Quotes about Perception

History, like beauty, depends largely on the beholder, so when you read that, for example, David Livingstone discovered the Victoria Falls, you might be forgiven for thinking that there was nobody around the Falls until Livingstone arrived on the scene.

Two tadpoles at the bottom of a pond were one day discussing the problem of existence. One said to the other, "I think I will stick my head out to see if there is anything else in the world." The other tadpole said, "Don't be silly, do you think there is anything else in this world besides water?" So those who live the natural life ignore the beauty of the higher life of grace.

Nothing is what rocks dream about

The blood of a goat will shatter a diamond.

And if a man believes nothing, but believes it equally so and not so, how would his state be different from a vegetable's?

If the poet's description be criticized as not true to fact, one may urge perhaps that the object ought to be as described—an answer like that of Sophocles, who said that he drew men as they ought to be, and Euripides as they were.

whenever a reasonable explanation comes to sight as to why a thing appears to be but is not true, this makes for greater trust in the truth.

But please remember: this is only a work of fiction. The truth, as always, will be far stranger.

You know my method. It is founded upon the observation of trifles.

Circumstantial evidence is a very tricky thing. It may seem to point very straight to one thing, but if you shift your own point of view a little, you may find it pointing in an equally uncompromising manner to something entirely different

The chief proof of man's real greatness lies in his perception of his own smallness.

Beyond the obvious facts that he has at some time done manual labour, that he takes snuff, that he is a Freemason, that he has been in China, and that he has done a considerable amount of writing lately, I can deduce nothing else.