Active Quote by David Abram
“If, on the other hand, we wish to describe a particular phenomenon without repressing our direct experience, then we cannot avoid speaking of the phenomenon as an active, animate entity with which we find ourselves engaged. To the sensing body, no thing presents itself as utterly passive or inert. Only by affirming the animateness of perceived things do we allow our words to emerge directly from the depths of our ongoing reciprocity with the world.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Spell of the Sensuous, 1996
We experience phenomena as active participants, not passive objects, allowing language to arise from our reciprocal relationship with the world.
In simple terms: We see things as alive, shaping how we speak about them.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the liveliness of experience.
Themes
perception
reciprocity
language
animism
embodiment
Mood
wonderful
reflective
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- fieldwork
- artistic creation
- mindfulness practice
- environmental design
Key Concepts
Phenomenology
Ecology
Embodied cognition
Questions to Reflect On
- How does seeing the world as animate change your interactions?
- What limits arise when everything is treated as active?
A Different Perspective
This view may overlook inanimate processes that lack agency.
![“The interesting thing about this is I don't know what my vision [ in Salome the play and Salomaybe] is yet about. I'm sensing something and I'm going along with it. It reminds me of a painting, the way Jackson Pollack painted - Jackson Pollack, the great, great artist.” quote by Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aa0/al-pacino-1656_art_the-interesting-thing-about-this-is-i-do_376188.jpg)
