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What's a word or phrase to describe the discovery of something startlingly obvious?
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Along the lines of Occam's razor, but I'd like to be able to use it in a sentence regarding something specific for my college essay.
Here's the context: I grew up in the same house my father practiced chiropractic and acupuncture, and after many many years of trying to bend my life into anything besides either of these two professions, I was able to come to the startling realization that my true vocation had been laying under my nose the whole time, and I never gave it the time of day to seriously consider it.
"Seriously considering becoming a chiropractor and acupuncturist was like sparking a wildfire in my heart, and I had never (insert better phrasing here-something along the lines of 'realized something so obvious yet so powerful in my entire life') "
I don't know if there is a way to imply the concept of Occam's razor neatly into this sentence.
phrases expressions phrase-requests sentence-structure
edited Aug 16 at 20:33
Peter Mortensen
2,37562436
asked Aug 14 at 9:08
Joe Matthews-Hamada
111
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
Along the lines of Occam's razor, but I'd like to be able to use it in a sentence regarding something specific for my college essay.
Here's the context: I grew up in the same house my father practiced chiropractic and acupuncture, and after many many years of trying to bend my life into anything besides either of these two professions, I was able to come to the startling realization that my true vocation had been laying under my nose the whole time, and I never gave it the time of day to seriously consider it.
"Seriously considering becoming a chiropractor and acupuncturist was like sparking a wildfire in my heart, and I had never (insert better phrasing here-something along the lines of 'realized something so obvious yet so powerful in my entire life') "
I don't know if there is a way to imply the concept of Occam's razor neatly into this sentence.
phrases expressions phrase-requests sentence-structure
edited Aug 16 at 20:33
Peter Mortensen
2,37562436
asked Aug 14 at 9:08
Joe Matthews-Hamada
111
1
I can't see any connection to Occam's Razor. But I can't think of any relevant idioms, either, I'm afraid. Although, to be honest, your own sentence expressing what you felt is probably better than using a hackneyed cliche!
– user184130
Aug 14 at 9:26
1
You might say "the scales fell from your eyes".
– Hot Licks
Aug 14 at 11:30
I like 'the scales fell from my eyes' a lot. thanks for the great responses! also, maybe my concept of what Occam's Razor is may be slightly askew from how I remember interpreting it from an episode of scrubs years ago. Thanks for the helpful responses, everyone!
– Joe Matthews-Hamada
Aug 14 at 13:19
Duh accompanied by a palm to the forehead
– Kris
Aug 15 at 1:09
Possible duplicate of What is it called when something appears so obvious, no one expects it?
– Mari-Lou A
Aug 15 at 8:36
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
Along the lines of Occam's razor, but I'd like to be able to use it in a sentence regarding something specific for my college essay.
Here's the context: I grew up in the same house my father practiced chiropractic and acupuncture, and after many many years of trying to bend my life into anything besides either of these two professions, I was able to come to the startling realization that my true vocation had been laying under my nose the whole time, and I never gave it the time of day to seriously consider it.
"Seriously considering becoming a chiropractor and acupuncturist was like sparking a wildfire in my heart, and I had never (insert better phrasing here-something along the lines of 'realized something so obvious yet so powerful in my entire life') "
I don't know if there is a way to imply the concept of Occam's razor neatly into this sentence.
phrases expressions phrase-requests sentence-structure
edited Aug 16 at 20:33
Peter Mortensen
2,37562436
asked Aug 14 at 9:08
Joe Matthews-Hamada
111
Along the lines of Occam's razor, but I'd like to be able to use it in a sentence regarding something specific for my college essay.
Here's the context: I grew up in the same house my father practiced chiropractic and acupuncture, and after many many years of trying to bend my life into anything besides either of these two professions, I was able to come to the startling realization that my true vocation had been laying under my nose the whole time, and I never gave it the time of day to seriously consider it.
