Looking vs Seeing

"Looking is an act of choice... We only see what we look at." This quote from John Berger's "The Ways of Seeing" can be used to very precisely define the difference between looking and seeing. According to Berger, looking is a conscious effort to internalize a visual. After we have made the decision to look, the next step in comprehending that visual would be seeing it. "Seeing comes before words" (Berger p.7), seeing is our response to a visual based upon our own personal histories. For example, In the new TV series, "Lie to Me" there is a trained (educated) deception expert, Dr. Cal Lightman who has spent the majority of his life studying the natural reactions of people after they have been placed in compromising situations. He observes people and based upon what he "sees" and is able to conclude whether or not that person is being honest or not. If you had a non-educated person try to come upon the same conclusions they would not be as successful because they do not have the background to understand the significance of a lip curl, rotation of the hand, or shrug of the shoulder. Therefore, to the person who studies the significance of body twitches is able to gather different meanings from gestures based on what he/she has seen in the past. His way of seeing differs from most other people because of his history.

Additionally, an untrained individual would not even be "looking" for those small gestures so as to formulate an opinion on whether or not the subject was being truthful. An untrained individual might instinctively look into their eyes, but not know exactly what to be looking for. Part of Dr. Lightman's education was to learn to look for gestures that indicate meaning. As a constant reminder of what certain gestures mean the Dr. had photographs of different expressions posted on the wall of his office so as to be a constant reminder of how to look. The untrained observer may notice an eye twitch, or a shift in the seat, but may not internalize it and try to understand its meaning (they are unable to "see"). Without learning how to look, one is unable to see accurately. One may also argue that controversies between cultures exist because they are unable to see the importance of symbols within cultures. For example, a kirpan in our culture appear to be a weapon. But to a Sikh it is one of five article of faith that is carried with that person (and never used as a weapon). To conclude, we are all educated on what to look at and how to see what we are looking at. To be uneducated is to be uninformed, and one who is uninformed is not looking or seeing objectively.