On Looking
One way to learn more is not to hide your ignorance. That’s what my fortune told me today. My eyes are more observant now than they’ve ever been. There’s an entire world that I’ve been missing out on. And it’s been right in front of me this whole time.
Alexandra Horowitz:
To a surprising extent, time spent going to and fro—walking down the street, traveling to work, heading to the store or a child’s school—is unremembered. It is forgotten because we failed to pay attention to the journey to begin with. […] And we miss the possibility of being surprised by what is hidden in plain sight right in front of us.
We see, but we do not see: we use our eyes, but our gaze is glancing, frivolously considering its object. We see the signs, but not their meanings. We are not blinded, but we have blinders.