--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's hard to be what you can't see." description: "\"It's hard to be what you can't see.\" — Jason Reynolds" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/jason-reynolds-7298_hard_it-s-hard-to-be-what-you-can-t-see-94484_944844.jpg" --- # It's hard to be what you can't see. ![“It's hard to be what you can't see.” quote by Jason Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/jason-reynolds-7298_hard_it-s-hard-to-be-what-you-can-t-see-94484_944844.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/jason-reynolds-7298_hard_it-s-hard-to-be-what-you-can-t-see-94484_944844.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/jason-reynolds-7298_hard_it-s-hard-to-be-what-you-can-t-see-94484_944844.jpg) > “It's hard to be what you can't see.” [Jason Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that without a clear vision or role model, it's difficult to achieve or embody that identity. **In simple terms:** You need a clear example to become something. Key Takeaway Seek visible role models. Themes identity vision role models Mood reflective inspirational Type advice motivational When to use this quote - career planning - personal development - education - mentorship Key Concepts self‑concept aspiration Questions to Reflect On - What vision do you lack? - How can you define yourself without a model? A Different Perspective If you lack a model, you may still create your own path. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Lens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lens/) [See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/see/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related 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/) > [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 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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-greenstreet/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) ## More by Jason Reynolds > [“AND YOU KNOW it's weird to know a person you don't know and at the same time not know a person you know, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/and-you-know-it-s-weird-to-know-a-person-you-don-t-know-and-at-the/) [Jason Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/) > [“And I'll never go asleep again believing that touching them or anything of his will lead to an arm around my neck. But it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/and-i-ll-never-go-asleep-again-believing-that-touching-them-or/) [Jason Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/) > [I love, loved, loved 'We Real Cool' by Gwendolyn Brooks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/i-love-loved-loved-we-real-cool-by-gwendolyn-brooks/) [Jason Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/) > [Be not afraid of discomfort. If you can't put yourself in a situation where you are uncomfortable, then you will never grow. You will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/be-not-afraid-of-discomfort-if-you-can-t-put-yourself-in-a-situation/) [Jason Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/) > [The truth of the matter is that chess is not the game of life because life does not ever happen the way you strategize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-chess-is-not-the-game-of-life-because/) [Jason Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/) > [The idea of the mask in any scenario has always fascinated me. Not only does it protect identity, it also allows one to hide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/the-idea-of-the-mask-in-any-scenario-has-always-fascinated-me-not/) [Jason Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/) > [“AND EVEN THOUGH his face was wet with tears he wasn't supposed to cry when he was alive, I couldn't see him as anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/and-even-though-his-face-was-wet-with-tears-he-wasn-t-supposed-to-cry/) [Jason Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/) > [Rappers are the white authors of our generation. They know me, my language, my codes, my family, my block.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/rappers-are-the-white-authors-of-our-generation-they-know-me-my/) [Jason Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/) > [“I SWEAR SOMETIMES it feels like God be flashing photos of his children, awkward, amazing, tucked in his wallet for the world to see.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/i-swear-sometimes-it-feels-like-god-be-flashing-photos-of-his/) [Jason Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/) > [My relationship to comics isn't nearly as strong as some people's. Ha! I mean, I grew up with a comic book fanatic. My older…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/my-relationship-to-comics-isn-t-nearly-as-strong-as-some-people-s-ha/) [Jason Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/) > [“Shawn turned back toward me, eyes dull from death but shining from tears, finally spoke to me. Just two words, like a joke he'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/shawn-turned-back-toward-me-eyes-dull-from-death-but-shining-from/) [Jason Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/) > [I just want young people to read my books and feel cared for, feel safe, feel like there's someone else in the world who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/i-just-want-young-people-to-read-my-books-and-feel-cared-for-feel/) [Jason Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/) > [I would go to the store, I would buy cassette tapes, and I would read the liner notes and sort of subconsciously creating the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/i-would-go-to-the-store-i-would-buy-cassette-tapes-and-i-would-read/) [Jason Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/) > [Hip-hop saved me. It gave me permission to use language in a certain way. It validated my community and my friends. It gave our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/hip-hop-saved-me-it-gave-me-permission-to-use-language-in-a-certain/) [Jason Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/) > [I have a hard time with people who say they write for children but they don't really like children. I love children. I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/i-have-a-hard-time-with-people-who-say-they-write-for-children-but/) [Jason Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/) [Explore all 92 Jason Reynolds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/) ## More Hard quotes > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [It is hard to admit to someone that you love him..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misherie/it-is-hard-to-admit-to-someone-that-you-love-him/) [Misherie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misherie/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [There Was Many Time I Had Wanted To Give Up In Life On So Many Things…But Naw F\*\*\* That...I'm Not Going To Never Give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/out-spoken/there-was-many-time-i-had-wanted-to-give-up-in-life-on-so-many-things/) [Out Spoken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/out-spoken/) > [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/) [Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/) [Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/) > [In our society we have hard nerds and soft nerds. The hard nerds are the ones who used to have the slide rules at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/in-our-society-we-have-hard-nerds-and-soft-nerds-the-hard-nerds-are/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) > [High school, going into my junior year, I kind of had the idea I was going to be the starting running back. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saquon-barkley/high-school-going-into-my-junior-year-i-kind-of-had-the-idea-i-was/) [Saquon Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saquon-barkley/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) [Browse all 29,826 Hard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's hard to be what you can't see.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jason Reynolds" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/it-s-hard-to-be-what-you-can-t-see/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Hard" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/it-s-hard-to-be-what-you-can-t-see/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/jason-reynolds-7298_hard_it-s-hard-to-be-what-you-can-t-see-94484_944844.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/jason-reynolds-7298_hard_it-s-hard-to-be-what-you-can-t-see-94484_944844.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/jason-reynolds-7298_hard_it-s-hard-to-be-what-you-can-t-see-94484_944844.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's hard to be what you can't see.” — Jason Reynolds", "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": "Jason Reynolds", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reynolds/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's hard to be what you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/it-s-hard-to-be-what-you-can-t-see/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reynolds/it-s-hard-to-be-what-you-can-t-see/#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 } } ] } ```