Observing vs. Seeing

Speaking through his fictional, Victorian-era detective, Sherlock Holmes, author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle makes a very important distinction between merely seeing, and actively observing. ‘Seeing’ is a passive activity where one acknowledges a sight, but little else. ‘Observing’ is active, engaging with our subject; looking closely at it on its own, as well as within its contextual surroundings. This distinction has become all the more important to me in our society where so much of our interactions with the world around us is mediated through the screens of our ever-present cell phones. While visiting some of the great beauty sites of the nation and world, I am struck by the sheer numbers of people who only give a quick, cursory glance to the scene around them, but peer intently at their screens to make sure their selfie posted and was being “liked” by their social media circle as they scurry off to the next designated scenic overlook. I understand the attraction of the “I was here” picture. Nonetheless, I believe such a quick and superficial interaction prevents us from actively and deeply ‘observing’ our surroundings, and diminishes it to simplistically seeing what is on the surface. To paraphrase Sherlock Holmes’ admonition to his partner, Dr. Watson, “We see, but we do not observe.” Quickly capturing the superficial and moving on prevents us from looking closer, deeply exploring, and interacting with our surroundings for a more satisfying experience.