing what other people think about them, and I don't think it's healthy to know what faceless strangers who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-ricci/most-people-don-t-walk-around-knowing-what-other-people-think-about/) [Christina Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-ricci/) > [Living more lives than one, knowing people of all classes, all shades of opinion, monarchists, republicans, socialists, anarchists, has had a salutary effect on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rheta-childe-dorr/living-more-lives-than-one-knowing-people-of-all-classes-all-shades/) [Rheta Childe Dorr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rheta-childe-dorr/) > [Knowing how people will use something is essential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/knowing-how-people-will-use-something-is-essential/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I get a special joy in knowing people feel comfortable if they see me in Wal-Mart or in a no-frills section trying to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-stone/i-get-a-special-joy-in-knowing-people-feel-comfortable-if-they-see-me/) [Angie Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-stone/) > [The thing that really matters to me is well-being and happiness. Maybe it comes from knowing people who have tortured themselves trying to meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-connelly/the-thing-that-really-matters-to-me-is-well-being-and-happiness-maybe/) [Jennifer Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-connelly/) > [“Knowing more people is not important in growing your business. However, more people knowing you is the key to wealth. Be a magnet, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/knowing-more-people-is-not-important-in-growing-your-business-however/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [It drives me forward knowing people are watching me and I have to swim well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-simmonds/it-drives-me-forward-knowing-people-are-watching-me-and-i-have-to/) [Ellie Simmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-simmonds/) > [I think one of my strengths is kind of knowing people and getting a good read and a feel for what that person's strengths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-holmgren/i-think-one-of-my-strengths-is-kind-of-knowing-people-and-getting-a/) [Mike Holmgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-holmgren/) > [This business of really knowing people, deep down, including your own self, it is not something you can learn in school or from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howe/this-business-of-really-knowing-people-deep-down-including-your-own/) [James Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howe/) > [ You meet a lot of people \[in Dubai\] coming from a lot of different places. Even me, I'm always in transit. I don't stay… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/el-seed/you-meet-a-lot-of-people-in-dubai-coming-from-a-lot-of-different/) [eL Seed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/el-seed/) > [The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/the-most-important-single-ingredient-in-the-formula-of-success-is/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [You never meant that person but you know them better then people that know them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teady/you-never-meant-that-person-but-you-know-them-better-then-people-that/) $Teady [Browse all 76 Knowing people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But this was one way of knowing people, she thought: to know the outline, not the detail, to sit in one's garden and look at the slopes of a hill running purple down into the distant heather.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Virginia Woolf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/but-this-was-one-way-of-knowing-people-she-thought-to-know-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Knowing people" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/but-this-was-one-way-of-knowing-people-she-thought-to-know-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69f/virginia-woolf-49_knowing-people_but-this-was-one-way-of-knowing-people-s_1324264.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69f/virginia-woolf-49_knowing-people_but-this-was-one-way-of-knowing-people-s_1324264.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69f/virginia-woolf-49_knowing-people_but-this-was-one-way-of-knowing-people-s_1324264.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But this was one way of knowing people, she thought: to know the outline, not the detail, to sit in one's…” — Virginia Woolf", "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": "Virginia Woolf", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But this was one way of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/but-this-was-one-way-of-knowing-people-she-thought-to-know-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/but-this-was-one-way-of-knowing-people-she-thought-to-know-the/#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 } } ] } ```