"Seriously considering becoming a chiropractor and acupuncturist was like sparking a wildfire in my heart, and I had never (insert better phrasing here-something along the lines of 'realized something so obvious yet so powerful in my entire life') "
I don't know if there is a way to imply the concept of Occam's razor neatly into this sentence.
phrases expressions phrase-requests sentence-structure
edited Aug 16 at 20:33
Peter Mortensen
2,37562436
asked Aug 14 at 9:08
Joe Matthews-Hamada
111
edited Aug 16 at 20:33
Peter Mortensen
2,37562436
edited Aug 16 at 20:33
Peter Mortensen
2,37562436
edited Aug 16 at 20:33
Peter Mortensen
2,37562436
2,37562436
asked Aug 14 at 9:08
Joe Matthews-Hamada
111
asked Aug 14 at 9:08
Joe Matthews-Hamada
111
asked Aug 14 at 9:08
Joe Matthews-Hamada
111
111
1
I can't see any connection to Occam's Razor. But I can't think of any relevant idioms, either, I'm afraid. Although, to be honest, your own sentence expressing what you felt is probably better than using a hackneyed cliche!
– user184130
Aug 14 at 9:26
1
You might say "the scales fell from your eyes".
– Hot Licks
Aug 14 at 11:30
I like 'the scales fell from my eyes' a lot. thanks for the great responses! also, maybe my concept of what Occam's Razor is may be slightly askew from how I remember interpreting it from an episode of scrubs years ago. Thanks for the helpful responses, everyone!
– Joe Matthews-Hamada
Aug 14 at 13:19
Duh accompanied by a palm to the forehead
– Kris
Aug 15 at 1:09
Possible duplicate of What is it called when something appears so obvious, no one expects it?
– Mari-Lou A
Aug 15 at 8:36
add a comment |Â
1
I can't see any connection to Occam's Razor. But I can't think of any relevant idioms, either, I'm afraid. Although, to be honest, your own sentence expressing what you felt is probably better than using a hackneyed cliche!
– user184130
Aug 14 at 9:26
1
You might say "the scales fell from your eyes".
– Hot Licks
Aug 14 at 11:30
I like 'the scales fell from my eyes' a lot. thanks for the great responses! also, maybe my concept of what Occam's Razor is may be slightly askew from how I remember interpreting it from an episode of scrubs years ago. Thanks for the helpful responses, everyone!
– Joe Matthews-Hamada
Aug 14 at 13:19
Duh accompanied by a palm to the forehead
– Kris
Aug 15 at 1:09
Possible duplicate of What is it called when something appears so obvious, no one expects it?
– Mari-Lou A
Aug 15 at 8:36
1
1
I can't see any connection to Occam's Razor. But I can't think of any relevant idioms, either, I'm afraid. Although, to be honest, your own sentence expressing what you felt is probably better than using a hackneyed cliche!
– user184130
Aug 14 at 9:26
I can't see any connection to Occam's Razor. But I can't think of any relevant idioms, either, I'm afraid. Although, to be honest, your own sentence expressing what you felt is probably better than using a hackneyed cliche!
– user184130
Aug 14 at 9:26
1
1
You might say "the scales fell from your eyes".
– Hot Licks
Aug 14 at 11:30
You might say "the scales fell from your eyes".
– Hot Licks
Aug 14 at 11:30
I like 'the scales fell from my eyes' a lot. thanks for the great responses! also, maybe my concept of what Occam's Razor is may be slightly askew from how I remember interpreting it from an episode of scrubs years ago. Thanks for the helpful responses, everyone!
– Joe Matthews-Hamada
Aug 14 at 13:19
I like 'the scales fell from my eyes' a lot. thanks for the great responses! also, maybe my concept of what Occam's Razor is may be slightly askew from how I remember interpreting it from an episode of scrubs years ago. Thanks for the helpful responses, everyone!
– Joe Matthews-Hamada
Aug 14 at 13:19
Duh accompanied by a palm to the forehead
– Kris
Aug 15 at 1:09
Duh accompanied by a palm to the forehead
– Kris
Aug 15 at 1:09
Possible duplicate of What is it called when something appears so obvious, no one expects it?
– Mari-Lou A
Aug 15 at 8:36
Possible duplicate of What is it called when something appears so obvious, no one expects it?
