---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In Spanish, we have a saying that when a…"
description: "\"In Spanish, we have a saying that when a genius points at the moon, a fool looks at the finger. I find that happens a lot with bitcoin.\" — Wences Casares"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c3/wences-casares-66417_bitcoin_in-spanish-we-have-a-saying-that-when-a_248273.jpg"
---

#  In Spanish, we have a saying that when a genius points at…

![“In Spanish, we have a saying that when a genius points at the moon, a fool looks at the finger. I find that happens a lot with bitcoin.” quote by Wences Casares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c3/wences-casares-66417_bitcoin_in-spanish-we-have-a-saying-that-when-a_248273.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c3/wences-casares-66417_bitcoin_in-spanish-we-have-a-saying-that-when-a_248273.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c3/wences-casares-66417_bitcoin_in-spanish-we-have-a-saying-that-when-a_248273.jpg)

> “In Spanish, we have a saying that when a genius points at the moon, a fool looks at the finger. I find that happens a lot with bitcoin.”

[Wences Casares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wences-casares/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

When experts point out something valuable, others focus on the messenger instead of the substance, often missing the real insight.

**In simple terms:** People focus on the messenger, not the message.

Key Takeaway

Look beyond appearances to grasp the core idea.

Themes

misdirection expertise perception

Mood

reflective critical

Type

aphilosophical analytical

When to use this quote

- investment analysis
- technology adoption
- media consumption
- education
- leadership

Key Concepts

cognitive bias attention focus

Questions to Reflect On

- What valuable ideas are you overlooking because of who presents them?
- How can you train yourself to see beyond surface cues?

A Different Perspective

The metaphor may oversimplify complex dynamics and ignore genuine merit of the messenger.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bitcoin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitcoin/) [Finger Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finger-happens-2474659/) [Fingers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fingers/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Looks Finger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks-finger-1725678/) [Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moon/) [Moon Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moon-fool-2474657/) [Points Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/points-moon-1970975/) [Spanish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spanish/) [Spanish Saying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spanish-saying-2474658/)

## Related quotes

> [When the Wise man points at the moon... the idiot looks at the finger...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avinash-wandre/when-the-wise-man-points-at-the-moon-the-idiot-looks-at-the-finger/)

[Avinash Wandre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avinash-wandre/)

> [“A fool I was to sleep at noon, And wake when night is chilly Beneath the comfortless cold moon; A fool to pluck my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-rossetti/a-fool-i-was-to-sleep-at-noon-and-wake-when-night-is-chilly-beneath/)

[Christina Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-rossetti/)

> [In Spanish, we have a saying: 'The woman and the frying pan belong in the kitchen.' Ohhhh, I hate it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charo/in-spanish-we-have-a-saying-the-woman-and-the-frying-pan-belong-in/)

[Charo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charo/)

> [“Quand le doigt montre le ciel, l’imbécile regarde le doigt. \[When a finger is pointing up to the sky, only a fool looks at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-pierre-jeunet/quand-le-doigt-montre-le-ciel-l-imb-cile-regarde-le-doigt-when-a/)

[Jean-Pierre Jeunet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-pierre-jeunet/)

> [When someone points skyward, its the fool that looks at the finger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/when-someone-points-skyward-its-the-fool-that-looks-at-the-finger/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [When the sage points at the moon, all that the idiot sees is the finger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/when-the-sage-points-at-the-moon-all-that-the-idiot-sees-is-the-finger/)

[Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/)

> [A finger points at the moon, but the moon is not at the tip of the finger. Words points at the truth, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huineng/a-finger-points-at-the-moon-but-the-moon-is-not-at-the-tip-of-the/)

[Huineng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huineng/)

> [When a wise man points at the moon the imbecile examines the finger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/when-a-wise-man-points-at-the-moon-the-imbecile-examines-the-finger/)

[Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/)

> [When people write the history of this thing, of bitcoin, they are not going to write the story of 6 million to a billion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wences-casares/when-people-write-the-history-of-this-thing-of-bitcoin-they-are-not/)

[Wences Casares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wences-casares/)

> [Bitcoin is not a currency for a government; it is a global currency for the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wences-casares/bitcoin-is-not-a-currency-for-a-government-it-is-a-global-currency/)

[Wences Casares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wences-casares/)

> [Right now Bitcoin feels like the Internet before the browser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wences-casares/right-now-bitcoin-feels-like-the-internet-before-the-browser/)

[Wences Casares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wences-casares/)

> [We need to come up with use cases for this technology that drive clear benefits for individuals and institutions - these are our customers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-johnson/we-need-to-come-up-with-use-cases-for-this-technology-that-drive/)

[Abigail Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-johnson/)

> [In 2008, Bitcoin was mysteriously introduced to the world in an obscure, technical paper written under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. By late 2013, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hanke/in-2008-bitcoin-was-mysteriously-introduced-to-the-world-in-an/)

[Steve Hanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hanke/)

> [I had been exposed to bitcoin early. I thought the consumer application of it felt, to me, further away. I thought there would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-garlinghouse/i-had-been-exposed-to-bitcoin-early-i-thought-the-consumer/)

[Brad Garlinghouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-garlinghouse/)

> [The bitcoin network is not a payments network and it is not a scaling network.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/the-bitcoin-network-is-not-a-payments-network-and-it-is-not-a-scaling/)

[Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/)

## More by Wences Casares

> [Bitcoin is not a currency for a government; it is a global currency for the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wences-casares/bitcoin-is-not-a-currency-for-a-government-it-is-a-global-currency/)

