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
As Cuvier could correctly describe a whole animal by the contemplation of a single bone, so the observer who has thoroughly understood one link in a series of incidents should be able to accurately state all the other ones, both before and after.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding one aspect of a situation can provide insights into the entire context.
In this quote, Arthur Conan Doyle draws an analogy between the ability of a paleontologist, like Cuvier, to deduce the characteristics of a whole animal from a single bone and the skill of a keen observer who can comprehend the larger narrative from a singular event or detail. This highlights the importance of deep understanding and critical thinking in making connections across various occurrences in life.
Themes
UnderstandingInsightConnectionObservationWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
In a presentation about historical events, one might say, 'As Doyle suggests, understanding a pivotal moment can illuminate the entire timeline of history.'
More from Arthur Conan Doyle
All quotes →I 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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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.
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