---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Reality is made up of circles but we see…"
description: "\"Reality is made up of circles but we see straight lines.\" — Anonymous"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/anonymous-1_circles_reality-is-made-up-of-circles-but-we-see_1667079.jpg"
---

#  Reality is made up of circles but we see straight lines.

![“Reality is made up of circles but we see straight lines.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/anonymous-1_circles_reality-is-made-up-of-circles-but-we-see_1667079.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/anonymous-1_circles_reality-is-made-up-of-circles-but-we-see_1667079.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/anonymous-1_circles_reality-is-made-up-of-circles-but-we-see_1667079.jpg)

> “Reality is made up of circles but we see straight lines.”

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Reality appears circular, yet we interpret it as straight lines, revealing perception’s simplifications.

**In simple terms:** Reality is circular but we see straight lines.

Key Takeaway

Question assumptions about how we perceive reality.

Themes

perception philosophy illusion geometry

Mood

inquisitive analytical

Type

philosophical scientific

When to use this quote

- architecture
- navigation
- data visualization

Key Concepts

cognitive bias visual processing

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you simplify complex problems?
- When might that simplification mislead you?

A Different Perspective

Our brains favor simplicity, potentially missing complexity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Circles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/) [Circles Straight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles-straight-820086/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality Circles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-circles-820085/) [Straight line](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/straight-line/) [Straight lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/straight-lines/)

## Related quotes

> [A circle is a round straight line with a hole in the middle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-circle-is-a-round-straight-line-with-a-hole-in-the-middle/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [Logic, too, also rests on assumptions that do not correspond to anything in the real world, e.g., on the assumption that there areequal things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/logic-too-also-rests-on-assumptions-that-do-not-correspond-to/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [Everything in the phenomenal universe is straight line and circle. The horizon, our heads, arms, electrons, the oceans, planets and stars. Their principle function…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alonzo-king/everything-in-the-phenomenal-universe-is-straight-line-and-circle-the/)

[Alonzo King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alonzo-king/)

> [The world is made of Circles And we think in straight Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/the-world-is-made-of-circles-and-we-think-in-straight-lines/)

[Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/)

> [Look at Jane Austen. Her characters derive in a reasonably straight line from fairy tales.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-davies/look-at-jane-austen-her-characters-derive-in-a-reasonably-straight/)

[Andrew Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-davies/)

> [History doesn't always move in a straight line. Sometimes it zigs and zags.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/history-doesn-t-always-move-in-a-straight-line-sometimes-it-zigs-and/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Common to the two geometries is only the general property of one-to-one correspondence, and the rule that this correspondence determines straight lines as shortest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-reichenbach/common-to-the-two-geometries-is-only-the-general-property-of-one-to/)

[Hans Reichenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-reichenbach/)

> [When you organize your work and look back at your entire production, it may feel like you're looking at a straight line, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vik-muniz/when-you-organize-your-work-and-look-back-at-your-entire-production/)

[Vik Muniz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vik-muniz/)

> [The song of the curved line is called happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-crevel/the-song-of-the-curved-line-is-called-happiness/)

[Rene Crevel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-crevel/)

> [Mathematics would certainly have not come into existence if one had known from the beginning that there was in nature no exactly straight line,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/mathematics-would-certainly-have-not-come-into-existence-if-one-had/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [“At thee seaside all is narrow horizontals, the world reduced to a few long straight lines pressed between earth and sky.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-banville/at-thee-seaside-all-is-narrow-horizontals-the-world-reduced-to-a-few/)

[John Banville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-banville/)

> [The so called "progress," "time marching on," is not a straight line, but a pendulum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/the-so-called-progress-time-marching-on-is-not-a-straight-line-but-a/)

[Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/)

> [I honestly think that a Pavlik fight would be easier than Jones because styles make fights. He's one dimensional, comes in straight lines, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-calzaghe/i-honestly-think-that-a-pavlik-fight-would-be-easier-than-jones/)

[Joe Calzaghe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-calzaghe/)

> [Everything is grounded in mystery. Everything is swimming, and the stable does not exist. Life is a series of guesses, and there is mystery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-de-casseres/everything-is-grounded-in-mystery-everything-is-swimming-and-the-2/)

