--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let a man get up and say, Behold, this is…" description: "\"Let a man get up and say, Behold, this is the truth, and instantly I perceive a sandy cat filching a piece of fish in the background. Look, you have fo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85f/virginia-woolf-49_cat_let-a-man-get-up-and-say-behold-this-is_1786035.jpg" --- # Let a man get up and say, Behold, this is the truth, and… ![“Let a man get up and say, Behold, this is the truth, and instantly I perceive a sandy cat filching a piece of fish in the background. Look, you have forgotten the cat, I say.” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85f/virginia-woolf-49_cat_let-a-man-get-up-and-say-behold-this-is_1786035.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85f/virginia-woolf-49_cat_let-a-man-get-up-and-say-behold-this-is_1786035.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85f/virginia-woolf-49_cat_let-a-man-get-up-and-say-behold-this-is_1786035.jpg) > “Let a man get up and say, Behold, this is the truth, and instantly I perceive a sandy cat filching a piece of fish in the background. Look, you have forgotten the cat, I say.” [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. The quote illustrates how sudden revelations can eclipse earlier truths, showing how perception shifts focus unexpectedly. **In simple terms:** New insights can distract from earlier facts. Key Takeaway Stay aware of shifting perspectives. Themes perception truth distraction Mood reflective thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal epiphany - literary analysis - mindfulness practice Key Concepts existentialism stream of consciousness Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain focus when new information appears? - What role does distraction play in understanding truth? A Different Perspective The sudden shift may cause important details to be overlooked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cat/) [Cats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cats/) [Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“But for ourselves, we resent teachers. Let a man get up and say, 'Behold, this is the truth,' and instantly I perceive a sandy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/but-for-ourselves-we-resent-teachers-let-a-man-get-up-and-say-behold/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [It's a bit scary to see my book come true: the recent (if minor) LA earthquakes, Hurricane Sandy, the Boston bomber, and so on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edan-lepucki/it-s-a-bit-scary-to-see-my-book-come-true-the-recent-if-minor-la/) [Edan Lepucki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edan-lepucki/) > [As you know, Hurricane Sandy has affected thousands of families, leaving them without electricity, without household goods and, in the worst cases, without a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thalia/as-you-know-hurricane-sandy-has-affected-thousands-of-families/) [Thalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thalia/) > [In New York, FEMA granted the Mamaroneck Beach & Yacht Club's request to be remapped from the high-risk flood zone in August 2012 -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/in-new-york-fema-granted-the-mamaroneck-beach-yacht-club-s-request-to/) [Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/) > [“I admired how perfectly matched they seemed to be, and I started to wonder about my own, personal definition of love. Had it been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/i-admired-how-perfectly-matched-they-seemed-to-be-and-i-started-to/) [Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/) > [Well, I think In Love and War, which had a wonderful performance by Sandy, Sandra Bullock, who the authorities and, the supposed authorities, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-attenborough/well-i-think-in-love-and-war-which-had-a-wonderful-performance-by/) [Richard Attenborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-attenborough/) > [“Sandy’s face was very close to mine in the crowded room. She had a wide mouth and a lot of teeth. She had turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-parker/sandy-s-face-was-very-close-to-mine-in-the-crowded-room-she-had-a/) [Robert B. Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-parker/) > [The day I got a hit off (Sandy) Koufax was when he knew it was all over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sparky-anderson/the-day-i-got-a-hit-off-sandy-koufax-was-when-he-knew-it-was-all-over/) [Sparky Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sparky-anderson/) > [I can see how he (Sandy Koufax) won twenty-five games. What I don't understand is how he lost five.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-berra/i-can-see-how-he-sandy-koufax-won-twenty-five-games-what-i-don-t/) [Yogi Berra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-berra/) > [Sandy: Boy, you must really think I'm stupid or something. Jeff: Ahh, no one would call you stupid, to your face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teri-garr/sandy-boy-you-must-really-think-i-m-stupid-or-something-jeff-ahh-no/) [Teri Garr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teri-garr/) > [Tall, sandy blonde, with sort of blue eyes, skinny in places, fat in others. An average gal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uma-thurman/tall-sandy-blonde-with-sort-of-blue-eyes-skinny-in-places-fat-in/) [Uma Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uma-thurman/) > [“Rachel was panicking. She'd actually lost sight of Gadlow. The cardinal bloody sin . Sandy was going to kill her, string her up outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-duns/rachel-was-panicking-she-d-actually-lost-sight-of-gadlow-the-cardinal/) [Jeremy Duns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-duns/) > [He (Sandy Koufax) throws a 'radio ball,' a pitch you hear, but you don't see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-mauch/he-sandy-koufax-throws-a-radio-ball-a-pitch-you-hear-but-you-don-t-see/) [Gene Mauch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-mauch/) > [Well, I met Sandy Bullock at an awards thing a couple years ago, and she said to me, “If I were gay, you’d be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-thompson/well-i-met-sandy-bullock-at-an-awards-thing-a-couple-years-ago-and/) [Emma Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-thompson/) > [ \[Sandy\] Kress says \[Betsy\] DeVos's record on school choice in Michigan sealed the deal. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudio-sanchez/sandy-kress-says-betsy-devos-s-record-on-school-choice-in-michigan/) [Claudio Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudio-sanchez/) ## 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 Cat quotes > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) > [One reason why my memory decays is that I have three cats, all so loving and insistent that they play cat's-cradle with every train…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-townsend-warner/one-reason-why-my-memory-decays-is-that-i-have-three-cats-all-so/) [Sylvia Townsend Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-townsend-warner/) > [It's an interesting fact that fewer than 17 % of Real cats end their lives with the same name they started with. Much family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-an-interesting-fact-that-fewer-than-17-of-real-cats-end-their/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [The dog is guided by kindly instinct to the man or woman whose heart is open to his advances. The cat often leaves the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/the-dog-is-guided-by-kindly-instinct-to-the-man-or-woman-whose-heart/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [If you ask me to tell you anything about the nature of what lies beyond the phaneron… my answer is “How should I know?”……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/if-you-ask-me-to-tell-you-anything-about-the-nature-of-what-lies/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [Is man no more than this? Consider him well. Thou ow'st the worm no silk, the beast no hide, the sheep no wool, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/is-man-no-more-than-this-consider-him-well-thou-ow-st-the-worm-no/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [One cat just leads to another. The place is so damned big it doesn't really seem as though there were many cats until you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/one-cat-just-leads-to-another-the-place-is-so-damned-big-it-doesn-t/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [In the olden days in England, you could be hung for stealing a sheep or a loaf of bread. However, if a sheep stole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-harding/in-the-olden-days-in-england-you-could-be-hung-for-stealing-a-sheep/) [Mike Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-harding/) > [Kittens can happen to anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gallico/kittens-can-happen-to-anyone/) [Paul Gallico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gallico/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“All right, you deadly little ghostlings,” I muttered. “Mama says go back to bed! - Cat”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/all-right-you-deadly-little-ghostlings-i-muttered-mama-says-go-back/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [Man wishes woman to be peaceable, but in fact she is essentially warlike, like the cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/man-wishes-woman-to-be-peaceable-but-in-fact-she-is-essentially/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [There are videos I used to take at home, pretending to be a newscaster, interviewing the teapot or my house cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-wagner/there-are-videos-i-used-to-take-at-home-pretending-to-be-a-newscaster/) [Alex Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-wagner/) [Browse all 2,996 Cat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cat/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Let a man get up and say, Behold, this is the truth, and instantly I perceive a sandy cat filching a piece of fish in the background. 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