– Mari-Lou A
Aug 15 at 8:36
add a comment |Â
5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
up vote
2
down vote
You might try:
under your / someone's nose, which means:
Directly in front of someone.
Example usage from the link above:
I spent all morning looking for the book, and it was right under my nose the whole time.
answered Aug 14 at 10:53
Dhruv Saxena
90377
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
As in:
"Seriously considering becoming a Chiropractor and Acupuncturist was like sparking a wildfire in my heart. I had my eureka moment!"
eureka moment OED
(frequently with lower-case initial) an instant in which a scientific
discovery is made or a breakthrough occurs; a moment of inspiration;
(in extended use) an exciting or significant experience;
answered Aug 14 at 12:32
lbf
12.5k21353
+1. I, too, thought "eureka moment." A situation in which the expression would be inapt, however, is if a great deal of time and effort had been invested in getting to the eureka moment. The OP invested a great deal of time and effort in AVOIDING what later proved to what he was looking for. (I'm probably not 'splaining my thought clearly.) Here's another try. A eureka moment could could describe a scientist who has invested years in discovering a cure for some disease and finally comes up with a cure. The cure was anything BUT obvious (i.e., in front of their face), given their effort.
– rhetorician
Aug 14 at 13:39
tks 4 +1. Flemming and Penicillin: for years he avoided allowing contamination into his petri dish,; but it invaded and ... EUREKA!
– lbf
Aug 14 at 13:47
2
While 'eureka' does fit well in the frase and context, it does not in itself carry the meaning of 'obvious'.
– Pablo H
Aug 14 at 14:08
@rhetorician The story that made "eureka" famous is the one about Archimedes getting into the bath and having an instant revelation (of something that was probably obvious in hindsight) so this seems a perfect fit, to me.
– user184130
Aug 14 at 16:21
1
@JamesRandom: Agreed. I have this to add, however, and I paraphrase Thomas Edison, to the effect that inspiration is 99 percent perspiration, meaning that a lot of hard works goes into achieving an "Aha" moment. The OP was assiduously avoiding the possible inspiration of becoming a chiropractor. Hey, I just realized an "Aha" moment is also a good fit. Don
– rhetorician
Aug 14 at 19:06
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
"Seriously considering becoming a Chiropractor and Acupuncturist was like sparking a wildfire in my heart. The profession I should have chosen was hidden in plain sight."
(Or as a variation, hiding in plain sight.)
As discussed in TV Tropes's "Hidden in Plain Sight":
"The best place to hide something is out in the open. Nobody ever thinks to look there."
— Robert Anton Wilson
Something hidden is looked for in lots of secret places, and in the end turns out to have been plainly visible all the time, usually disguised as an ordinary object.
            Which one of these people is Superman?
And from Phrases.org:
Meaning:
      Something that defies apprehension by being too obvious.
Example:
      After robbing the jewellers the thief just stood in the crowd and watched the police
      search all the local alleys. I guess hiding in plain sight worked for him.
answered Aug 14 at 9:33
Jason Bassford
11.5k21135
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Another possibility is an "Aha" moment. Or perhaps I should say an "Aha" moment tinged with irony."
The late actor Paul Newman is quoted as saying,
I wasn't driven to acting by any inner compulsion. I was running away from . . . [my family's] sporting goods business (Quoted in John Skow, "Verdict on a Superstar," Time, 1982-12-06).
Your "Aha" moment came, ironically enough, when you were running as fast and as far as you could from becoming what you later found out was your "calling" in life.
Yes, I like the expression, "I had an 'aha' moment."
answered Aug 14 at 21:52
rhetorician
16.1k1952
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up vote
0
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The title of another EL&U question expresses the sentiment nicely:
- An Epiphany A Long Time in the Making
epiphany noun
2 A moment of sudden and great revelation or realization.
- ODO
The term epiphany describes your “startling realisation†and the rest of the phrase covers the long latent period leading up to that sudden realisation.
answered Aug 15 at 8:27
Lawrence
29.2k457103
add a comment |Â
5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
5 Answers
5
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
2
down vote
You might try:
under your / someone's nose, which means:
Directly in front of someone.
