It has always seemed to me that so long as you produce your dramatic effect, accuracy of detail matters little. I have never striven for it and I have made some bad mistakes in consequence. What matter if I hold my readers?
Arthur Conan DoyleRead
Crime is common. Logic is rare. Therefore it is upon the logic rather than upon the crime that you should dwell.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that while crime is frequent, logical thinking is not, and we should focus on logic instead of the prevalence of crime.
Arthur Conan Doyle emphasizes the relative rarity of logical reasoning compared to the frequency of criminal behavior. He suggests that rather than fixating on criminal acts, one should instead concentrate on understanding the logic behind events and decisions, implying that logic provides a crucial framework for navigating the complexities of life and human behavior.
Themes
CrimeLogicFocusReasoningUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate on crime prevention, one might quote this to emphasize the importance of logical policies over emotional reactions.
More from Arthur Conan Doyle
All quotes βI had neither kith nor kin in England, and was therefore as free as air -- or as free as an income of eleven shillings and sixpence a day will permit a man to be. Under such circumstances, I naturally gravitated to London, that great cesspool into which all the loungers and idlers of the Empire are irresistibly drained.
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A dog reflects the family life. Whoever saw a frisky dog in a gloomy family, or a sad dog in a happy one? Snarling people have snarling dogs, dangerous people have dangerous ones.
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You yourself may not be luminous, but you are a conductor of light.
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I could not rest, Watson, I could not sit quiet in my chair, if I thought that such a man as Professor Moriarty were walking the streets of London unchallenged.
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It seems very strange ... that in the course of the world's history so obvious an improvement should never have been adopted. ... The next generation of Britishers would be the better for having had this extra hour of daylight in their childhood.
Arthur Conan DoyleRead
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