--- --- # The Difference Between Seeing and Observing by [Shane Parrish](https://time.com/author/shane-parrish/) ## Shane Parrish May 29, 2015 11:00 AM UTC by [Shane Parrish](https://time.com/author/shane-parrish/) ## Shane Parrish May 29, 2015 11:00 AM UTC In [A Scandal in Bohemia](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486474917/farnamstreet-20), Sherlock Holmes teaches Watson the difference between _seeing and observing_: --- > “” --- The difference between seeing and observing is fundamental to many aspects of life. Indeed, we can learn a lot from [how Sherlock Holmes thinks](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2013/04/how-to-think-like-sherlock-holmes/). Noticing is even something that Nassim Taleb has chimed in on with [Noise and Signal](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2012/05/noise-and-signal-nassim-taleb/). In the video below, Harvard Business School Professor Max Bazerman, author of [The Power of Noticing: What the Best Leaders See](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/147670029X/farnamstreet-20), discusses how important it is not just to be able to focus, but to be a good noticer as well. What he’s really talking about is observation. --- > “” --- \*\*\* **_Follow your curiosity_** _and learn about why your_ [_decision making environment matters_](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2013/12/your-environment-matters/)_._ **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Farnam Street_**](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/)**_._** **Join over 50,000 readers and get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/newsletter/)**.** The Difference Between Seeing and Observing ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3818294/seeing-observing/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3818294/seeing-observing/"},"headline":"The Difference Between Seeing and Observing","datePublished":"2015-05-29T11:00:11.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T08:21:32.350Z","description":"Don't just focus, be a good noticer as well","url":"https://time.com/3818294/seeing-observing/","keywords":["Psychology"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Shane Parrish","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/shane-parrish/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/psychology/","name":"Psychology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3818294/seeing-observing/","name":"The Difference Between Seeing and Observing"}}]}] ```