When is something "obvious"? I try to be a good student but I often find it hard to know when something is "obvious" and when it isn't. Obviously (excuse the pun) I understand that it is specific to the level at which the writer is pitching the statement. My teacher is fond of telling a story that goes along the lines of 

A famous maths professor was giving a lecture during which he
  said "it is obvious that..." and then he paused at length in thought, and then
  excused himself from the lecture temporarily. Upon his return some fifteen minutes later he said "Yes, it is obvious that...." and continued the lecture. 

My teacher's point is that this only comes with a certain mathematical maturity and even eludes the best mathematicians at times.
I would like to know :


*

*Are there any ways to develop a better sense of this, or does it just come with time and practice ?

*Is this quote a true quote ? If so, who is it attributable to and if not is it a mathematical urban legend or just something that my teacher likely made up ?

I had an economics professor who thought one result was obvious and spent over 3 hours explaining the "obvious" result to a fellow mathematician.  After 3 hours, he realized it might not have been so obvious and found it to be, in fact, false, and published 3 papers from the counter-examples.
