Accustomed Quote by Paul Valery
“Thanks to photography, the eye grew accustomed to anticipate what it should see and to see it; and it learned not to see nonexistent things which, hitherto, it had seen so clearly.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Art of Seeing, Paul Valery, 1919
Photography trains perception to expect and recognize patterns, reducing hallucinations of imagined details.
In simple terms: Seeing becomes expectation‑driven, filtering out false images.
Key Takeaway
Trust visual evidence, question assumptions.
Themes
perception
art
reality
illusion
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- photography
- design
- science
- everyday observation
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
visual literacy
Questions to Reflect On
- How does expectation shape what you notice?
- Can you practice seeing what isn’t there?
A Different Perspective
May limit creativity by ignoring possibilities beyond current expectations.
