--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is a mirror? It’s the only invented…" description: "\"“What is a mirror? It’s the only invented material that is natural. Whoever looks at a mirror, whoever manages to see it without seeing himself, whoeve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7c/clarice-lispector-1401_mirror_what-is-a-mirror-it-s-the-only-invented_2457559.jpg" --- # What is a mirror? It’s the only invented material that is… ![“What is a mirror? It’s the only invented material that is natural. Whoever looks at a mirror, whoever manages to see it without seeing himself, whoever understands that its depth consists of being empty, whoever walks inside its transparent space without leaving the trace of his own image upon…” quote by Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7c/clarice-lispector-1401_mirror_what-is-a-mirror-it-s-the-only-invented_2457559.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7c/clarice-lispector-1401_mirror_what-is-a-mirror-it-s-the-only-invented_2457559.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7c/clarice-lispector-1401_mirror_what-is-a-mirror-it-s-the-only-invented_2457559.jpg) > ““What is a mirror? It’s the only invented material that is natural. Whoever looks at a mirror, whoever manages to see it without seeing himself, whoever understands that its depth consists of being empty, whoever walks inside its transparent space without leaving the trace of his own image upon it—that somebody has understood its mystery of thing. For that to happen one must surprise it when it’s alone, when it’s hanging in an empty room, without forgetting that the finest needle before it can transform it into the simple image of a needle, so sensitive is the mirror in its quality of lightest reflection, only image and not the body. Body of the thing.”” [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The mirror symbolizes pure perception, reflecting without imprint, revealing emptiness and the essence of being beyond self‑image. **In simple terms:** A mirror shows things without showing itself. Key Takeaway Seek clarity without ego. Themes perception emptiness identity reflection Mood contemplative poetic Type philosophical literary reflective When to use this quote - art critique - philosophical meditation - mindfulness practice - creative writing - visual arts Key Concepts phenomenology existentialism ontology Questions to Reflect On - How can you observe without projecting yourself? - What does “empty depth” mean in daily life? A Different Perspective Mirrors still carry the observer’s bias, limiting true emptiness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Looks Mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks-mirror-514086/) [Mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirror/) [Mirror Invented](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirror-invented-622462/) [Mirror Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirror-quality-622464/) [Reflection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflection/) [Self-Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-awareness-2/) [Sensitive Mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensitive-mirror-622463/) ## Related quotes > [The way a man looks at himself in a mirror will tell you if he can ever care about anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-rudner/the-way-a-man-looks-at-himself-in-a-mirror-will-tell-you-if-he-can/) [Rita Rudner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-rudner/) > [“She's, like, really, really beautiful, but I don't think she sees that when she looks in the mirror.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-m-draper/she-s-like-really-really-beautiful-but-i-don-t-think-she-sees-that/) [Sharon M. Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-m-draper/) > [“Maya goes into the bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror. Astonished at how strong she has learned to pretend to be. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-backman/maya-goes-into-the-bathroom-and-looks-at-herself-in-the-mirror/) [Fredrik Backman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-backman/) > [We have fallen in love with the body. That's that thing that looks back at us from the mirror. That's the repository of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/we-have-fallen-in-love-with-the-body-that-s-that-thing-that-looks/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [When a woman buys shoes, she takes them out of the box and looks at herself in the mirror. But she isn't really looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-louboutin/when-a-woman-buys-shoes-she-takes-them-out-of-the-box-and-looks-at/) [Christian Louboutin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-louboutin/) > [She says love is not what she's after, but everybody knows. Each time she looks in the mirror, she lets her feeling show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talking-heads/she-says-love-is-not-what-she-s-after-but-everybody-knows-each-time/) [Talking Heads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talking-heads/) > [“Mankind has invented the mirror in vain, for there’s nobody in this world who looks into the mirror and sees himself as he truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/mankind-has-invented-the-mirror-in-vain-for-there-s-nobody-in-this/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Call a girl ugly she'll f0rget it in an hour call a girl ugly she think about everytime she looks in the mirror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/call-a-girl-ugly-she-ll-f0rget-it-in-an-hour-call-a-girl-ugly-she/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People are always calling me a mirror and if a mirror looks into a mirror, what is there to see?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/people-are-always-calling-me-a-mirror-and-if-a-mirror-looks-into-a/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [I think every woman, maybe every man, looks in the mirror and says, 'Oh my God, there's a wrinkle.' So we're all in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-tiegs/i-think-every-woman-maybe-every-man-looks-in-the-mirror-and-says-oh/) [Cheryl Tiegs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-tiegs/) > [I'm the guy who always looks in the mirror first before complaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauri-markkanen/i-m-the-guy-who-always-looks-in-the-mirror-first-before-complaining/) [Lauri Markkanen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauri-markkanen/) > [When a woman buys a pair of shoes, she never looks at the shoe. She stands up and looks in the mirror, she looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-louboutin/when-a-woman-buys-a-pair-of-shoes-she-never-looks-at-the-shoe-she/) [Christian Louboutin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-louboutin/) > [“It is a cold and harrowing morning in the life of a man the day he wakes up, looks at himself in the mirror,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-heller/it-is-a-cold-and-harrowing-morning-in-the-life-of-a-man-the-day-he/) [Ted Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-heller/) > [The President looks in the mirror and speaks, his shirts are clean, but his country reeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-police/the-president-looks-in-the-mirror-and-speaks-his-shirts-are-clean-but/) [The Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-police/) > [“She looks in the mirror seems vaguely familiar like steam on the glass shame covers her past the fog slithers down as evil surrounds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-rasmussen/she-looks-in-the-mirror-seems-vaguely-familiar-like-steam-on-the/) [Diana Rasmussen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-rasmussen/) ## More by Clarice Lispector > [“I find it hard to believe that I shall die. Because I'm bubbling in cold freshness. My life will be very long because each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/i-find-it-hard-to-believe-that-i-shall-die-because-i-m-bubbling-in/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [“We shall be inhuman - as humankind's greatest conquest. To be is to be beyond the human. To be a human being doesn't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/we-shall-be-inhuman-as-humankind-s-greatest-conquest-to-be-is-to-be/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [The