What do you make of this quote?

Question

People only see what they are prepared to see.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Answer 1

Most of the time people don't look beyond the surface. We take a quick glance and assume that we have seen all there is. We don't take the time or make the effort to look at other options because we 'already know' what we are going to see.

Answer 2

I dont really agree with this quote. I think that people see what they want to see, not what they're prepared to. You can be prepared to do something and not want to do it. You could understand and know everything about one particular thing and still not see the obvious signs of it. I'm not too sure how to explain what I mean but I hope you understand. I do love Ralph Waldo Emerson though. One of my favorite quotes from him that you might also think about is: Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion, you must set yourself on fire. But I do not know about that quote, it is hard to explain.

Answer 3

It's saying people are only ready to handle so much at a single time. For instance, if a tragic event happened to a child, a mother wouldn't be prepared for this quick change in life and would treat the child as if she were awake. The mother would be like "she's only sleeping. She'll wake up soon." It's our bodies way of preserving itself from events it can't handle.

We see what we are ready to see- what we are prepared to see, what our mind can handle at that precise moment.

Answer 4

Very religious, though.
Surprising for Old Waldo!

Answer 5

It compares seeing to understanding.

Answer 6

If you were told something was green before you saw it, and when you did see it and it was red you would see green anyway.

Answer 7

I think it's bang on the money.

Answer 8

it's inaccurate