Example usage from the link above:
I spent all morning looking for the book, and it was right under my nose the whole time.
answered Aug 14 at 10:53
Dhruv Saxena
90377
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
You might try:
under your / someone's nose, which means:
Directly in front of someone.
Example usage from the link above:
I spent all morning looking for the book, and it was right under my nose the whole time.
answered Aug 14 at 10:53
Dhruv Saxena
90377
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
You might try:
under your / someone's nose, which means:
Directly in front of someone.
Example usage from the link above:
I spent all morning looking for the book, and it was right under my nose the whole time.
answered Aug 14 at 10:53
Dhruv Saxena
90377
You might try:
under your / someone's nose, which means:
Directly in front of someone.
Example usage from the link above:
I spent all morning looking for the book, and it was right under my nose the whole time.
answered Aug 14 at 10:53
Dhruv Saxena
90377
answered Aug 14 at 10:53
Dhruv Saxena
90377
answered Aug 14 at 10:53
Dhruv Saxena
90377
answered Aug 14 at 10:53
Dhruv Saxena
90377
90377
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
As in:
"Seriously considering becoming a Chiropractor and Acupuncturist was like sparking a wildfire in my heart. I had my eureka moment!"
eureka moment OED
(frequently with lower-case initial) an instant in which a scientific
discovery is made or a breakthrough occurs; a moment of inspiration;
(in extended use) an exciting or significant experience;
answered Aug 14 at 12:32
lbf
12.5k21353
+1. I, too, thought "eureka moment." A situation in which the expression would be inapt, however, is if a great deal of time and effort had been invested in getting to the eureka moment. The OP invested a great deal of time and effort in AVOIDING what later proved to what he was looking for. (I'm probably not 'splaining my thought clearly.) Here's another try. A eureka moment could could describe a scientist who has invested years in discovering a cure for some disease and finally comes up with a cure. The cure was anything BUT obvious (i.e., in front of their face), given their effort.
– rhetorician
Aug 14 at 13:39
tks 4 +1. Flemming and Penicillin: for years he avoided allowing contamination into his petri dish,; but it invaded and ... EUREKA!
– lbf
Aug 14 at 13:47
2
While 'eureka' does fit well in the frase and context, it does not in itself carry the meaning of 'obvious'.
– Pablo H
Aug 14 at 14:08
@rhetorician The story that made "eureka" famous is the one about Archimedes getting into the bath and having an instant revelation (of something that was probably obvious in hindsight) so this seems a perfect fit, to me.
– user184130
Aug 14 at 16:21
1
@JamesRandom: Agreed. I have this to add, however, and I paraphrase Thomas Edison, to the effect that inspiration is 99 percent perspiration, meaning that a lot of hard works goes into achieving an "Aha" moment. The OP was assiduously avoiding the possible inspiration of becoming a chiropractor. Hey, I just realized an "Aha" moment is also a good fit. Don
– rhetorician
Aug 14 at 19:06
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
As in:
"Seriously considering becoming a Chiropractor and Acupuncturist was like sparking a wildfire in my heart. I had my eureka moment!"
eureka moment OED
(frequently with lower-case initial) an instant in which a scientific
discovery is made or a breakthrough occurs; a moment of inspiration;
(in extended use) an exciting or significant experience;
answered Aug 14 at 12:32
lbf
12.5k21353
+1. I, too, thought "eureka moment." A situation in which the expression would be inapt, however, is if a great deal of time and effort had been invested in getting to the eureka moment. The OP invested a great deal of time and effort in AVOIDING what later proved to what he was looking for. (I'm probably not 'splaining my thought clearly.) Here's another try. A eureka moment could could describe a scientist who has invested years in discovering a cure for some disease and finally comes up with a cure. The cure was anything BUT obvious (i.e., in front of their face), given their effort.
– rhetorician
Aug 14 at 13:39
tks 4 +1. Flemming and Penicillin: for years he avoided allowing contamination into his petri dish,; but it invaded and ... EUREKA!
