--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is what we see when we look up at…" description: "\"This is what we see when we look up at Rainier, the beauty, the horror, the awe the unbelievability of size that confirms our own consequence on this e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/bruce-barcott-47994_awe_this-is-what-we-see-when-we-look-up-at-r_2602821.jpg" --- # This is what we see when we look up at Rainier, the… ![“This is what we see when we look up at Rainier, the beauty, the horror, the awe the unbelievability of size that confirms our own consequence on this earth. We look at the mountain, like god and can imagine nothing larger. Its incompressible life-span reminds us of the fleeting mortality of our…” quote by Bruce Barcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/bruce-barcott-47994_awe_this-is-what-we-see-when-we-look-up-at-r_2602821.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/bruce-barcott-47994_awe_this-is-what-we-see-when-we-look-up-at-r_2602821.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/264/bruce-barcott-47994_awe_this-is-what-we-see-when-we-look-up-at-r_2602821.jpg) > “This is what we see when we look up at Rainier, the beauty, the horror, the awe the unbelievability of size that confirms our own consequence on this earth. We look at the mountain, like god and can imagine nothing larger. Its incompressible life-span reminds us of the fleeting mortality of our own bones. It looms over our lives on clear days and and stay present but hidden through the clouds of winter. Like god it remains everywhere forever.” [Bruce Barcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-barcott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mount Rainier’s grandeur evokes awe, reminding humanity of its fleeting mortality and the timeless presence of nature. **In simple terms:** Mountains inspire humility and awe. Key Takeaway Respect nature’s scale and permanence. Themes nature existence humility Mood awe contemplative Type philosophical poetic When to use this quote - hiking - photography - meditation Key Concepts cosmic perspective environmental awe Questions to Reflect On - What does the mountain symbolize for you? - How can this perspective affect daily choices? A Different Perspective May romanticize nature over practical concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awe/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Mortality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortality/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Stay Present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay-present/) [Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winter/) ## Related quotes > [We can no longer imagine that we are part of something larger than ourselves - that is what all this boils down to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/we-can-no-longer-imagine-that-we-are-part-of-something-larger-than/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [“I look at the mountain, which is still doing its tricks, as you look at a still-beautiful face belonging to a person who was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/i-look-at-the-mountain-which-is-still-doing-its-tricks-as-you-look-at/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [We look at the mountain to see the painting, then we look at the painting to see the mountain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-tobey/we-look-at-the-mountain-to-see-the-painting-then-we-look-at-the/) [Mark Tobey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-tobey/) > [Whenever I look at a mountain I always expect it to turn into a volcano.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-svevo/whenever-i-look-at-a-mountain-i-always-expect-it-to-turn-into-a/) [Italo Svevo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-svevo/) > [I'm not the kind of person who's going to look at the top of a mountain and go, 'Oh, look at that! That's lovely.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-not-the-kind-of-person-who-s-going-to-look-at-the-top-of-a/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [I should be content to look at a mountain for what it is and not as a comment on my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ignatow/i-should-be-content-to-look-at-a-mountain-for-what-it-is-and-not-as-a/) [David Ignatow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ignatow/) > [“Don't look up at the mountain. Keep your head down, and take the next step.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-james-west/don-t-look-up-at-the-mountain-keep-your-head-down-and-take-the-next/) [Peter James West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-james-west/) > [Like the dew on the mountain, like the foam on the river, like the bubble on the fountain, thou art gone, and for ever!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/like-the-dew-on-the-mountain-like-the-foam-on-the-river-like-the/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [“I saw the black seam of your stocking Running down the side of the mountain like a creek I put the whiskey down and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-stanford/i-saw-the-black-seam-of-your-stocking-running-down-the-side-of-the/) [Frank Stanford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-stanford/) > [Be as the still mountain; Move like the great river.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/be-as-the-still-mountain-move-like-the-great-river/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [The only mountain that I would still like to climb: I'd like to break 85.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-falk/the-only-mountain-that-i-would-still-like-to-climb-i-d-like-to-break/) [Peter Falk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-falk/) > [“It is a strange life up here on the mountain side, but I like it, and never yearn after civilization. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-l-bird/it-is-a-strange-life-up-here-on-the-mountain-side-but-i-like-it-and/) [Isabella L. Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-l-bird/) > [“Let us play hide and seek in a mountain which is like a women's back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-kalwar/let-us-play-hide-and-seek-in-a-mountain-which-is-like-a-women-s-back/) [Santosh Kalwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-kalwar/) > [They climb the mountain like beasts, stupid and sweating; it seems that no one bothered to tell them that there are beautiful vistas along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/they-climb-the-mountain-like-beasts-stupid-and-sweating-it-seems-that/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“I walked up to the side of the mountain like I used to do when I was a little boy. I looked out over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mcclanahan/i-walked-up-to-the-side-of-the-mountain-like-i-used-to-do-when-i-was/) [Scott McClanahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mcclanahan/) ## More by Bruce Barcott > [The mountain receives our expressions and becomes part of us; we imprint our memories upon it and trust it with out dearest divisions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-barcott/the-mountain-receives-our-expressions-and-becomes-part-of-us-we/) [Bruce Barcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-barcott/) > [We know people by their stories: their history, their habits, their secrets, their triumphs and failures. We know them by what they do. