Ways of seeing
“We only see what we look at. To look is an act of choice. As a result of this act, what we see is brought within our reach – though not necessarily within arm’s reach. To touch something is to situate oneself in relation to it. […] We never look at just one thing; we are always looking at the relation between things and ourselves.”
(John Berger Ways of Seeing, 1972: 8-9).
I would also add that every act of looking follows the act of listening. I tend to notice every time I choose to focus on something, that my listening at times precedes seeing, this re-defines the way I have been seeing so far, as I was taught to pay attention to what I see and secondly to what I listen. It is as if an extra element added to my awareness.
