Quotes About Observation

There be three degrees of this hiding and veiling of a man's self. The first, closeness, reservation, and secrecy; when a man leaveth himself without observation, or without hold to be taken, what he is. The second, dissimulation, in the negative; when a man lets fall signs and arguments, that he is not, that he is. And the third, simulation, in the affirmative; when a man industriously and expressly feigns and pretends to be, that he is not.

To take advice of some few friends, is ever honorable; for lookers-on many times see more than gamesters; and the vale best discovereth the hill.

A man that is busy, and inquisitive, is commonly envious. For to know much of other men's matters, cannot be because all that ado may concern his own estate; therefore it must needs be, that he taketh a kind of play-pleasure, in looking upon the fortunes of others. Neither can he, that mindeth but his own business, find much matter for envy. For envy is a gadding passion, and walketh the streets, and doth not keep home: Non est curiosus, quin idem sit malevolus.

As for the acquaintance, which is to be sought in travel; that which is most of all profitable, is acquaintance with the secretaries and employed men of ambassadors: for so in travelling in one country, he shall suck the experience of many. Let him also see, and visit, eminent persons in all kinds, which are of great name abroad; that he may be able to tell, how the life agreeth with the fame.

Therefore if a man look sharply and attentively, he shall see Fortune: for though she be blind, yet she is not invisible.

Observing our faults in others, is sometimes improper for our case. But the best receipt (best, I say, to work, and best to take) is the admonition of a friend.

Most men mostly imitate what they see, and catch the tone of what they hear, and so a settled type—a persistent character—is formed.

The reason why so few good books are written is, that so few people who can write know anything. In general an author has always lived in a room, has read books, has cultivated science, is acquainted with the style and sentiments of the best authors, but he is out of the way of employing his own eyes and ears. He has nothing to hear and nothing to see. His life is a vacuum.

I always do my rap from the outside looking in. Like I do my rap as if I'm looking at me rap.

To me, sometimes things outside of rap inspire me to rap.

The best rappers I know are, like, air-conditioner men.

You know who we hear about all the rappers from? The bus drivers.

I always have a notebook with me, I eavesdrop; I write down what people say. It's very rare that one of those things will provoke a story, but I think that that kind of paying attention all the time, and keeping everything open, lets the stories come in. But where they come from is still a mystery to me.

The lion is, however, rarely heard - much more seldom seen.

Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen.

Seeing through is rarely seeing into.

Rarely do pens go dry in restaurants.

Rarely ever see or meet the writer during shooting.

I rarely ever put my head above the rampart and see where this big lumbering behemoth called 'global literature' is going.

Most of us who have healthy eyesight are extremely attached to our vision, often without being conscious that we are. We depend heavily on our eyes, and yet we rarely give them a second thought. I, at least, am this way. The physical world is almost hyper-vivid to me.

Rarely do I try to pull a creature out of life and make it a character.

I used to rarely go on film sets, as I felt it was very boring to see the same shot being done so many times. I felt I had nothing to do. I used to irritate the cameramen.

Even the best novelists are rarely congratulated on the quality of their observations about contemporary life.

Observations indicate that the universe is expanding at an ever increasing rate. It will expand forever, getting emptier and darker.