[Wences Casares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wences-casares/)

> [When people write the history of this thing, of bitcoin, they are not going to write the story of 6 million to a billion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wences-casares/when-people-write-the-history-of-this-thing-of-bitcoin-they-are-not/)

[Wences Casares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wences-casares/)

> [Right now Bitcoin feels like the Internet before the browser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wences-casares/right-now-bitcoin-feels-like-the-internet-before-the-browser/)

[Wences Casares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wences-casares/)

[Explore all 4 Wences Casares quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wences-casares/)

## More Bitcoin quotes

> [The bitcoin network is not a payments network and it is not a scaling network.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-bankman-fried/the-bitcoin-network-is-not-a-payments-network-and-it-is-not-a-scaling/)

[Sam Bankman-Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-bankman-fried/)

> [I had been exposed to bitcoin early. I thought the consumer application of it felt, to me, further away. I thought there would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-garlinghouse/i-had-been-exposed-to-bitcoin-early-i-thought-the-consumer/)

[Brad Garlinghouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-garlinghouse/)

> [In 2008, Bitcoin was mysteriously introduced to the world in an obscure, technical paper written under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. By late 2013, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hanke/in-2008-bitcoin-was-mysteriously-introduced-to-the-world-in-an/)

[Steve Hanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hanke/)

> [We need to come up with use cases for this technology that drive clear benefits for individuals and institutions - these are our customers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-johnson/we-need-to-come-up-with-use-cases-for-this-technology-that-drive/)

[Abigail Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-johnson/)

> [Sir Richard Branson started out as a small business owner and now owns a conglomerate that will give you a ride to the moon.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perianne-boring/sir-richard-branson-started-out-as-a-small-business-owner-and-now/)

[Perianne Boring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perianne-boring/)

> [Exchanging bitcoin on behalf of ransomware victims should not be construed as criminal activity by the exchanger, not as a matter of law nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perianne-boring/exchanging-bitcoin-on-behalf-of-ransomware-victims-should-not-be/)

[Perianne Boring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perianne-boring/)

> [Until part of your paycheck is regularly paid in Bitcoin, I'm not sure how it would really go mainstream. I can imagine places in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-andresen/until-part-of-your-paycheck-is-regularly-paid-in-bitcoin-i-m-not-sure/)

[Gavin Andresen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-andresen/)

> [Calling bitcoin volatile - it's a non-statement. Unregulated assets with unclear regulatory landscapes are always going to be volatile. That's what unregulated assets do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-winklevoss/calling-bitcoin-volatile-it-s-a-non-statement-unregulated-assets-with/)

[Tyler Winklevoss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-winklevoss/)

> [We see bitcoin as potentially the greatest social network of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-winklevoss/we-see-bitcoin-as-potentially-the-greatest-social-network-of-all/)

[Tyler Winklevoss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-winklevoss/)

> [As the platform and protocol become more ingrained in society, get built into products and services, and basically become more of the mesh of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-silbert/as-the-platform-and-protocol-become-more-ingrained-in-society-get/)

[Barry Silbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-silbert/)

> [Bitcoin is not “unregulated”. It is regulated by algorithm instead of being regulated by government bureaucracies. Un-corrupted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-antonopoulos/bitcoin-is-not-unregulated-it-is-regulated-by-algorithm-instead-of/)

[Andreas Antonopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-antonopoulos/)

> [The rudest possible gift is a gift card. It means you think the person is stupid and has no interests. The only good gift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/the-rudest-possible-gift-is-a-gift-card-it-means-you-think-the-person/)

[John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/)

> [If the U.S. government tries to restrict or clamp down, that just means there will be many more bitcoin businesses in Hong Kong and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ver/if-the-u-s-government-tries-to-restrict-or-clamp-down-that-just-means/)

[Roger Ver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ver/)

> [What bitcoin does better than the current financial system is it's a better stored value globally. There are a lot of countries that really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-draper/what-bitcoin-does-better-than-the-current-financial-system-is-it-s-a/)

[Adam Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-draper/)

> [You really want some natural way for people to get Bitcoins, as part of their paycheck or some other activity so they can turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-andresen/you-really-want-some-natural-way-for-people-to-get-bitcoins-as-part/)

[Gavin Andresen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-andresen/)

[Browse all 364 Bitcoin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitcoin/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "In Spanish, we have a saying that when a genius points at the moon, a fool looks at the finger. I find that happens a lot with bitcoin.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Wences Casares"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wences-casares/in-spanish-we-have-a-saying-that-when-a-genius-points-at-the-moon-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bitcoin"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wences-casares/in-spanish-we-have-a-saying-that-when-a-genius-points-at-the-moon-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c3/wences-casares-66417_bitcoin_in-spanish-we-have-a-saying-that-when-a_248273.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c3/wences-casares-66417_bitcoin_in-spanish-we-have-a-saying-that-when-a_248273.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c3/wences-casares-66417_bitcoin_in-spanish-we-have-a-saying-that-when-a_248273.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In Spanish, we have a saying that when a genius points at the moon, a fool looks at the finger. I find that…” — Wences Casares",
                "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": "Wences Casares",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wences-casares/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "In Spanish, we have a saying...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wences-casares/in-spanish-we-have-a-saying-that-when-a-genius-points-at-the-moon-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wences-casares/in-spanish-we-have-a-saying-that-when-a-genius-points-at-the-moon-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