– lbf
Aug 14 at 13:47
2
While 'eureka' does fit well in the frase and context, it does not in itself carry the meaning of 'obvious'.
– Pablo H
Aug 14 at 14:08
@rhetorician The story that made "eureka" famous is the one about Archimedes getting into the bath and having an instant revelation (of something that was probably obvious in hindsight) so this seems a perfect fit, to me.
– user184130
Aug 14 at 16:21
1
@JamesRandom: Agreed. I have this to add, however, and I paraphrase Thomas Edison, to the effect that inspiration is 99 percent perspiration, meaning that a lot of hard works goes into achieving an "Aha" moment. The OP was assiduously avoiding the possible inspiration of becoming a chiropractor. Hey, I just realized an "Aha" moment is also a good fit. Don
– rhetorician
Aug 14 at 19:06
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
As in:
"Seriously considering becoming a Chiropractor and Acupuncturist was like sparking a wildfire in my heart. I had my eureka moment!"
eureka moment OED
(frequently with lower-case initial) an instant in which a scientific
discovery is made or a breakthrough occurs; a moment of inspiration;
(in extended use) an exciting or significant experience;
answered Aug 14 at 12:32
lbf
12.5k21353
As in:
"Seriously considering becoming a Chiropractor and Acupuncturist was like sparking a wildfire in my heart. I had my eureka moment!"
eureka moment OED
(frequently with lower-case initial) an instant in which a scientific
discovery is made or a breakthrough occurs; a moment of inspiration;
(in extended use) an exciting or significant experience;
answered Aug 14 at 12:32
lbf
12.5k21353
answered Aug 14 at 12:32
lbf
12.5k21353
answered Aug 14 at 12:32
lbf
12.5k21353
answered Aug 14 at 12:32
lbf
12.5k21353
12.5k21353
+1. I, too, thought "eureka moment." A situation in which the expression would be inapt, however, is if a great deal of time and effort had been invested in getting to the eureka moment. The OP invested a great deal of time and effort in AVOIDING what later proved to what he was looking for. (I'm probably not 'splaining my thought clearly.) Here's another try. A eureka moment could could describe a scientist who has invested years in discovering a cure for some disease and finally comes up with a cure. The cure was anything BUT obvious (i.e., in front of their face), given their effort.
– rhetorician
Aug 14 at 13:39
tks 4 +1. Flemming and Penicillin: for years he avoided allowing contamination into his petri dish,; but it invaded and ... EUREKA!
– lbf
Aug 14 at 13:47
2
While 'eureka' does fit well in the frase and context, it does not in itself carry the meaning of 'obvious'.
– Pablo H
Aug 14 at 14:08
@rhetorician The story that made "eureka" famous is the one about Archimedes getting into the bath and having an instant revelation (of something that was probably obvious in hindsight) so this seems a perfect fit, to me.
– user184130
Aug 14 at 16:21
1
@JamesRandom: Agreed. I have this to add, however, and I paraphrase Thomas Edison, to the effect that inspiration is 99 percent perspiration, meaning that a lot of hard works goes into achieving an "Aha" moment. The OP was assiduously avoiding the possible inspiration of becoming a chiropractor. Hey, I just realized an "Aha" moment is also a good fit. Don
– rhetorician
Aug 14 at 19:06
add a comment |Â
+1. I, too, thought "eureka moment." A situation in which the expression would be inapt, however, is if a great deal of time and effort had been invested in getting to the eureka moment. The OP invested a great deal of time and effort in AVOIDING what later proved to what he was looking for. (I'm probably not 'splaining my thought clearly.) Here's another try. A eureka moment could could describe a scientist who has invested years in discovering a cure for some disease and finally comes up with a cure. The cure was anything BUT obvious (i.e., in front of their face), given their effort.
– rhetorician
Aug 14 at 13:39
tks 4 +1. Flemming and Penicillin: for years he avoided allowing contamination into his petri dish,; but it invaded and ... EUREKA!
– lbf
Aug 14 at 13:47
2
While 'eureka' does fit well in the frase and context, it does not in itself carry the meaning of 'obvious'.
