The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.
What's the meaning of this quote?
Quote Meaning: The quote is a poetic and profound expression of the nature of beauty and the human experience. It suggests that the most meaningful things in life are not material possessions or tangible objects but rather intangible feelings that come from the heart. It encourages us to look beyond the superficial and embrace the emotional depth and richness of our lives.
Who said the quote?
The quote "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." was said by Helen Keller (Bio / Quotes). Helen Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer who was deaf and blind from a young age.
What's the quote's message?
The quote speaks to the intangible, profound aspects of human experience. It tells us that some of the most impactful and significant elements of life are not physical objects that can be seen or touched, but rather, they are emotions, feelings, and experiences that can only truly be grasped on an emotional, internal level. This quote is a tribute to the power of the human heart and its capacity for deep, empathetic understanding. It reminds us that beauty, love, joy, sorrow, and all other profound human experiences aren't contained in physical things, but are instead deeply personal and subjective, generated from within us and best understood through our own emotional lenses. It's a reminder to keep our hearts open, to perceive and appreciate the world not just with our physical senses, but also with our emotional and spiritual ones. It's a nudge to value and seek out these intangible qualities and experiences, for they truly enrich our lives and make us more deeply human.
Is there a historical example that illustrates the message of the quote?
One historical example that exemplifies the message of the quote "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart" is the story of Helen Keller.
Helen Keller was born in 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama, USA. At the age of 19 months, she suffered an illness that left her both deaf and blind. With her senses severely limited, Helen lived in a world of darkness and silence, unable to communicate with those around her. However, her life changed when Anne Sullivan, a young teacher, arrived to help her.
Anne Sullivan used a method of finger spelling to teach Helen words and language. She patiently and persistently spelled words into Helen's hand, enabling her to understand and communicate. Through this process, Helen learned to associate the touch of Anne's fingers with the meaning of words and concepts.
As Helen began to grasp language, she developed an extraordinary ability to understand and interpret the world around her. She went on to attend college, became an author, and an advocate for people with disabilities. Helen Keller's story symbolizes the power of the human spirit and the capacity of the heart to comprehend and appreciate the beauty of life, even in the absence of sight and hearing.
Although Helen Keller couldn't see or hear the world directly, her experience demonstrated that the most profound and meaningful aspects of life are not solely dependent on physical perception. The joy of understanding, the love she felt for others, and her ability to inspire people through her writings all came from the depths of her heart. Her story serves as a testament to the idea that true beauty and connection with the world come from within, transcending the limitations of the physical senses.
How can the quote be applied in a real-life scenario?
This profound quote by Helen Keller encourages us to appreciate the intangible aspects of life - the emotions, feelings, and experiences that truly enrich our lives. Let's apply this to a real-life scenario to better illustrate its meaning.
Imagine you're a photographer. You have a keen eye for visual beauty and are used to capturing stunning landscapes and impressive architectural feats. However, while the resulting images are undoubtedly visually stunning, they might not convey the depth of the experience you had when you were at those locations.
One day, you decide to embark on a project to photograph the everyday lives of people in your community. Instead of focusing on the aesthetic appeal of the settings, you concentrate on capturing the raw emotions and experiences of your subjects. You capture moments of kindness, compassion, perseverance, and love - moments that cannot be touched or quantified, but can deeply move anyone who sees them.
The resulting photographs might not feature grand vistas or architectural marvels, but they tell stories that resonate with people on a deeper level. They capture the joy in a child's eyes when they receive a gift, the warm embrace of a couple in love, the tear-streaked face of someone who has overcome a significant challenge, the tender touch of a mother comforting her child.
In this scenario, the "best and most beautiful things" you captured were not the visual elements but the emotions and experiences - the things that must be "felt with the heart". These intangible elements brought a deeper, more meaningful dimension to your work, demonstrating that the most impactful aspects of our lives are often those that touch our hearts and stir our emotions.
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
