--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Who can say it’s not what we see with our…" description: "\"“Who can say it’s not what we see with our eyes open that is distorted, and that what’s described here isn’t the true essence of things?” He slowed dow..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d0/ismail-kadar-13224_lens_who-can-say-it-s-not-what-we-see-with-ou_823049.jpg" --- # Who can say it’s not what we see with our eyes open that… ![“Who can say it’s not what we see with our eyes open that is distorted, and that what’s described here isn’t the true essence of things?” He slowed down outside a door. “Haven’t you ever heard old men sigh that life’s a dream?” quote by Ismail Kadaré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d0/ismail-kadar-13224_lens_who-can-say-it-s-not-what-we-see-with-ou_823049.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d0/ismail-kadar-13224_lens_who-can-say-it-s-not-what-we-see-with-ou_823049.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d0/ismail-kadar-13224_lens_who-can-say-it-s-not-what-we-see-with-ou_823049.jpg) > ““Who can say it’s not what we see with our eyes open that is distorted, and that what’s described here isn’t the true essence of things?” He slowed down outside a door. “Haven’t you ever heard old men sigh that life’s a dream?”” [Ismail Kadaré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Perception is unreliable; life feels like a dream, questioning reality. **In simple terms:** Reality may be an illusion. Key Takeaway Question what you assume. Themes perception reality existential doubt Mood curious thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - art criticism - daily decision making - mindfulness - philosophical debate Key Concepts Subjective truth philosophical skepticism Questions to Reflect On - Do you trust your senses? - How do you find grounding? A Different Perspective Dream‑like view can cause paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Old men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-men/) ## Related quotes > [“You should have heard the old men cry You should have heard the biddies When that sad stranger rasied his flute And piped away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/you-should-have-heard-the-old-men-cry-you-should-have-heard-the/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [I heard the old, old, men say 'all that's beautiful drifts away, like the waters.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/i-heard-the-old-old-men-say-all-that-s-beautiful-drifts-away-like-the/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [“THE ONE WHO STAYED You should have heard the old men cry, You should have heard the biddies When that sad stranger raised his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/the-one-who-stayed-you-should-have-heard-the-old-men-cry-you-should/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [Enlightment that can be described isn't Enlightment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-old-zen-adage/enlightment-that-can-be-described-isn-t-enlightment/) An Old Zen Adage > [“There’s also the predicament that what I’ve described isn’t actually yoga; it’s bullshit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-pacheco/there-s-also-the-predicament-that-what-i-ve-described-isn-t-actually/) [Rebecca Pacheco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-pacheco/) > [While walking down the street, I heard an old lady saying, I've been in love with the same man for almost 50 years. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/while-walking-down-the-street-i-heard-an-old-lady-saying-i-ve-been-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've heard about old women, but I've never actually meet any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-jay-taylor/i-ve-heard-about-old-women-but-i-ve-never-actually-meet-any/) [T Jay Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-jay-taylor/) > [I heard it all. 'He's too old. He won't get by Double-A. He's too slow.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-alvarez/i-heard-it-all-he-s-too-old-he-won-t-get-by-double-a-he-s-too-slow/) [Eddy Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-alvarez/) > [The self is merely the lens through which we see others and the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/the-self-is-merely-the-lens-through-which-we-see-others-and-the-world/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Light-skinned privilege is largely through a white lens. It is exploited by oppressive forces... It was always a facade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-sampson/light-skinned-privilege-is-largely-through-a-white-lens-it-is/) [Kendrick Sampson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-sampson/) > [No lens is quick enough to track the movement of the human body. The molecules are always moving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-rees/no-lens-is-quick-enough-to-track-the-movement-of-the-human-body-the/) [Roger Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-rees/) > [My first experience with film was through a still camera. I would sit, very much against my will, with my father in the game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavid-hood/my-first-experience-with-film-was-through-a-still-camera-i-would-sit/) [Gavid Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavid-hood/) > [Making progress on longstanding challenges requires a different lens and a new approach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/making-progress-on-longstanding-challenges-requires-a-different-lens/) [Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/) > [“‎..:When we don't have the have the right mindset, we only see a dim and blurry picture of things. It is as if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-garcia/when-we-don-t-have-the-have-the-right-mindset-we-only-see-a-dim-and/) [Rafael Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-garcia/) > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) ## More by Ismail Kadaré > [And everything would be different, different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/and-everything-would-be-different-different/) [Ismail Kadaré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) > [“This is how things come to pass in the world,' one of the princes is supposed to have said. 