Travel Quote Tuesday | Anaïs Nin

This is probably my single favourite quote of all time and has been for most of my adult life. I’ve been reluctant to include it in this little series of mine, worried I wouldn’t do it justice or be able to express why I find it so incredibly powerful.

I decided in the end that I would share it anyway, and of course, you will take from it what you take from it, just as I do.

It’s not really a travel quote per se… it’s more of a comment on human nature.

Who we are, what we believe, what we love and hate and are indifferent towards, what we know and understand and what we are ignorant of, what we have experienced in our life and what is alien to us… all of these things shape our perception of everything we see. My truth may not be your truth. If I describe what I see, believing my description to be objectively accurate, you might describe the same thing in a wholly different way, and your description may be just as truthful.

“We don’t see things are they are, we see them as we are.”

The quote is by Anaïs Nin, a hugely insightful and influential twentieth century writer. Born in France to Cuban parents, she lived most of her life in the United States. Her writings are extensive and the source of many popular quotes.

I hope it’s a fitting choice to celebrate a year of Travel Quote Tuesday!

(c) Kavita Favelle - Anais Nin - Antarctica

A sea of penguins for almost as far as the eye could see. That was the astonishing view that greeted us as we approached Salisbury Plain on South Georgia, on our first visit to Antarctica. It’s an incredible sight (and smell and sound) and I was (and still am) captivated by it. This handsome pair were oblivious to the others around them stretching up in a courting ritual repeated by many other pairs across the vast beach.

More Kavey Eats Travel Quotes.

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34 Comments to "Travel Quote Tuesday | Anaïs Nin"

  1. Choclette

    It’s true we all see things through our own lens, but I’d hope most of us can look and listen and see things with a different perspective.

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    kaveyeats

    Indeed. I think for me this is a great reminder that as objective as might try to be, everything we see is filtered through who we are, and that’s a powerful concept for me.

    Reply
  2. Louise

    Could not agree more… So let’s hope that our “filter” is a positive one in order to see the world at its best 🙂

    X Louise

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  3. Jo

    Absolutely agree. We all need to try and walk in each others shoes to be able to see different perspectives about life and travel.

    Reply
  4. Red Nomad OZ (Marion Halliday)

    I think it’s an absolutely perfect quote for travel, even if she didn’t write it specifically about that. I hope one of the by-products of travelling is a much broader filter – that way we’ll be open to accepting a lot more experiences that differ to our personal ones.

    Reply
  5. Meagan

    This is now one of my favorite quotes, too. Your experiences and knowledge (and self) are the lens through which you see the world. If you’re a penguin in the throes of hormones, you only have eyes for your potential mate… but if you’re a traveling human, all those new experiences give you a deeper and broad view of the world. Thanks for reminding me about this quote! 🙂

    Reply
  6. Alice Teacake

    This is a lovely quote and clearly is a very deep and meaningful thought. For me, travel is about improving myself, learning about myself and being a better person. Travel will change you and what you see through your eyes will naturally change too! Keep up the amazing adventures Kavey and enjoy the ride <3

    Reply
  7. Nisha

    This is so true !
    I always admire your collection and this one is a gem. We look at things as we want to see them and then we form opinions. Travel teaches us to see them from a different perspective.

    Lovely quote. 🙂

    Reply
  8. Cory Varga

    As good as the quote is, I hope it’s not super accurate, as sometimes I get so negative about things 😛 But I guess it would make sense to love a destination when I’m happy and hate it when I’m in a negative state.

    Reply
  9. Jona Branzuela Bering

    I love Anais Nin. I’ve read some of her diaries/notebooks, and the way her mind works around words is simply admirable. Thank you for sharing this! One of my mantras is hers, “life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”

    Reply
  10. Jen Horsfall

    What a great quote, I’ll remember it for sure. It’s a great practice for mindfulness too, to take in your surroundings and just see them for what they are with no thoughts or judgments in your mind.

    Reply
  11. Indrani

    The quote is so true. It is almost like beauty lies in the yes of beholder.
    We all look at things from our perspective and it is good to change that perspective. It helps rediscover things.

    Reply
  12. Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry

    I totally agree, our opinions are so subjective especially when it comes to travel. Some people may love the culture and architecture of one country but may dislike the same in another. We did judge a lot and sometimes we need to travel with an open mind

    Reply
  13. Lillie

    Mmm — as an English teacher I’m fascinated by this quote, and it reminds me of how much I enjoyed reading Anais Nin when I was younger, but haven’t revisited her since then. I should, because this quotation couldn’t be more insightful. In the most recent example, an article just came out about a controversial topic in education, and everyone I know has a totally different (yet very strong reaction) based on who they are!

    Reply
  14. Anna @ shenANNAgans

    Your travel quote is one of my life quotes to live by. I find that I get SOOOOO much more out of even the day to day when I remember to look at things as tho I am traveling.

    Reply
  15. Annika

    This is such an awesome quote and it definitely can be applied to travel. I have noticed that my perspective of places is different depending on my current life circumstances and my travel companions.

    Reply
  16. Rhonda Albom

    What a true statement. My daughter is studying a bit of philosophy as part of her school Classical Studies course and she recently told me a quote very similar to this. What we make of a place is often a bigger reflection of ourselves than of the place.

    Reply
  17. Jennifer Melroy

    I agree with this quote. So many people see things as they expect them or judge them as they judge themselves. I love her writings. She has had great insight about many things.

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  18. Suruchi

    This is really beautiful. We forget that everyone has their own perspective of seeing the things. Instead, we always remember this is how we saw the things and other should see it too, in the same manner, Great reminder and I loved the Penguin’s picture. It’s amazing.

    Reply
  19. Eric || The Bucket List Project

    No truer words have been said – and sometimes how we see things as we are depends on where we are in life or what our circumstances are. There are so many things I look back on and see them differently now that I am older. Thank you for sharing and how important it is to remember – not everyone has the same truth.

    Reply
  20. Rachelle Gordon

    So true. It’s a good reminder that not everyone has the same experiences that we have. It also reminds me that over time, my opinions, tastes, and desires will change because I have changed. It helps me to remember to loosen up and be able to let go of a prior dream in search of a bigger and newer one.

    Reply
  21. Tami

    It’s a great quote – one we should always remember when trying to understand others. I just have to say that your photo of the penguins is just stunning, and I enjoyed that even more than the quote!

    Reply

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