[Benjamin De Casseres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-de-casseres/)

> [If the earth were not round, heavy bodies would not tend from every side in a straight line towards the center of the earth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-kepler/if-the-earth-were-not-round-heavy-bodies-would-not-tend-from-every/)

[Johannes Kepler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-kepler/)

## More by Anonymous

> [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More Circles quotes

> [In some circles where very heavy people think they have very heavy brains, words like "charming" and "clever" and "pretty" are all put-downs; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/in-some-circles-where-very-heavy-people-think-they-have-very-heavy/)

[Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/)

> [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/)

[Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/)

> [Gambling has held human beings in thrall for millennia. It has been engaged in everywhere, from the dregs of society to the most respectable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-bernstein/gambling-has-held-human-beings-in-thrall-for-millennia-it-has-been/)

[Peter L. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-bernstein/)

> [And the seasons they go 'round and 'round And the painted ponies go up and down We're captive on the carousel of time We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/and-the-seasons-they-go-round-and-round-and-the-painted-ponies-go-up/)

[Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/)

> [If, for instance, they have heard something from the postman, they attribute it to a semi-official statement; if they have fallen into conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/if-for-instance-they-have-heard-something-from-the-postman-they/)

[Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/)

> [Maybe this is a way of gaslighting myself, but I think of it this way: In certain circles, my grandpa was considered to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-kazan/maybe-this-is-a-way-of-gaslighting-myself-but-i-think-of-it-this-way/)

[Zoe Kazan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-kazan/)

> [All my life's a circle; But I can't tell you why; Season's spinning round again; The years keep rollin' by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-chapin/all-my-life-s-a-circle-but-i-can-t-tell-you-why-season-s-spinning/)

[Harry Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-chapin/)

> [There's when a phrase circles in my head in a number of ways for any number of days, weeks, or months, and then that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mangan/there-s-when-a-phrase-circles-in-my-head-in-a-number-of-ways-for-any/)

[Dan Mangan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mangan/)

> [I have no name for what circles so perfectly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/i-have-no-name-for-what-circles-so-perfectly/)

[Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/)

> [It's important to recognize that expanding the circle of opportunity and increasing the democratic potential of our own society, as well as those across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/it-s-important-to-recognize-that-expanding-the-circle-of-opportunity/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [The fight against syphilis demands a fight against prostitution, against prejudices, old habits, against previous conceptions, general views among them not least the false…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-fight-against-syphilis-demands-a-fight-against-prostitution/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [Tell them you came, and saw, and looked into my eyes and saw the shadow of the guard receding. Thoughts in time and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/tell-them-you-came-and-saw-and-looked-into-my-eyes-and-saw-the-shadow/)

[Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/)

> [ \[Wise men\] have tried to understand our state of being, by grasping at its stars, or its arts, or its economics. But, if there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-fort/wise-men-have-tried-to-understand-our-state-of-being-by-grasping-at/)

[Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-fort/)

> [You know Kim Jong Un, the evil dictator of North Korea? Apparently, a guy in his inner circle used his ashtray while smoking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/you-know-kim-jong-un-the-evil-dictator-of-north-korea-apparently-a/)

[David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/)

> [The Brick House was one of the toughest joints I ever played in ... Guys would drink and fight one another like circle saws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-armstrong/the-brick-house-was-one-of-the-toughest-joints-i-ever-played-in-guys/)

[Louis Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-armstrong/)

[Browse all 1,860 Circles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Reality is made up of circles but we see straight lines.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Anonymous"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/reality-is-made-up-of-circles-but-we-see-straight-lines/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Circles"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/reality-is-made-up-of-circles-but-we-see-straight-lines/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/anonymous-1_circles_reality-is-made-up-of-circles-but-we-see_1667079.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/anonymous-1_circles_reality-is-made-up-of-circles-but-we-see_1667079.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d7/anonymous-1_circles_reality-is-made-up-of-circles-but-we-see_1667079.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Reality is made up of circles but we see straight lines.” — Anonymous",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Anonymous",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Reality is made up of circles...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/reality-is-made-up-of-circles-but-we-see-straight-lines/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/reality-is-made-up-of-circles-but-we-see-straight-lines/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