– Pablo H
Aug 14 at 14:08
@rhetorician The story that made "eureka" famous is the one about Archimedes getting into the bath and having an instant revelation (of something that was probably obvious in hindsight) so this seems a perfect fit, to me.
– user184130
Aug 14 at 16:21
1
@JamesRandom: Agreed. I have this to add, however, and I paraphrase Thomas Edison, to the effect that inspiration is 99 percent perspiration, meaning that a lot of hard works goes into achieving an "Aha" moment. The OP was assiduously avoiding the possible inspiration of becoming a chiropractor. Hey, I just realized an "Aha" moment is also a good fit. Don
– rhetorician
Aug 14 at 19:06
+1. I, too, thought "eureka moment." A situation in which the expression would be inapt, however, is if a great deal of time and effort had been invested in getting to the eureka moment. The OP invested a great deal of time and effort in AVOIDING what later proved to what he was looking for. (I'm probably not 'splaining my thought clearly.) Here's another try. A eureka moment could could describe a scientist who has invested years in discovering a cure for some disease and finally comes up with a cure. The cure was anything BUT obvious (i.e., in front of their face), given their effort.
– rhetorician
Aug 14 at 13:39
+1. I, too, thought "eureka moment." A situation in which the expression would be inapt, however, is if a great deal of time and effort had been invested in getting to the eureka moment. The OP invested a great deal of time and effort in AVOIDING what later proved to what he was looking for. (I'm probably not 'splaining my thought clearly.) Here's another try. A eureka moment could could describe a scientist who has invested years in discovering a cure for some disease and finally comes up with a cure. The cure was anything BUT obvious (i.e., in front of their face), given their effort.
– rhetorician
Aug 14 at 13:39
tks 4 +1. Flemming and Penicillin: for years he avoided allowing contamination into his petri dish,; but it invaded and ... EUREKA!
– lbf
Aug 14 at 13:47
tks 4 +1. Flemming and Penicillin: for years he avoided allowing contamination into his petri dish,; but it invaded and ... EUREKA!
– lbf
Aug 14 at 13:47
2
2
While 'eureka' does fit well in the frase and context, it does not in itself carry the meaning of 'obvious'.
– Pablo H
Aug 14 at 14:08
While 'eureka' does fit well in the frase and context, it does not in itself carry the meaning of 'obvious'.
– Pablo H
Aug 14 at 14:08
@rhetorician The story that made "eureka" famous is the one about Archimedes getting into the bath and having an instant revelation (of something that was probably obvious in hindsight) so this seems a perfect fit, to me.
– user184130
Aug 14 at 16:21
@rhetorician The story that made "eureka" famous is the one about Archimedes getting into the bath and having an instant revelation (of something that was probably obvious in hindsight) so this seems a perfect fit, to me.
– user184130
Aug 14 at 16:21
1
1
@JamesRandom: Agreed. I have this to add, however, and I paraphrase Thomas Edison, to the effect that inspiration is 99 percent perspiration, meaning that a lot of hard works goes into achieving an "Aha" moment. The OP was assiduously avoiding the possible inspiration of becoming a chiropractor. Hey, I just realized an "Aha" moment is also a good fit. Don
– rhetorician
Aug 14 at 19:06
@JamesRandom: Agreed. I have this to add, however, and I paraphrase Thomas Edison, to the effect that inspiration is 99 percent perspiration, meaning that a lot of hard works goes into achieving an "Aha" moment. The OP was assiduously avoiding the possible inspiration of becoming a chiropractor. Hey, I just realized an "Aha" moment is also a good fit. Don
– rhetorician
Aug 14 at 19:06
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
"Seriously considering becoming a Chiropractor and Acupuncturist was like sparking a wildfire in my heart. The profession I should have chosen was hidden in plain sight."
(Or as a variation, hiding in plain sight.)
As discussed in TV Tropes's "Hidden in Plain Sight":
"The best place to hide something is out in the open. Nobody ever thinks to look there."
— Robert Anton Wilson
Something hidden is looked for in lots of secret places, and in the end turns out to have been plainly visible all the time, usually disguised as an ordinary object.
            Which one of these people is Superman?
