--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In thinking of light, if we can think…" description: "\"In thinking of light, if we can think about what it can do, and what it is, by thinking about itself, not about what we wanted it to do for other thing..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/236/james-turrell-18973_attention_in-thinking-of-light-if-we-can-think-abo_496914.jpg" --- # In thinking of light, if we can think about what it can… ![“In thinking of light, if we can think about what it can do, and what it is, by thinking about itself, not about what we wanted it to do for other things, because again we've used light as people might be used, in the sense that we use it to light paintings. We use it to light so that we can read…” quote by James Turrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/236/james-turrell-18973_attention_in-thinking-of-light-if-we-can-think-abo_496914.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/236/james-turrell-18973_attention_in-thinking-of-light-if-we-can-think-abo_496914.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/236/james-turrell-18973_attention_in-thinking-of-light-if-we-can-think-abo_496914.jpg) > “In thinking of light, if we can think about what it can do, and what it is, by thinking about itself, not about what we wanted it to do for other things, because again we've used light as people might be used, in the sense that we use it to light paintings. We use it to light so that we can read. We don't really pay much attention to the light itself. And so turning that and letting light and sound speak for itself is that you figure out these different relationships and rules.” [James Turrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-turrell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker highlights that we often focus on light’s utility rather than its intrinsic qualities, advocating for experiencing light and sound directly to discover their relationships. **In simple terms:** Notice light itself, not just its uses. Key Takeaway Observe light and sound without preconceptions. Themes perception art sensory experience Mood contemplative curious Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - museum visits - installation art - design lighting - mindfulness practices Key Concepts phenomenology aesthetic theory Questions to Reflect On - How does direct sensory experience change perception? - What can we learn by removing functional expectations? A Different Perspective Might be abstract for practical application. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Different relationships](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-relationships/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Light And Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light-and-sound/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [ \[My work\] is using light as a material to influence or affect the medium of perception. I feel that I want to use light… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-turrell/my-work-is-using-light-as-a-material-to-influence-or-affect-the/) [James Turrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-turrell/) > [Forgetting your Self is the greatest injury; all the calamities flow from it. Take care of the most important, the lesser will take care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/forgetting-your-self-is-the-greatest-injury-all-the-calamities-flow/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [There is no recovery for anyone without lifting the lid on the pain of the past and letting in the light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/there-is-no-recovery-for-anyone-without-lifting-the-lid-on-the-pain/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [“That’s the problem with letting the light in—after it’s been taken away from you, it feels even darker than it was before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-liggett/that-s-the-problem-with-letting-the-light-in-after-it-s-been-taken/) Kim Liggett > [“like trying to eject the darkness from a room without opening the shutters and letting in the light. “I cannot sweep the darkness out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/like-trying-to-eject-the-darkness-from-a-room-without-opening-the/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“We believe in letting our light shine, but not shining it in the eyes of other people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-b-kraybill/we-believe-in-letting-our-light-shine-but-not-shining-it-in-the-eyes/) [Donald B. Kraybill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-b-kraybill/) > [I actually finally let the Light in and then I was able to create all these songs that were inspired by letting the Light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-perry/i-actually-finally-let-the-light-in-and-then-i-was-able-to-create-all/) [Katy Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-perry/) > [Being positive isn't about faking it. 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I think the most important thing is to be in a good mood and enjoy life, wherever you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-von-furstenberg/i-travel-light-i-think-the-most-important-thing-is-to-be-in-a-good/) [Diane von Furstenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-von-furstenberg/) > [People in the dark can't see the light, what they think is wrong it might be right. Look ahead and don't turn around ,ignore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mccoy/people-in-the-dark-can-t-see-the-light-what-they-think-is-wrong-it/) Michael McCoy > [The way to overcome the darkness of our fear, confusion and suffering is by shining the light on all that we think, feel, say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-mamerto/the-way-to-overcome-the-darkness-of-our-fear-confusion-and-suffering/) [Edwin Mamerto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-mamerto/) > [To just burn out, to give up just because things don't go your way, to assume that there is no God, no infinite light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/to-just-burn-out-to-give-up-just-because-things-don-t-go-your-way-to/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## More by James Turrell > [I am not an Earth artist, I'm totally involved in the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-turrell/i-am-not-an-earth-artist-i-m-totally-involved-in-the-sky/) [James Turrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-turrell/) > [With no object no image and no focus, what are you looking at? You are looking at you looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-turrell/with-no-object-no-image-and-no-focus-what-are-you-looking-at-you-are/) [James Turrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-turrell/) > [We eat light, drink it in through our skins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-turrell/we-eat-light-drink-it-in-through-our-skins/) [James Turrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-turrell/) > [I’m interested that light has thingness itself, so it’s not something that reveals something about other things you’re looking at, but it becomes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-turrell/i-m-interested-that-light-has-thingness-itself-so-it-s-not-something/) [James Turrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-turrell/) > [I was maybe 5 or 6, and my grandmother would begin sitting me in the Quaker meeting house. 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I want people to treasure light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-turrell/i-wanted-the-light-to-be-the-revelation-it-has-to-do-with-what-we/) [James Turrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-turrell/) > [Remember technology does not make good work. You can still write a poem on a brown paper bag, and haiku is just as profound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-turrell/remember-technology-does-not-make-good-work-you-can-still-write-a/) [James Turrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-turrell/) > [It is interesting to work in Las Vegas. I've always thought of Las Vegas as Los Angeles on its day off. There's not any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-turrell/it-is-interesting-to-work-in-las-vegas-i-ve-always-thought-of-las/) [James Turrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-turrell/) > [I'm known as a light artist. But rather than be someone who depicted light, or painted light in some way, I wanted to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-turrell/i-m-known-as-a-light-artist-but-rather-than-be-someone-who-depicted/) [James Turrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-turrell/) > [I always wanted to make a light that looks like the light you see in your dream. Because the way that light infuses the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-turrell/i-always-wanted-to-make-a-light-that-looks-like-the-light-you-see-in/) [James Turrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-turrell/) [Explore all 33 James Turrell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-turrell/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. 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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/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. 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