--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I become a transparent eyeball,” wrote…" description: "\"“I become a transparent eyeball,” wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson in “Nature.” “I am nothing; I see all.” Lord Byron called it “the feeling infinite”; Jack K..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/539/michael-finkel-7714_fifteen-years_i-become-a-transparent-eyeball-wrote-ral_1060633.jpg" --- # I become a transparent eyeball,” wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson… ![“I become a transparent eyeball,” wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson in “Nature.” “I am nothing; I see all.” Lord Byron called it “the feeling infinite”; Jack Kerouac, in Desolation Angels, “the one mind of infinity.” The French Catholic priest Charles de Foucauld, who spent fifteen years living in the…” quote by Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/539/michael-finkel-7714_fifteen-years_i-become-a-transparent-eyeball-wrote-ral_1060633.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/539/michael-finkel-7714_fifteen-years_i-become-a-transparent-eyeball-wrote-ral_1060633.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/539/michael-finkel-7714_fifteen-years_i-become-a-transparent-eyeball-wrote-ral_1060633.jpg) > ““I become a transparent eyeball,” wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson in “Nature.” “I am nothing; I see all.” Lord Byron called it “the feeling infinite”; Jack Kerouac, in Desolation Angels, “the one mind of infinity.” The French Catholic priest Charles de Foucauld, who spent fifteen years living in the Sahara Desert, said that in solitude “one empties completely the small house of one’s soul.” Merton wrote that “the true solitary does not seek himself, but loses himself.” This”” [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Seeing beyond the self, embracing emptiness, and connecting with the infinite through solitude and perception. **In simple terms:** Let go of ego to perceive all. Key Takeaway Seek stillness, dissolve self‑boundaries. Themes spirituality solitude perception infinity self‑transcendence Mood contemplative serene introspective Type philosophical spiritual literary When to use this quote - meditation retreats - creative writing - philosophical study - lonely travel - artistic inspiration Key Concepts Transcendentalism existentialism mysticism Questions to Reflect On - How does letting go of self change your view of the world? - When does solitude become harmful? A Different Perspective Such emptiness can lead to isolation or loss of personal identity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fifteen years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fifteen-years/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Sahara desert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sahara-desert/) [Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) ## Related quotes > [There is much to be said for solitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-kennedy/there-is-much-to-be-said-for-solitude/) [Douglas Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-kennedy/) > [ \[Saint Anthony\] said, in his solitude, he sometimes encountered devils who looked like angels, and other times he found angels who looked like devils.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/saint-anthony-said-in-his-solitude-he-sometimes-encountered-devils/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [A googolplex is precisely as far from infinity as is the number 1... no matter what number you have in mind, infinity is larger still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/a-googolplex-is-precisely-as-far-from-infinity-as-is-the-number-1-no/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Even to the sage who's doing Sahaja Samadhi, the great guru, I'd say: "Hey buddy, you know, I like the robes and everything, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/even-to-the-sage-who-s-doing-sahaja-samadhi-the-great-guru-i-d-say/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Your journey is to see how deeply you can interface your mind with infinity. That's the journey of a monk - to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/your-journey-is-to-see-how-deeply-you-can-interface-your-mind-with/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We are, always, reminded of the old saw: What would happen if the Soviet Union took over the Sahara Desert? Answer: Nothing for 50…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-buckley-jr/we-are-always-reminded-of-the-old-saw-what-would-happen-if-the-soviet/) [William F. Buckley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-f-buckley-jr/) > [The metaphor I routinely use is polar bears in the Sahara desert. You take creatures adapted to the cold and put them in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-katz/the-metaphor-i-routinely-use-is-polar-bears-in-the-sahara-desert-you/) [David Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-katz/) > [I was born in the middle of the Sahara desert while my parents were there and that's probably why I have a Bedouin spirit!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reham-khan/i-was-born-in-the-middle-of-the-sahara-desert-while-my-parents-were/) [Reham Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reham-khan/) > [Going to the Sahara Desert and meeting the Touareg band Tinariwen was a life-changing experience. All through that time, I have just carried on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-adams/going-to-the-sahara-desert-and-meeting-the-touareg-band-tinariwen-was/) [Justin Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-adams/) > [“I tracked down a vegan baker and had this cake special ordered for tonight. 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In my travels I have found \[the safety razor\] in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-c-gillette/there-is-no-other-article-for-individual-use-so-universally-known-or/) King C. Gillette > [Hulkamania is like a single grain of sand in the Sahara desert that is Nacho Madness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macho-man-randy-savage/hulkamania-is-like-a-single-grain-of-sand-in-the-sahara-desert-that/) [Macho Man Randy Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/macho-man-randy-savage/) ## More by Michael Finkel > [I never do formal interviews. I don't use a tape recorder. I take notes but occasionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/i-never-do-formal-interviews-i-don-t-use-a-tape-recorder-i-take-notes/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) > [“He has seen the bottomless nonsense of our world and has decided, like most of us, to simply try to tolerate it. He appears…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/he-has-seen-the-bottomless-nonsense-of-our-world-and-has-decided-like/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) > [America might be the land of second chances, but it ain't the land of third chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/america-might-be-the-land-of-second-chances-but-it-ain-t-the-land-of/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) > [“the true solitary does not seek