And from Phrases.org:
Meaning:
      Something that defies apprehension by being too obvious.
Example:
      After robbing the jewellers the thief just stood in the crowd and watched the police
      search all the local alleys. I guess hiding in plain sight worked for him.
answered Aug 14 at 9:33
Jason Bassford
11.5k21135
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
"Seriously considering becoming a Chiropractor and Acupuncturist was like sparking a wildfire in my heart. The profession I should have chosen was hidden in plain sight."
(Or as a variation, hiding in plain sight.)
As discussed in TV Tropes's "Hidden in Plain Sight":
"The best place to hide something is out in the open. Nobody ever thinks to look there."
— Robert Anton Wilson
Something hidden is looked for in lots of secret places, and in the end turns out to have been plainly visible all the time, usually disguised as an ordinary object.
            Which one of these people is Superman?
And from Phrases.org:
Meaning:
      Something that defies apprehension by being too obvious.
Example:
      After robbing the jewellers the thief just stood in the crowd and watched the police
      search all the local alleys. I guess hiding in plain sight worked for him.
answered Aug 14 at 9:33
Jason Bassford
11.5k21135
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
"Seriously considering becoming a Chiropractor and Acupuncturist was like sparking a wildfire in my heart. The profession I should have chosen was hidden in plain sight."
(Or as a variation, hiding in plain sight.)
As discussed in TV Tropes's "Hidden in Plain Sight":
"The best place to hide something is out in the open. Nobody ever thinks to look there."
— Robert Anton Wilson
Something hidden is looked for in lots of secret places, and in the end turns out to have been plainly visible all the time, usually disguised as an ordinary object.
            Which one of these people is Superman?
And from Phrases.org:
Meaning:
      Something that defies apprehension by being too obvious.
Example:
      After robbing the jewellers the thief just stood in the crowd and watched the police
      search all the local alleys. I guess hiding in plain sight worked for him.
answered Aug 14 at 9:33
Jason Bassford
11.5k21135
"Seriously considering becoming a Chiropractor and Acupuncturist was like sparking a wildfire in my heart. The profession I should have chosen was hidden in plain sight."
(Or as a variation, hiding in plain sight.)
As discussed in TV Tropes's "Hidden in Plain Sight":
"The best place to hide something is out in the open. Nobody ever thinks to look there."
— Robert Anton Wilson
Something hidden is looked for in lots of secret places, and in the end turns out to have been plainly visible all the time, usually disguised as an ordinary object.
            Which one of these people is Superman?
And from Phrases.org:
Meaning:
      Something that defies apprehension by being too obvious.
Example:
      After robbing the jewellers the thief just stood in the crowd and watched the police
      search all the local alleys. I guess hiding in plain sight worked for him.
answered Aug 14 at 9:33
Jason Bassford
11.5k21135
edited Aug 14 at 9:38
answered Aug 14 at 9:33
Jason Bassford
11.5k21135
answered Aug 14 at 9:33
Jason Bassford
11.5k21135
answered Aug 14 at 9:33
Jason Bassford
11.5k21135
11.5k21135
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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0
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Another possibility is an "Aha" moment. Or perhaps I should say an "Aha" moment tinged with irony."
The late actor Paul Newman is quoted as saying,
I wasn't driven to acting by any inner compulsion. I was running away from . . . [my family's] sporting goods business (Quoted in John Skow, "Verdict on a Superstar," Time, 1982-12-06).
Your "Aha" moment came, ironically enough, when you were running as fast and as far as you could from becoming what you later found out was your "calling" in life.
Yes, I like the expression, "I had an 'aha' moment."
answered Aug 14 at 21:52
rhetorician
16.1k1952
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
Another possibility is an "Aha" moment. Or perhaps I should say an "Aha" moment tinged with irony."
The late actor Paul Newman is quoted as saying,
I wasn't driven to acting by any inner compulsion. I was running away from . . . [my family's] sporting goods business (Quoted in John Skow, "Verdict on a Superstar," Time, 1982-12-06).
Your "Aha" moment came, ironically enough, when you were running as fast and as far as you could from becoming what you later found out was your "calling" in life.
