He adds humbly that perhaps he was “superior to the common run of men in noticing things which easily escape attention, and in observing them carefully. ”
This is where teachers of English might helpfully note the difference between denotation (dictionary meaning) and connotation (associations that may not be part of a formal definition).
Let's do a longer example together: Dear Lina, I need to bring something to your attention: many staff are using very weak passwords on their laptops and for database access.
Many said that unemployment, while extremely painful, had improved them in some ways: they had become less materialistic and more financially prudent; they were more aware of the struggles of others.
However, after decades of women failing to gain equal representation in executive suites, it is notable how many books now focus on women altering their behavior, rather than men changing their way of doing things.