Q0488
“The most ordinary things escape notice precisely because they are ordinary.” — Ludwig Wittgenstein (Philosophical Investigations §129)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Philosophical Investigations §129. Theme: attention.
English
The most ordinary things escape notice precisely because they are ordinary.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Philosophical Investigations §129 and files it under Analytic Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Ludwig Wittgenstein
Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951), born in Vienna to a wealthy industrial family, studied engineering then logic with Russell at Cambridge. The Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (1921) aimed to draw limits to sense; he then left academic philosophy for years as a teacher and architect’s assistant.
How to read this passage
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Simone Weil and Iris Murdoch), attention is framed through Religious Existentialism and Platonic Moral Philosophy. Some passages define attention; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through attention, language.
Concepts in this quote
- Attention
- Attention appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat attention as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Language
- Language appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat language as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Ludwig Wittgenstein. (n.d.). The most ordinary things escape notice precisely because they are ordinary. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0488
MLA: Ludwig Wittgenstein. “The most ordinary things escape notice precisely because….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0488.
Chicago: Ludwig Wittgenstein. “The most ordinary things escape notice precisely because….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0488.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “The most ordinary things escape notice precisely because…”?
The passage is attributed to Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations §129. The archive attributes this English wording to Philosophical Investigations §129 and files it under Analytic Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Ludwig Wittgenstein mean by attention?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Simone Weil and Iris Murdoch), attention is framed through Religious Existentialism and Platonic Moral Philosophy. Some passages define attention; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through attention, language.