He was the unobtrusive type of police official who leaves no personal impression on the memory. Later, all I could remember was a pair of piercing grey-blue eyes, fixed on me with an unwavering scrutiny. My first impression was one of cold curiosity and extreme reserve.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- He was an unobtrusive official remembered only for his piercing eyes and cold curiosity.
- In plain terms
- He left no personal impression except for his intense scrutiny.
- What can you take from it?
- Some people are defined by their gaze rather than their presence.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What defines a lasting impression?
- How do we remember officials?
Another view
The account relies on one person's memory which may be biased.
More from Heinrich Muller
Muller was a stickler for duty and discipline, and approached the tasks he was set as if they were military commands. A true workaholic who never took a holida…
Permalink to quote #9 He [Muller] was an archetypal middle-rank official: of limited imagination, non-political, non-ideological, his only fanaticism lay in an inner drive to perfec…
Permalink to quote #8 He worked anonymously, and he has left hardly a trace behind. We find his signature on orders authorising the most atrocious deeds. We glimpse him once or twic…
Permalink to quote #7
Related quotes
How these curiosities would be quite forgott, did not such idle fellowes as I am putt them downe.
John AubreyJohn Aubrey quote #4 Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression.
Haim GinottHaim Ginott quote #4 It's surprising how much memory is built around things unnoticed at the time.
Barbara KingsolverBarbara Kingsolver quote #13