'Blood flows one way in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/this-is-how-things-come-to-pass-in-the-world-one-of-the-princes-is/) [Ismail Kadare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) > [“Thick smoke like a herd of black horses was rising over the massive building and being blown around by the wind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/thick-smoke-like-a-herd-of-black-horses-was-rising-over-the-massive/) [Ismail Kadare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) > [“Divizije, pukovnije, batoljoni, čete, jedinice svih vrsta pomiješat će se u gomili lijesova. Potom će ih ukrcati u veliki brod koji će tromo isploviti…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/divizije-pukovnije-batoljoni-ete-jedinice-svih-vrsta-pomije-at-e-se-u/) [Ismail Kadaré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) > [“At street corners, where walls join, I thought I could see some familiar features, like outlines of human faces, the shadows of cheekbones and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/at-street-corners-where-walls-join-i-thought-i-could-see-some/) [Ismail Kadaré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) > [“E ke menduar se po te largohesh kaq shume nga jeta njerezore, nga ajo qe ti me perbuzje e quan "malli i jetes", mund…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/e-ke-menduar-se-po-te-largohesh-kaq-shume-nga-jeta-njerezore-nga-ajo/) [Ismail Kadaré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) > [“The pyramid is the pillar that holds power aloft. If it wavers,everything collapses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/the-pyramid-is-the-pillar-that-holds-power-aloft-if-it-wavers/) [Ismail Kadare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) > [“My streets, my cistern. My old house. Its beams, floorboards and staircase creaked slightly, almost imperceptibly, with a dry, uniform, almost constant cracking sound.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/my-streets-my-cistern-my-old-house-its-beams-floorboards-and/) [Ismail Kadare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) > [“Some people,” the Vizier went on, “think it’s the world of anxieties and dreams – your world, in short – that governs this one.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/some-people-the-vizier-went-on-think-it-s-the-world-of-anxieties-and/) [Ismail Kadaré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) > [Who in the world has not yearned for a loved one, has never said, If only he or she could come back just once,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/who-in-the-world-has-not-yearned-for-a-loved-one-has-never-said-if/) [Ismail Kadaré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) > [“Sunday had spread all over the city. It looked as if the sun had smacked into the earth and broken into pieces and chunks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/sunday-had-spread-all-over-the-city-it-looked-as-if-the-sun-had/) [Ismail Kadare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) > [Dictatorship and authentic literature are incompatible... The writer is the natural enemy of dictatorship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/dictatorship-and-authentic-literature-are-incompatible-the-writer-is/) [Ismail Kadaré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) > [I could not understand how people could not like something as beautiful as the aerodrome. But I had lately become convinced that in general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/i-could-not-understand-how-people-could-not-like-something-as/) [Ismail Kadaré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) > [“I couldn't get to sleep. The book lay nearby. A thin object on the divan. So strange. Between two cardboard covers were noises, doors,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/i-couldn-t-get-to-sleep-the-book-lay-nearby-a-thin-object-on-the/) [Ismail Kadare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) > [“Why the Albanians had created the institution of the guest, exalting it above all other human relations, even those of kinship. “Perhaps the answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/why-the-albanians-had-created-the-institution-of-the-guest-exalting/) [Ismail Kadaré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) [Explore all 43 Ismail Kadaré quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) ## More Lens quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [“‎..:When we don't have the have the right mindset, we only see a dim and blurry picture of things. It is as if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-garcia/when-we-don-t-have-the-have-the-right-mindset-we-only-see-a-dim-and/) [Rafael Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-garcia/) > [Making