Eyes looking Quote by Walker Percy
““Looking at oneself in a mirror is a self-canceling phenomenon. Eyes looking into eyes make a hole which spreads out and renders one invisible. I had seen more of myself in that single glimpse of a ghostly image in the pier mirror, not knowing it was I.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Moviegoer by Walker Percy, 1961
Seeing oneself in a mirror creates a paradox where the observer and the observed merge, causing a sense of loss of self.
In simple terms: Mirrors can make us feel invisible.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the paradox and stay grounded in reality.
Themes
identity
perception
existentialism
Mood
contemplative
melancholy
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- self‑examination
- artistic inspiration
- psychological insight
- philosophical discourse
Key Concepts
self‑reflection
phenomenology
illusion
Questions to Reflect On
- How does self‑observation affect your sense of self?
- Can you find stability beyond the mirror’s illusion?
A Different Perspective
The effect may be fleeting and not everyone experiences it.
![“[In art] you are telling the reader or the listener or the viewer something he already knows but which he doesn't quite know that he knows, so that in the action of communication he experiences a recognition, a feeling that he has been there before, a shock of recognition.” quote by Walker Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3f1/walker-percy-1958_action_in-art-you-are-telling-the-reader-or-the_116938.jpg)
