Quotes About Observation

I can see nothing," said I, handing it back to my friend. "On the contrary, Watson, you can see everything. You fail, however, to reason from what you see. You are too timid in drawing your inferences.

racy, his cold eyes glitter into ardent life, and his Don

Dr. Watson, Mr. Sherlock Holmes,' said Stamford, introducing us.

É um grande erro teorizar antes de ter todos os indícios. Prejudica o raciocínio.

What do you wish to draw my attention to? To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time. The dog did nothing in the night-time. That was the curious incident, remarked Sherlock Holmes.

How are you, Watson?" said he, cordially. "I should never have known you under that moustache

You seem very qualified, sir, to express the negative one. At the same time I would repeat in my own person the words of Thackeray. He said to some objector: 'What you say is natural, but if you had seen what I have seen you might alter your opinion'. Perhaps sometime you will be able to look into the matter, for your high position in the scientific world would give your opinion great weight.

Die Welt ist voller offensichtlicher Dinge, die niemand jemals beobachtet.

Arthur Conan Doyle

No veo nada- respondí [...] -Muy al contrario, Watson, lo ve usted todo. Sin embargo, no razona a partit de lo que ve

With a keen eye for details, one truth prevails.

You will not apply my precept, he said, shaking his head. How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth? We know that he did not come through the door, the window, or the chimney. We also know that he could not have been concealed in the room, as there is no concealment possible. When, then, did he come? Sherlock Holmes in The Sign of the Four

La vida es toda una gran cadena cuya naturaleza se manifiesta a la sola vista de un eslabón aislado

Ya le he explicado otras veces que en esta clase de casos lo extraordinario constituye antes que un estorbo, una fuente de indicios. La clave reside en razonar a la inversa, cosa, sea dicho de paso, tan útil como sencilla, y poquísimo practicada

Holmes glanced at me and raised his eyebrows sardonically. "With two such men as yourself and Lestrade upon the ground, there will not be much for a third party to find out," he said.

A dog reflects the family life. Whoever saw a frisky dog in a gloomy family, or a sad dog in a happy one?

Holmes glanced at me and raised his eyebrows sardonically. With two such men as yourself and Lestrade upon the ground, there will not be much for a third party to find out, he said.

By a man's finger-nails, by his coat-sleeve, by his boots, by his trouser-knees, by the callosities of his forefinger and thumb, by his expression, by his shirt-cuff — By each of these things a man's calling is plainly revealed. That all united should fail to enlighten the competent inquirer in any case is almost inconceivable.

You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear. For example, you

You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear. For example, you have frequently seen the steps which lead up from the hall to this room." "Frequently.

How often?" "Well, some hundreds of times." "Then how many are there?" "How many? I don't know." "Quite so! You have not observed. And yet you have seen. That is just my point. Now, I know that there are seventeen steps, because I have both seen and observed.

I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. But the note itself. What do you deduce from it?

A tree may look as beautiful as ever; but when you notice the insects infesting it, and the tips of the branches that are brown from disease, even the trunk seems to lose some of its magnificence.

A geisha has studied a man's moods and his seasons. She fusses and he blooms.