Quotes: Tunnel vision
Tunnel vision describes how a single framing reshapes what we notice: the favored tool that makes everything look like the same task, the overpowering attachment that flattens nuance, or the way a poorly posed problem closes off options. With Maslow, Christie and Einstein represented here, we see how narrowing focus can both simplify action and distort reality.
The thread through these reflections is practical and ethical: when does tight focus enable results, and when is it necessary to reframe the problem to reveal alternatives? The authors prompt you to spot the limits of your angle and decide when to broaden it.
3 quotes on this theme, each with its source and insight
The quotes
“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”
Source: The Psychology of Science: A Reconnaissance, 1966 · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The sentence appears in Maslow’s 1966 book The Psychology of Science: A Reconnaissance; the familiar short form is a later paraphrase of his wording.
Maslow warns that familiar tools shape how we perceive problems: rely on one method and every situation starts to look like a use for that method. He wrote this in a 1966 critique of method‑centered science to urge flexibility and humility in problem‑solving.
“A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.”
Source: The Last Séance, The Hound of Death and Other Stories · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The sentence appears in Agatha Christie’s short story “The Last Séance,” and multiple sources link it to that story and the collection The Hound of Death and Other Stories.
Christie describes maternal love as an overwhelming, lawless force that can turn ruthless when a child is threatened. The line comes from her supernatural short story “The Last Séance” and reads more like a warning than a sentimental praise.
“A problem without a solution is a badly posed problem.”
Source: no specific work is documented · Check the source
Disputed attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The wording is commonly circulated under Albert Einstein's name in secondary sources, but no primary text or dated publication is identified in the provided research.
- What remains uncertain
- Attribution is disputed: available evidence shows repeated secondary citations without a traceable Einstein source, so the quote remains unverified.
The line points to the first step of good thinking: if no solution appears, question the problem's framing. It's used in business, education and engineering to promote reframing over forced fixes. Commonly credited to Einstein, the attribution lacks a primary source.