only truth is that I live. Sincerely, I live. Who am I? Well, that's a bit much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/the-only-truth-is-that-i-live-sincerely-i-live-who-am-i-well-that-s-a/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [Brazil is where I have to be, where I have my roots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/brazil-is-where-i-have-to-be-where-i-have-my-roots/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [“her short stories read like perfect songs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/her-short-stories-read-like-perfect-songs/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [“Between two musical notes there exists another note, between two facts there exists another fact, between two grains of sand, no matter how close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/between-two-musical-notes-there-exists-another-note-between-two-facts/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [I' is merely one of the world's instantaneous spasms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/i-is-merely-one-of-the-world-s-instantaneous-spasms/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [“It isn't for us that cows' milk comes forth, but we drink it. Flowers weren't made for us to look at or for us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/it-isn-t-for-us-that-cows-milk-comes-forth-but-we-drink-it-flowers/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [To think is an act. To feel is a fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/to-think-is-an-act-to-feel-is-a-fact/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [Love is now, is always. All that is missing is the coup de grâce- which is called passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/love-is-now-is-always-all-that-is-missing-is-the-coup-de-gr-ce-which/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [What I want is to live of that initial and primordial something that was what made some things reach the point of aspiring to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/what-i-want-is-to-live-of-that-initial-and-primordial-something-that/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [“I see that the wardrobe looks penetrable because it has a door. But when I open it, I see that penetration has been put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/i-see-that-the-wardrobe-looks-penetrable-because-it-has-a-door-but/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [“I knew that cockroaches could go more than a month without food or water. And they could even survive on wood for food. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/i-knew-that-cockroaches-could-go-more-than-a-month-without-food-or/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [“Beatitude starts in the moment when the act of thinking has freed itself from the necessity of form. Beatitude starts at the moment when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/beatitude-starts-in-the-moment-when-the-act-of-thinking-has-freed/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [“Beyond thought I reach a state. I refuse to divide it up into words - and what I cannot and do not want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/beyond-thought-i-reach-a-state-i-refuse-to-divide-it-up-into-words/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) [Explore all 196 Clarice Lispector quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) ## More Mirror quotes > [Hate nothing in another human being because your eyes is made looking at others but never at your own self except in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/hate-nothing-in-another-human-being-because-your-eyes-is-made-looking/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [I always look in the mirror to see somthing beautiful but all I see is me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/13-yearold/i-always-look-in-the-mirror-to-see-somthing-beautiful-but-all-i-see/) [13 Yearold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/13-yearold/) > [I fell upon Jenny Saville's work and loved these great big pieces she was painting, celebrating all things flesh and woman, and with great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-fell-upon-jenny-saville-s-work-and-loved-these-great-big-pieces-she/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [I wasn't happy with my body and I knew I had to do something to make myself feel better. I was looking at myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-pivarnick/i-wasn-t-happy-with-my-body-and-i-knew-i-had-to-do-something-to-make/) [Angelina Pivarnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-pivarnick/) > [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Our fashion for us, it's an expression; first of all of life, I put all of myself in my fashion. Sometimes it's good, sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefano-gabbana/our-fashion-for-us-it-s-an-expression-first-of-all-of-life-i-put-all/) [Stefano Gabbana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefano-gabbana/) > [Think of me as a mirror. How you treat me is how I will treat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/think-of-me-as-a-mirror-how-you-treat-me-is-how-i-will-treat-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Even If I Don’t See it Again Even if I don’t see it again.–nor ever feel it I know it is–and that if once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-howe/even-if-i-don-t-see-it-again-even-if-i-don-t-see-it-again-nor-ever/) [Marie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-howe/) > [“nations never see themselves clearly in the mirror, much less when war preys on their minds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/nations-never-see-themselves-clearly-in-the-mirror-much-less-when-war/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [When people look in the mirror, sometimes they see are their shells in the mirror, nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-people-look-in-the-mirror-sometimes-they-see-are-their-shells-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Mirror, mirror, here I stand. Who is the fairest in the land?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/mirror-mirror-here-i-stand-who-is-the-fairest-in-the-land/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Maybe it begins the day you pledge allegiance, face the flag and suddenly clutch your left clavicle because you find a tender puff of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-johnson/maybe-it-begins-the-day-you-pledge-allegiance-face-the-flag-and/) [Marilyn Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-johnson/) > [“Words are free. It does not mean you should abuse them. Be kind with them. They will mirror your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/words-are-free-it-does-not-mean-you-should-abuse-them-be-kind-with/) [Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/) > [I turned back to the mirror, seeing that there were no lines on it. It was empty. "What happened to my mirror?" I said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/i-turned-back-to-the-mirror-seeing-that-there-were-no-lines-on-it-it/) [Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/) > [If you long for peace, act in peace and harmony. If you want the world to change, start with the person in the mirror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-long-for-peace-act-in-peace-and-harmony-if-you-want-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 2,876 Mirror quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirror/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What is a mirror? It’s the only invented material that is natural. Whoever looks at a mirror, whoever manages to see it without seeing himself, whoever understands that its depth consists of being empty, whoever walks inside its transparent space without leaving the trace of his own image upon it—that somebody has understood its mystery of thing. For that to happen one must surprise it when it’s alone, when it’s hanging in an empty room, without forgetting that the finest needle before it can transform it into the simple image of a needle, so sensitive is the mirror in its quality of lightest reflection, only image and not the body. 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