The devil is in the details, right?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40

Today no one doubts that beauty is in the details. This is especially true for girls. After all, you will never be able to create a harmonious image if you do not think it through and through. A beautiful dress is not everything. To catch admiring glances, you still need to do a good styling, manicure and stand on your heels. In this article, we will lift the veil of secrecy and find out where the phrase “The devil is in the details” comes from.

Why details matter so much

The thing is that it is difficult for a person to think everything through in advance. But a complete picture is obtained only when all the details are worked out. It seems that this only applies to art, but this is far from the case. Any creativity, be it writing, musical or architectural activity, requires attention to detail. If they are not taken into account, then books will be uninteresting, music unattractive, and it will be impossible to live in houses. Why is this happening? Let's take a look atbook example.

The writer must not only work out the plot, but also think through the image of the characters well. If he does not do this, then the author's self-contradiction may arise, or the characters in the book will be so unrealistic that their life will not cling to attention. And if the reader stops empathizing with fictional characters, no matter how interesting the plot, the book will be abandoned in the middle. The devil is in the details, and not only artists know this. Engineers, scientists, builders, designers, in general, people of all professions are forced to pay close attention to detail so that the result of the whole project is on top.

Origin of the phrase

The expression "The devil is in the details" was first published in The New York Times in 1969. There it was found in an article by the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

The architect was German by nationality, which suggests that the expression clearly has German roots. It has not been established exactly, but most likely, the saying “The devil is in the details” is German folk wisdom. After all, if you think about the culture of the country, then everything falls into place. The Germans are very punctual and pedantic, they, unlike our compatriots, like everything to go according to plan.

Meaning of the phrase

Every country has an equivalent of this expression. In Russia, the phrase in its original form did not take root, and our compatriots changed it a little. Now hear the expressionthat "The devil is in the details" is possible more often than the original "The devil is in the details" idiom.

Meaning, however, does not change from this. A common phrase tells that if you do not pay attention to trifles, then a good result will not work. It means that it is the details that sometimes play an important role and can spoil the whole project. An unforeseen maximum load on a part, a poorly sewn button or an untested medicine - the damage from all these oversights will be different, but as a result, all these projects will end in failure. In Russian there is an expression “And so it will do”, unfortunately, many of our compatriots make it almost a motto in life. But everyone knows what “The devil is in the details” means and, accordingly, the consequences of their negligence are also known to everyone.

Applying the proverb to life

It doesn't matter who said "The devil is in the details", the main thing is that this folk wisdom is now available to everyone. Of course, this does not mean that everyone without exception uses it. Today, access to knowledge has become open, but, unfortunately, people are too fond of testing everything on their own experience. But it's not so difficult - before starting any project, take some time to work out its details. In the future, this will definitely bear fruit and the "devil" will not be waiting for you at every metaphorical turn. If it is not possible to brainstorm at the beginning of the project, then it is desirable to conduct it at least at the end. So you can find your mistakes after the fact. It will of course bedisappointing, but it's better if you find them yourself than someone else.

Paying attention to little things is not some kind of innate skill, but a habit that is developed by an effort of will. Every day you need to force yourself to be more focused. You don’t have to start practicing this mindfulness at work, you can start with everyday life. After all, many people are inattentive to such an extent that they put sausage at breakfast in a bread box, and bread in the refrigerator. Only daily practice will bear fruit and if all the details are provided, the devil will not hide in them.