--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The reality comes first, and the symbol…" description: "\"The reality comes first, and the symbol comes after. I see these things, and suddenly they become symbolic of life.\" — Mary Pratt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/mary-pratt-57900_firsts_the-reality-comes-first-and-the-symbol-c_2136515.jpg" --- # The reality comes first, and the symbol comes after. I see… ![“The reality comes first, and the symbol comes after. I see these things, and suddenly they become symbolic of life.” quote by Mary Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/mary-pratt-57900_firsts_the-reality-comes-first-and-the-symbol-c_2136515.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/mary-pratt-57900_firsts_the-reality-comes-first-and-the-symbol-c_2136515.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/mary-pratt-57900_firsts_the-reality-comes-first-and-the-symbol-c_2136515.jpg) > “The reality comes first, and the symbol comes after. I see these things, and suddenly they become symbolic of life.” [Mary Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pratt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement observes that reality precedes symbolism, and perception transforms ordinary things into symbols of life. **In simple terms:** Reality first, symbols follow. Key Takeaway Observe and find meaning in everyday life. Themes perception symbolism reality art interpretation Mood contemplative inspirational Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - visual arts - education - mindfulness - storytelling Key Concepts semiotics phenomenology creative process Questions to Reflect On - What everyday object holds personal symbolism for you? - How does symbolism shape your worldview? A Different Perspective Symbols can obscure original context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Symbols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symbols/) ## Related quotes > [“Reason becomes unreason when separated from the heart, and a psychic life void of universal ideas sickens from undernourishment. ~Carl Jung, The Symbolic Life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-g-jung/reason-becomes-unreason-when-separated-from-the-heart-and-a-psychic/) [C.G. Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-g-jung/) > [Man is in need if a symbolical life- badly in need. We only live banal, ordinary, rational or irrational things- but we have no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/man-is-in-need-if-a-symbolical-life-badly-in-need-we-only-live-banal/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [ Symbolic of life, hair bolts from our head\[s\]. Like the earth, it can be harvested, but it will rise again. We can change its… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/symbolic-of-life-hair-bolts-from-our-head-s-like-the-earth-it-can-be/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) > [If you live in denial reality comes back to haunt you at some point and bites you in the heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-live-in-denial-reality-comes-back-to-haunt-you-at-some-point/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Every time I close the door on reality it comes in through the windows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-yane/every-time-i-close-the-door-on-reality-it-comes-in-through-the-windows/) Jennifer Yane > [“Sometimes reality comes crashing down on you. Other times reality simply waits, patiently, for you to run out of the energy it takes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-jenkins-reid/sometimes-reality-comes-crashing-down-on-you-other-times-reality/) [Taylor Jenkins Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-jenkins-reid/) > [There's got to be a point in time where the reality comes home and people realize, here are the facts, and this is either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bilott/there-s-got-to-be-a-point-in-time-where-the-reality-comes-home-and/) [Robert Bilott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bilott/) > [The play is so close to the reality. . . . It comes out of the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-williams/the-play-is-so-close-to-the-reality-it-comes-out-of-the-heart/) Barbara Williams > [“Reality never comes as a problem. 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But I also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/primula-bond/think-of-it-as-a-symbol-here-s-the-chain-joining-us-together-i-know/) [Primula Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/primula-bond/) > [As far as I'm concerned, the sexiness, the sex symbol, it's not a consideration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-craig/as-far-as-i-m-concerned-the-sexiness-the-sex-symbol-it-s-not-a/) [Daniel Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-craig/) > [“Symbols are miracles we have recorded into language.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-kelley-harrell/symbols-are-miracles-we-have-recorded-into-language/) [S. Kelley Harrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-kelley-harrell/) > [A poor self-image is the magnifying glass that can transform a trivial mistake or an imperfection into an overwhelming symbol of personal defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/a-poor-self-image-is-the-magnifying-glass-that-can-transform-a/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) ## More by Mary Pratt > [I can't stand theory because it is imposed by the intellectual. And the intellectual is, by definition, not a creative person. The intellectual is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pratt/i-can-t-stand-theory-because-it-is-imposed-by-the-intellectual-and/) [Mary Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pratt/) > [The fact is that until I saw paintings as icons, I couldn't see why people painted at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pratt/the-fact-is-that-until-i-saw-paintings-as-icons-i-couldn-t-see-why/) [Mary Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pratt/) > [When I'm painting them, the whole legend and mythology of apples occurs to me, and so Adam and Eve and the snake and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pratt/when-i-m-painting-them-the-whole-legend-and-mythology-of-apples/) [Mary Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pratt/) > [My only strength is finding something where most people would find nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pratt/my-only-strength-is-finding-something-where-most-people-would-find/) [Mary Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pratt/) > [Sometimes I seem to be two people. 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Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) Browse all 32,432 Firsts quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The reality comes first, and the symbol comes after. 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