Observe, record, tabulate, communicate. Use your five senses. Learn to see, learn to hear, learn to feel, learn to smell, and know that by practice alone you can become expert.
William OslerRead
There is no more difficult art to acquire than the art of observation, and for some men it is quite as difficult to record an observation in brief and plain language.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The ability to observe effectively and communicate those observations is a rare and complex skill.
William Osler emphasizes that being skilled in observation is an art form that requires practice and effort. He also points out that many people struggle to express their observations clearly and succinctly in language, which adds another layer of complexity to the art of observation.
Themes
ObservationCommunicationArtSkillExpression
In practice
Example use cases
In a writing workshop, I quoted this to highlight the importance of observation in storytelling.
More from William Osler
All quotes →One of the first duties of the physician is to educate the masses not to take medicine.
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No bubble is so iridescent or floats longer than that blown by the successful teacher.
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The young physician starts life with 20 drugs for each disease, and the old physician ends life with one drug for 20 diseases.
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Let each hour of the day have its allotted duty, and cultivate that power of concentration which grows with its exercise.
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Medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability.
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