
Elkins
also talks about other ways in which we do not really see. He talks about the
example of how we are not really able to see the sun. This got me thinking
about light in general. Light is an object that is all around us, but it is not
something that we can see, not because it is painful to see like the sun but
just because it is not possible. Light allows us to see but is not something we
can see in itself.
Sometimes we think we are seeing
something, but are not actually seeing it clearly. Elkins describes how we have
a distorted view of objects that are in our peripheral vision. This surprised
me because I have never been aware of this fact before. I think we have enough
awareness of what the objects around us should look like, that we do not notice
that objects to the side of us actually look higher and skinnier.
I
also thought Elkins’ idea about how we are not able to always have control of
how we look at things is interesting. Often objects that have a sexual
connotation are difficult for us to see because they are “forbidden images.”
Elkins describes that our vision is either deflected or drawn in to these
objects. It seems as though we will never be able to be neutral. We have to
find a balance in our lives about seeing what we need to see, seeing what we
want to see, and avoiding seeing what we don’t want to see. We have the ability
to choose what we look at and we have the ability think about how we are seeing
effects our perception of the world. We must note that “vision is not a simple
act of volition” and there are outside sources, such as the idea of “forbidden
images,” that influence how we see.
Most of the time we don’t think
about seeing. It is almost like we have an “optical unconsciousness.” Seeing is
just something we just do. We usually only see enough to get by and don’t spend
time looking at every leaf or blade of grass around us. Elkins inspires the
reader to consciously think about how they are seeing and to think about one’s seeing
effects their perception of the world around them.
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