--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You are what you are seen to be." description: "\"You are what you are seen to be.\" — Erik Spiekermann" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/erik-spiekermann-36225_design_you-are-what-you-are-seen-to-be-222858_222858.png" --- # You are what you are seen to be. ![“You are what you are seen to be.” quote by Erik Spiekermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/erik-spiekermann-36225_design_you-are-what-you-are-seen-to-be-222858_222858.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/erik-spiekermann-36225_design_you-are-what-you-are-seen-to-be-222858_222858.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/erik-spiekermann-36225_design_you-are-what-you-are-seen-to-be-222858_222858.png) > “You are what you are seen to be.” [Erik Spiekermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-spiekermann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Identity is shaped by perception; how others see you influences your self-concept. **In simple terms:** How others view you defines you. Key Takeaway Cultivate positive self-presentation. Themes identity perception self Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - interviews - social media - first impressions Key Concepts social psychology self-fulfilling prophecy Questions to Reflect On - Do you align your self-image with others' views? - Can you change how others see you? A Different Perspective Perception can be misleading or superficial. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Seen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seen/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [Something that cannot be explained cannot be seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/something-that-cannot-be-explained-cannot-be-seen/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Hear the truth from whomever says it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maimonides/hear-the-truth-from-whomever-says-it/) [Maimonides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maimonides/) > [Do I Stank or was it already Stanky in Here?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/do-i-stank-or-was-it-already-stanky-in-here/) [Frank B. 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Unfortunately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-spiekermann/typomania-is-curable-but-not-fatal-unfortunately/) [Erik Spiekermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-spiekermann/) > [The attention someone gives to what he or she makes is reflected in the end result, whether it is obvious or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-spiekermann/the-attention-someone-gives-to-what-he-or-she-makes-is-reflected-in/) [Erik Spiekermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-spiekermann/) > [Inspiration. From real life. I open my eyes and I travel and I look. And I read everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-spiekermann/inspiration-from-real-life-i-open-my-eyes-and-i-travel-and-i-look-and/) [Erik Spiekermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-spiekermann/) > [“I love to be a graphic designer, but could we get rid of clients somehow please?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-spiekermann/i-love-to-be-a-graphic-designer-but-could-we-get-rid-of-clients/) [Erik Spiekermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-spiekermann/) > [I'm very much a word person, so that's why typography for me is the obvious extension. It just makes my words visible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-spiekermann/i-m-very-much-a-word-person-so-that-s-why-typography-for-me-is-the/) [Erik Spiekermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-spiekermann/) > [Designers like even grayness, which is the worst thing for a reader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-spiekermann/designers-like-even-grayness-which-is-the-worst-thing-for-a-reader/) [Erik Spiekermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-spiekermann/) > [ They \[letters\] are my friends Some people look at bottles of wine, or whatever - girls' bottoms - I get kicks out of looking… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-spiekermann/they-letters-are-my-friends-some-people-look-at-bottles-of-wine-or/) [Erik Spiekermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-spiekermann/) > [I'm obviously a typeomaniac, which is an incurable if not mortal disease. I can't explain it. I just love, I just like looking at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-spiekermann/i-m-obviously-a-typeomaniac-which-is-an-incurable-if-not-mortal/) [Erik Spiekermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-spiekermann/) > [Inherent quality is part of absolute quality and without it things will appear shoddy. The users may not know why, but they always sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-spiekermann/inherent-quality-is-part-of-absolute-quality-and-without-it-things/) [Erik Spiekermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-spiekermann/) > [As we say in Berlin, there are many ways to bake a parrot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-spiekermann/as-we-say-in-berlin-there-are-many-ways-to-bake-a-parrot/) [Erik Spiekermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-spiekermann/) > [These days, information is a commodity being sold. And designers-including the newly defined subset of information designers and information architects-have a responsible role to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-spiekermann/these-days-information-is-a-commodity-being-sold-and-designers/) [Erik Spiekermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-spiekermann/) > [The materials shape your idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-spiekermann/the-materials-shape-your-idea/) [Erik Spiekermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-spiekermann/) [Explore all 13 Erik Spiekermann quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-spiekermann/) ## More Design quotes > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Plenty of white space and generous line spacing,and don't make the type size too miserly. 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Your personal choice plays a big role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gauri-khan/design-is-a-very-personal-thing-it-s-like-art-your-personal-choice/) [Gauri Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gauri-khan/) > [“Designing posters, for me, is not only a commercial pursuit but also a philosophical endeavor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fang-chen/designing-posters-for-me-is-not-only-a-commercial-pursuit-but-also-a/) [Fang Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fang-chen/) > [I am not a great believer in dialectical struggle. I am much more of a fusion person. I see it as a dialogue, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-warner/i-am-not-a-great-believer-in-dialectical-struggle-i-am-much-more-of-a/) [Marina Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-warner/) > [Users are not designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-nielsen/users-are-not-designers/) [Jakob Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-nielsen/) > [I write the way you might arrange flowers. Not every try works, but each one launches another. Every constraint, even dullness, frees up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-powers/i-write-the-way-you-might-arrange-flowers-not-every-try-works-but/) [Richard Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-powers/) [Browse all 5,563 Design quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You are what you are seen to be.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Erik Spiekermann" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-spiekermann/you-are-what-you-are-seen-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Design" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-spiekermann/you-are-what-you-are-seen-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/erik-spiekermann-36225_design_you-are-what-you-are-seen-to-be-222858_222858.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/erik-spiekermann-36225_design_you-are-what-you-are-seen-to-be-222858_222858.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/erik-spiekermann-36225_design_you-are-what-you-are-seen-to-be-222858_222858.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You are what you are seen to be.” — Erik Spiekermann", "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": "Erik Spiekermann", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-spiekermann/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You are what you are seen...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-spiekermann/you-are-what-you-are-seen-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-spiekermann/you-are-what-you-are-seen-to-be/#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 } } ] } ```