The Philosophy of ‘Look Twice’

Look once. Then look again. The scene in front of you will have changed. Something may have moved. Something may have disappeared. But the world will not be the same as it was before…and neither will you. So take a photo, it can’t help but be a unique moment…

You are a River

The Ancient Greek Philosopher Heraclitus said ‘You cannot step in the same river twice’ – This sentence encapsulates the idea that the world and you are always changing. You are constantly exposed to new ideas, sights, experiences, smells, tastes etc. And each of these new experiences will naturally have an impact on who you are as a person. So look twice – Each time you do, you will be a whole new person…

Self-reflection and Introspection

Introspection is the special ability that we possess as persons to be aware of what we are thinking and to question our thoughts. So I can see a great photo and think ‘I like that photo’ – and then I can also think ‘Oh look, I just thought ‘I Like that photo’, why did I think that it is a good photo?’ And then (if I really want to over-think an issue!) I can also reflect ‘Oh look, I just thought ‘I Like that photo’, why did I think that it is a good photo and why did I just think about why I think that it is a good photo?’…oh dear, I’m giving myself a head-ache!. So, as human beings, we can have a thought, look at it twice, look at it thrice…or not think about it at all!

‘The Unexamined Life’

One of the most famous quotes in the History of Philosophy comes from Socrates (well, not actually Socrates but Socrates quoted by Plato…) – He said that ‘The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living’. This quote demonstrates how important Philosophers feel that it is for us to be self-reflective. We shouldn’t just blindly go through life accepting whatever ideas people tell us – Rather, we should question things and try and reason through issues in new ways in order to solve them. Don’t just follow the crowd – Be skeptical of things people ‘just say’. Try to look at an issue and then consider it again in a completely different way. Or look at a scene and take a photo of it from a new and refreshing viewpoint…

The Big ‘But’…

Remember, whilst it may be good to ‘Look Twice’ at your thoughts and photos, ‘Don’t think’ too much whilst you’re doing it – Just have fun!!! This is Lomography not Philosophy after all!

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written by tomas_bates on 2011-03-30 #lifestyle #analogue #look #future #philosophy #twice #prophecies