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-barcott/we-know-people-by-their-stories-their-history-their-habits-their/) [Bruce Barcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-barcott/) > [“This is not about you. Nobody gives a shit whether you like pot or hate it. This is a race issue. It's a civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-barcott/this-is-not-about-you-nobody-gives-a-shit-whether-you-like-pot-or/) [Bruce Barcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-barcott/) > [“Civilization proceeds in a direction opposite from everything mountains represent: starvation, hardship, coldness, the constant scramble to survive...People used to avoid mountains, but now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-barcott/civilization-proceeds-in-a-direction-opposite-from-everything/) [Bruce Barcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-barcott/) > [A gripper of a read . . . Silence revives the cliff’s-edge drama of those Jazz age climbs and drives home the tragedy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-barcott/a-gripper-of-a-read-silence-revives-the-cliff-s-edge-drama-of-those/) [Bruce Barcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-barcott/) > [“This is how I think of Mount Rainier, not as an icon of permanence but as a source of relentless change, a mountain forever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-barcott/this-is-how-i-think-of-mount-rainier-not-as-an-icon-of-permanence-but/) [Bruce Barcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-barcott/) > [ The thing that I still come back away with is how close so many people feel to the mountain \[Mt. Rainier\] emotionally and psychically,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-barcott/the-thing-that-i-still-come-back-away-with-is-how-close-so-many/) [Bruce Barcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-barcott/) [Explore all 8 Bruce Barcott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-barcott/) ## More Awe quotes > [Because I've never had any higher education of any sort, I've never held in awe those who have had it or have a sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-corbyn/because-i-ve-never-had-any-higher-education-of-any-sort-i-ve-never/) [Jeremy Corbyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-corbyn/) > [Of course the Dharma-body of the Buddha was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. At the same time, and no less obviously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/of-course-the-dharma-body-of-the-buddha-was-the-hedge-at-the-bottom/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [When I look at the human brain I'm still in awe of it. Every single time you lift off the bone and open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/when-i-look-at-the-human-brain-i-m-still-in-awe-of-it-every-single/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [“I know you deserve better than me. You think I don’t know that? But if there was any woman made for me … it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/i-know-you-deserve-better-than-me-you-think-i-don-t-know-that-but-if/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [There are certain scenes that would awe an atheist into belief without the help of any other argument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gray/there-are-certain-scenes-that-would-awe-an-atheist-into-belief/) [Thomas Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gray/) > [As we contemplate with reverence and awe how our Savior embraces us, comforts us, and heals us, let us commit to become His hands,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/as-we-contemplate-with-reverence-and-awe-how-our-savior-embraces-us/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [My journey deep into coma, outside this lowly physical realm and into the loftiest dwelling place of the almighty Creator, revealed the indescribably immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eben-alexander/my-journey-deep-into-coma-outside-this-lowly-physical-realm-and-into/) [Eben Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eben-alexander/) > [Awe combined with intimacy is the essence of Christian worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/awe-combined-with-intimacy-is-the-essence-of-christian-worship/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Everything we perceive to be solid and static is made up of almost entirely empty space.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-kauffman/everything-we-perceive-to-be-solid-and-static-is-made-up-of-almost/) [Joseph P. Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-kauffman/) > [“Oftentimes we call Life bitter names, but only when we ourselves are bitter and dark. And we deem her empty and unprofitable, but only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/oftentimes-we-call-life-bitter-names-but-only-when-we-ourselves-are/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [The laws of nature are the skeleton of the universe. They support it, give it shape, tie it together. Taken as a whole, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-trefil/the-laws-of-nature-are-the-skeleton-of-the-universe-they-support-it/) James Trefil > [When you look at yourself and feel dissatisfaction about any part of you, you will continue to attract feelings of dissatisfaction, because the law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/when-you-look-at-yourself-and-feel-dissatisfaction-about-any-part-of/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [“What can we make of the inexpressible joy of children? It is a kind of gratitude, I think—the gratitude of the ten-year-old who wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/what-can-we-make-of-the-inexpressible-joy-of-children-it-is-a-kind-of/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [Sometimes not seeing things can be a blessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/sometimes-not-seeing-things-can-be-a-blessing/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [I'm always in awe at how fast television is and how quickly you're called upon to be 100 percent invested in a character with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latanya-richardson/i-m-always-in-awe-at-how-fast-television-is-and-how-quickly-you-re/) [LaTanya Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/latanya-richardson/) [Browse all 1,119 Awe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This is what we see when we look up at Rainier, the beauty, the horror, the awe the unbelievability of size that confirms our own consequence on this earth. 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