progress on longstanding challenges requires a different lens and a new approach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/making-progress-on-longstanding-challenges-requires-a-different-lens/) [Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/) > [My first experience with film was through a still camera. I would sit, very much against my will, with my father in the game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavid-hood/my-first-experience-with-film-was-through-a-still-camera-i-would-sit/) [Gavid Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavid-hood/) > [No lens is quick enough to track the movement of the human body. The molecules are always moving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-rees/no-lens-is-quick-enough-to-track-the-movement-of-the-human-body-the/) [Roger Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-rees/) > [Light-skinned privilege is largely through a white lens. It is exploited by oppressive forces... It was always a facade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-sampson/light-skinned-privilege-is-largely-through-a-white-lens-it-is/) [Kendrick Sampson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-sampson/) > [The self is merely the lens through which we see others and the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/the-self-is-merely-the-lens-through-which-we-see-others-and-the-world/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Peace can be a lens through which you see the world. Be it. Live it. Radiate it out. Peace is an inside job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/peace-can-be-a-lens-through-which-you-see-the-world-be-it-live-it/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [I've always had the utmost respect and awe of what the lens can do and what a director can do with just a camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-gray-gubler/i-ve-always-had-the-utmost-respect-and-awe-of-what-the-lens-can-do/) [Matthew Gray Gubler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-gray-gubler/) > [The lens is the actor's best critic... showing his mind more clearly than on the stage. You can get wonderful cooperation out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-greenstreet/the-lens-is-the-actor-s-best-critic-showing-his-mind-more-clearly/) Sydney Greenstreet > [A screenplay is really an instruction manual, and it can be interpreted in any number of ways. The casting, the choice of location, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/a-screenplay-is-really-an-instruction-manual-and-it-can-be/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“A free spirit lives a free life, not bound by rules but guided by wonder, and in their wake they inspire others to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julieanne-o-connor/a-free-spirit-lives-a-free-life-not-bound-by-rules-but-guided-by/) [Julieanne O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julieanne-o-connor/) > [We see the world as 'we' are, not as 'it' is; because it is the "I" behind the 'eye' that does the seeing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/we-see-the-world-as-we-are-not-as-it-is-because-it-is-the-i-behind/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [There is some information that an actor doesn't need, and that's okay. I can't control everything. I don't want to control everything. Sometimes, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-camara/there-is-some-information-that-an-actor-doesn-t-need-and-that-s-okay/) [Javier Camara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-camara/) > [We see the world, not as it is, but as we are -- or, as we are conditioned to see it. When we open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/we-see-the-world-not-as-it-is-but-as-we-are-or-as-we-are-conditioned/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) Browse all 277 Lens quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Who can say it’s not what we see with our eyes open that is distorted, and that what’s described here isn’t the true essence of things?” He slowed down outside a door. “Haven’t you ever heard old men sigh that life’s a dream?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ismail Kadaré" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/who-can-say-it-s-not-what-we-see-with-our-eyes-open-that-is-distorted/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Lens" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/who-can-say-it-s-not-what-we-see-with-our-eyes-open-that-is-distorted/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d0/ismail-kadar-13224_lens_who-can-say-it-s-not-what-we-see-with-ou_823049.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d0/ismail-kadar-13224_lens_who-can-say-it-s-not-what-we-see-with-ou_823049.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d0/ismail-kadar-13224_lens_who-can-say-it-s-not-what-we-see-with-ou_823049.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Who can say it’s not what we see with our eyes open that is distorted, and that what’s described here isn’t…” — Ismail Kadaré", "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": "Ismail Kadaré", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Who can say it’s not what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/who-can-say-it-s-not-what-we-see-with-our-eyes-open-that-is-distorted/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/who-can-say-it-s-not-what-we-see-with-our-eyes-open-that-is-distorted/#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 } } ] } ```