Yes, I like the expression, "I had an 'aha' moment."
answered Aug 14 at 21:52
rhetorician
16.1k1952
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
Another possibility is an "Aha" moment. Or perhaps I should say an "Aha" moment tinged with irony."
The late actor Paul Newman is quoted as saying,
I wasn't driven to acting by any inner compulsion. I was running away from . . . [my family's] sporting goods business (Quoted in John Skow, "Verdict on a Superstar," Time, 1982-12-06).
Your "Aha" moment came, ironically enough, when you were running as fast and as far as you could from becoming what you later found out was your "calling" in life.
Yes, I like the expression, "I had an 'aha' moment."
answered Aug 14 at 21:52
rhetorician
16.1k1952
Another possibility is an "Aha" moment. Or perhaps I should say an "Aha" moment tinged with irony."
The late actor Paul Newman is quoted as saying,
I wasn't driven to acting by any inner compulsion. I was running away from . . . [my family's] sporting goods business (Quoted in John Skow, "Verdict on a Superstar," Time, 1982-12-06).
Your "Aha" moment came, ironically enough, when you were running as fast and as far as you could from becoming what you later found out was your "calling" in life.
Yes, I like the expression, "I had an 'aha' moment."
answered Aug 14 at 21:52
rhetorician
16.1k1952
answered Aug 14 at 21:52
rhetorician
16.1k1952
answered Aug 14 at 21:52
rhetorician
16.1k1952
answered Aug 14 at 21:52
rhetorician
16.1k1952
16.1k1952
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
The title of another EL&U question expresses the sentiment nicely:
- An Epiphany A Long Time in the Making
epiphany noun
2 A moment of sudden and great revelation or realization.
- ODO
The term epiphany describes your “startling realisation†and the rest of the phrase covers the long latent period leading up to that sudden realisation.
answered Aug 15 at 8:27
Lawrence
29.2k457103
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
The title of another EL&U question expresses the sentiment nicely:
- An Epiphany A Long Time in the Making
epiphany noun
2 A moment of sudden and great revelation or realization.
- ODO
The term epiphany describes your “startling realisation†and the rest of the phrase covers the long latent period leading up to that sudden realisation.
answered Aug 15 at 8:27
Lawrence
29.2k457103
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
The title of another EL&U question expresses the sentiment nicely:
- An Epiphany A Long Time in the Making
epiphany noun
2 A moment of sudden and great revelation or realization.
- ODO
The term epiphany describes your “startling realisation†and the rest of the phrase covers the long latent period leading up to that sudden realisation.
answered Aug 15 at 8:27
Lawrence
29.2k457103
The title of another EL&U question expresses the sentiment nicely:
- An Epiphany A Long Time in the Making
epiphany noun
2 A moment of sudden and great revelation or realization.
- ODO
The term epiphany describes your “startling realisation†and the rest of the phrase covers the long latent period leading up to that sudden realisation.
answered Aug 15 at 8:27
Lawrence
29.2k457103
answered Aug 15 at 8:27
Lawrence
29.2k457103
answered Aug 15 at 8:27
Lawrence
29.2k457103
answered Aug 15 at 8:27
Lawrence
29.2k457103
29.2k457103
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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1
I can't see any connection to Occam's Razor. But I can't think of any relevant idioms, either, I'm afraid. Although, to be honest, your own sentence expressing what you felt is probably better than using a hackneyed cliche!
– user184130
Aug 14 at 9:26
1
You might say "the scales fell from your eyes".
– Hot Licks
Aug 14 at 11:30
I like 'the scales fell from my eyes' a lot. thanks for the great responses! also, maybe my concept of what Occam's Razor is may be slightly askew from how I remember interpreting it from an episode of scrubs years ago. Thanks for the helpful responses, everyone!
– Joe Matthews-Hamada
Aug 14 at 13:19
Duh accompanied by a palm to the forehead
– Kris
Aug 15 at 1:09
Possible duplicate of What is it called when something appears so obvious, no one expects it?
– Mari-Lou A
Aug 15 at 8:36