The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is the cutting edge of the mind.
Meaning of the quote
The quote means that we can only truly understand the world by doing things and taking action, not just by thinking about it. Our hands and actions are the most powerful tools we have to explore and shape the world around us. Thinking alone is not enough - we need to use our hands and bodies to experience and interact with the world to fully grasp it.
About Diane Arbus
Diane Arbus was an American photographer who captured a wide range of unique and marginalized subjects, from strippers and carnival performers to people with dwarfism and middle-class families. Her work challenged the norms of photography and helped normalize the representation of diverse individuals.
More quotes from Diane Arbus
Men are but children of a larger growth, Our appetites as apt to change as theirs, And full as craving too, and full as vain.
American photographer
When you grow up your mother says, ‘Wear rubbers or you’ll catch cold.’ When you become an adult you discover that you have the right not to wear rubbers and to see if you catch cold or not. It’s something like that.
American photographer
I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn’t photograph them.
American photographer
Regardless of how you feel inside, always try to look like a winner. Even if you are behind, a sustained look of control and confidence can give you a mental edge that results in victory.
American photographer
Love involves a peculiar unfathomable combination of understanding and misunderstanding.
American photographer
I always thought of photography as a naughty thing to do – that was one of my favorite things about it, and when I first did it, I felt very perverse.
American photographer
I never have taken a picture I’ve intended. They’re always better or worse.
American photographer
I work from awkwardness. By that I mean I don’t like to arrange things. If I stand in front of something, instead of arranging it, I arrange myself.
American photographer
Nothing is ever the same as they said it was.
American photographer
The more specific you are, the more general it’ll be.
American photographer
The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is the cutting edge of the mind.
American photographer
The thing that’s important to know is that you never know. You’re always sort of feeling your way.
American photographer
My favourite thing is to go where I’ve never been.
American photographer
Most people go through life dreading they’ll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They’ve already passed their test in life. They’re aristocrats.
American photographer
My favorite thing is to go where I’ve never been.
American photographer
A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.
American photographer
You see someone on the street, and essentially what you notice about them is the flaw.
American photographer