himself, but loses himself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/the-true-solitary-does-not-seek-himself-but-loses-himself/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) > [“The American essayist William Deresiewicz wrote that “no real excellence, personal or social, artistic, philosophical, scientific, or moral, can arise without solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/the-american-essayist-william-deresiewicz-wrote-that-no-real/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) > [“If you like solitude, you're never alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/if-you-like-solitude-you-re-never-alone/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) > [“The first great literary work about solitude, the Tao Te Ching, was written in ancient China, likely in the sixth century B.C., by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/the-first-great-literary-work-about-solitude-the-tao-te-ching-was/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) > [There have always been hermits: people who want to get away from other humans. Literally, some of the first extant books and poems found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/there-have-always-been-hermits-people-who-want-to-get-away-from-other/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) > [“The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, by William Shirer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-third-reich-by-william-shirer/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) > [I think many people have this sense that something about modern society - the screens, the noise, the traffic, the constant busyness - has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/i-think-many-people-have-this-sense-that-something-about-modern/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) > [I'd lied many times: to bolster my credentials, to elicit sympathy, to make myself appear less ordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/i-d-lied-many-times-to-bolster-my-credentials-to-elicit-sympathy-to/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) > [“He never bothered listening to sports; the bored him, every one of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/he-never-bothered-listening-to-sports-the-bored-him-every-one-of-them/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) > [Extraordinary things happen in solitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/extraordinary-things-happen-in-solitude/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) > [“Japanese researchers at Chiba University found that a daily fifteen-minute walk in the woods caused significant decreases in cortisol, along with a modest drop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/japanese-researchers-at-chiba-university-found-that-a-daily-fifteen-2/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) > [My fight-or-flight mechanism... had served me well in Gaza, in Afghanistan, and all the places I'd been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/my-fight-or-flight-mechanism-had-served-me-well-in-gaza-in/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) [Explore all 87 Michael Finkel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) ## More Fifteen years quotes > [A statesman is a politician who has been dead ten or fifteen years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman-2/a-statesman-is-a-politician-who-has-been-dead-ten-or-fifteen-years/) [Harry S Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman-2/) > [“That was fifteen years ago. Fifteen Valentine's Days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/that-was-fifteen-years-ago-fifteen-valentine-s-days/) [Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/) > [“Near home I ran through our park, where I had aired my children on weekends and late-summer afternoons. I stopped at the northeast playground,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-paley/near-home-i-ran-through-our-park-where-i-had-aired-my-children-on/) [Grace Paley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-paley/) > [It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-benchley/it-took-me-fifteen-years-to-discover-i-had-no-talent-for-writing-but/) [Robert Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-benchley/) > [Fifteen years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the United States government still has little idea how many foreign travelers overstay their visas annually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-meadows/fifteen-years-after-the-september-11-terrorist-attacks-the-united/) [Mark Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-meadows/) > [We are shut up in school and college recitation rooms for ten to fifteen years, and come out at last with a bellyful of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/we-are-shut-up-in-school-and-college-recitation-rooms-for-ten-to/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“She was fifteen years younger than Paul, a point his other retired cop friends kidded him about mercilessly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-james/she-was-fifteen-years-younger-than-paul-a-point-his-other-retired-cop/) [Russell James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-james/) > [I have an IQ of about 160, I taught science for about fifteen years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-hovind/i-have-an-iq-of-about-160-i-taught-science-for-about-fifteen-years/) [Kent Hovind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-hovind/) > [Dan Brister's book bears witness to the last fifteen years of this bureaucratic madness to tame the last vestige of wild America and domesticate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-peacock/dan-brister-s-book-bears-witness-to-the-last-fifteen-years-of-this/) [Doug Peacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-peacock/) > [“We've had fifteen years of being grown-ups when we could have got together and we never have. Doesn't that tell you something?' 'Yeah, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karina-bliss/we-ve-had-fifteen-years-of-being-grown-ups-when-we-could-have-got/) [Karina Bliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-bliss/) > [Well, when I was fifteen years old I worked in a lingerie store and that's how I feel in love with vintage lingerie because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dita-von-teese/well-when-i-was-fifteen-years-old-i-worked-in-a-lingerie-store-and/) [Dita Von Teese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dita-von-teese/) > [Old age is fifteen years older than I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/old-age-is-fifteen-years-older-than-i-am/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Let’s take a quick look at what a psychopath is. Although the American Psychiatric Association (APA) no longer uses this term, much of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kirkconnell/let-s-take-a-quick-look-at-what-a-psychopath-is-although-the-american/) Robert Kirkconnell > [“Tell me about the war,” he pressed cautiously. She smiled again and began, “Well . . .” The sentence ended there. 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