--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are as much as we see. Faith is sight…" description: "\"We are as much as we see. Faith is sight and knowledge. The hands only serve the eyes.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f80/henry-david-thoreau-20_eye_we-are-as-much-as-we-see-faith-is-sight_1804003.jpg" --- # We are as much as we see. Faith is sight and knowledge… ![“We are as much as we see. Faith is sight and knowledge. The hands only serve the eyes.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f80/henry-david-thoreau-20_eye_we-are-as-much-as-we-see-faith-is-sight_1804003.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f80/henry-david-thoreau-20_eye_we-are-as-much-as-we-see-faith-is-sight_1804003.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f80/henry-david-thoreau-20_eye_we-are-as-much-as-we-see-faith-is-sight_1804003.jpg) > “We are as much as we see. Faith is sight and knowledge. The hands only serve the eyes.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Perception shapes reality; what we observe defines our understanding, and our actions follow what we see. **In simple terms:** Seeing determines believing. Key Takeaway Cultivate awareness. Themes perception knowledge faith Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - education - leadership - decision making Key Concepts epistemology phenomenology Questions to Reflect On - How do your senses limit your understanding? - What can you do to broaden your perception? A Different Perspective Seeing alone may miss unseen possibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Faith Sight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith-sight-398903/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Serve Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serve-eyes-2056019/) [Sight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sight/) [Sight Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sight-knowledge-1843261/) ## Related quotes > [“All of us judge by sight and not by knowledge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/all-of-us-judge-by-sight-and-not-by-knowledge/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [Walk by faith, and not by sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/walk-by-faith-and-not-by-sight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Faith is the sight of the inward eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/faith-is-the-sight-of-the-inward-eye/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian/for-we-walk-by-faith-not-by-sight/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian/) > [I live by faith and not sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/storm-reid/i-live-by-faith-and-not-sight/) [Storm Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/storm-reid/) > [2 Corinthians 5:7 We live by faith, not by sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus/2-corinthians-5-7-we-live-by-faith-not-by-sight/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus/) > [“We live by faith and not by sight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-live-by-faith-and-not-by-sight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“And then, just as quickly, the clouds returned, leaving us to walk by faith, not by sight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sibella-giorello/and-then-just-as-quickly-the-clouds-returned-leaving-us-to-walk-by/) [Sibella Giorello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sibella-giorello/) > [Faith Not Sight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bino/faith-not-sight/) [Bino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bino/) > [All God's testing has purpose- Someday you will see the light, all God asks is to trust, walk by faith, and not by sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-god-s-testing-has-purpose-someday-you-will-see-the-light-all-god/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sooner or later we will be called upon to trust God as we endure sickness,grief,or disappointment.Thats when we walk by faith not by sight..!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariane-corbito/sooner-or-later-we-will-be-called-upon-to-trust-god-as-we-endure/) [Mariane Corbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariane-corbito/) > [“Next: We walk by faith. Second Corinthians, chapter five, verse seven: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” The most faulty Christians I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-l-moody/next-we-walk-by-faith-second-corinthians-chapter-five-verse-seven-for/) [D.L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-l-moody/) > [“Apathetic to my pity party, God interrupted in a thunderous Voice with the words, “For we walk by faith, not by sight!” 2 Corinthians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-lubben/apathetic-to-my-pity-party-god-interrupted-in-a-thunderous-voice-with/) [Shelley Lubben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-lubben/) > [“Elijah was vindicated openly in the widow’s eyes. The pity is, she should have known this already by now. The bread and oil being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-t-kendall/elijah-was-vindicated-openly-in-the-widow-s-eyes-the-pity-is-she/) [R. T. Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-t-kendall/) > [When you see no present advantage, walk by faith and not by sight. Do God the honor to trust Him when it comes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/when-you-see-no-present-advantage-walk-by-faith-and-not-by-sight-do/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Eye quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/) [Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/) > [“He blinked. His eyes fell as he processed her response. Then he lifted his chin and attempted a grin that was almost painfully dejected.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/he-blinked-his-eyes-fell-as-he-processed-her-response-then-he-lifted/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [How could anybody confuse truth with beauty, I thought as I looked at him. Truth came with sunken eyes, bony or scarred, decayed. Its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/how-could-anybody-confuse-truth-with-beauty-i-thought-as-i-looked-at/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [Quotations can be valuable, like raisins in the rice pudding, for adding iron as well as eye appeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peg-bracken/quotations-can-be-valuable-like-raisins-in-the-rice-pudding-for/) [Peg Bracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peg-bracken/) > [Clearly, when we baptize, our eyes should gaze beyond the baptismal font to the holy temple. The great garner into which the sheaves should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/clearly-when-we-baptize-our-eyes-should-gaze-beyond-the-baptismal/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [At the end of night, before you close your eyes, be content with what you've done and be proud of who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-almond/at-the-end-of-night-before-you-close-your-eyes-be-content-with-what/) [Steve Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-almond/) > [Be neither too early in the fashion, nor too long out of it, nor too precisely in it; what custom hath civilized is become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/be-neither-too-early-in-the-fashion-nor-too-long-out-of-it-nor-too/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [It lies around us like a cloud- A world we do not see; Yet the sweet closing of an eye May bring us there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-beecher-stowe/it-lies-around-us-like-a-cloud-a-world-we-do-not-see-yet-the-sweet/) [Harriet Beecher Stowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-beecher-stowe/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [She'd read once that if you ran into a bear in the woods you should avoid eye contact and you shouldn't run away, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-ursu/she-d-read-once-that-if-you-ran-into-a-bear-in-the-woods-you-should/) [Anne Ursu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-ursu/) > [Liesel observed the strangeness of her foster father's eyes. They were made of kindness, and silver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/liesel-observed-the-strangeness-of-her-foster-father-s-eyes-they-were/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) [Browse all 16,237 Eye quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are as much as we see. Faith is sight and knowledge. 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