It's Not the Eyes That Are Blind But the Heart: Understanding This Meaningful Quote

It's Not the Eyes That Are Blind But the Heart: Understanding the Meaning

The saying "it's not the eyes that are blind but the heart" is a philosophical and figurative statement about humanity's frequent inability to see and understand things clearly. It suggests that true blindness comes not from physical eyesight but from internal factors like ignorance, close-mindedness, prejudice, and lack of compassion.

Origin of the Quote

This quote is often attributed to Saint Augustine, a Christian theologian and philosopher from the 4th/5th century AD. However, there is debate around whether Augustine actually coined this phrase. Some sources claim the quote originated from the Talmud, which is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism.

Regardless of its exact origin, this wise saying has been passed down through many cultures and faith traditions over thousands of years. It expresses a profound, universal truth about human nature that remains highly relevant today.

Literal Meaning of Blindness

In literal terms, blindness refers to complete or nearly complete vision loss. It can result from diseases, disorders, and injuries that damage key parts of the eye or visual system like:

• Cornea
• Pupil
• Retina
• Optic nerve
• Visual cortex of the brain

Common causes include cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, infections, detached retinas, stroke, and brain tumors. People can be born blind or lose vision later in life.

Literal blindness prevents people from using their eyes to visually see and perceive the world around them. Adjusting to vision loss can be extremely challenging both practically and emotionally.

Figurative and Symbolic Meaning

Although the quote references "blindness", the real meaning relates to metaphorical and spiritual blindness, not physical. In symbolic terms, this blindness represents:

• Ignorance about truth, justice, and morality
• Prejudice, bigotry, and close-minded attitudes
• Lack of insight into one's own flaws and mistakes
• Inability to understand other people's perspectives
• Selfishness, cruelty, and lack of love/compassion

So when the quote says "it's not the eyes that are blind but the heart", it means that the problem is not in our physical ability to see, but rather the inner condition of our hearts and minds.

How the Heart Becomes Blind

There are many ways people can become "blind in the heart" including:

• Upbringing & Environment - Being raised with limiting or harmful beliefs.
• Trauma & Hardship - Experiencing abuse, oppression, poverty, etc.
• Isolation & Segregation - Having minimal exposure to diversity.
• Self-Serving Biases - Interpreting things in our own self-interest.
• Tribal Mentality - Identifying only with "our group" vs. others.
• Arrogance & Pride - Feeling superior, refusing to be wrong.
• Apathy & Laziness - Lacking motivation to expand perspectives.

These and many other factors can negatively impact our values, priorities, biases, and worldviews over time. The heart becomes "blind" to truth, justice, and humanity due to ignorance, prejudice, and lack of compassion.

Overcoming Blindness of Heart Through Openness

The antidote to blindness of heart is actively pursuing greater openness, understanding, humility, and concern for others. Practices that can help overcome this include:

Listening to Different Perspectives

Seek out people of diverse backgrounds and cultures. Listen sincerely to their life experiences and viewpoints. Strive to understand their realities without judging or invalidating.

Reflecting on Our Own Privilege/Disadvantage

Honestly examine your own relative privilege or disadvantage. Acknowledge the role external factors play in shaping perspectives and opportunities.

Admitting When We Are Wrong or Biased

Let go of stubborn pride and self-protective defensiveness. Accept that you will make mistakes and have prejudices ingrained from society. Be willing to admit when you are wrong or biased.

Educating Ourselves on Injustice

Take time to learn about systemic and institutional inequities faced by marginalized groups. Seek out diverse histories and narratives often excluded from mainstream education.

Developing Empathy for Others

Look for shared humanity and common ground with people across lines of difference. Practice compassion by imagining walking in someone else's shoes.

Challenging Prejudice & Cruelty

Speak out against racist, sexist, homophobic or xenophobic remarks and jokes. Set boundaries against unethical speech or actions, even by friends/family.

With greater openness, humility and compassion, we can gain clearer understanding of important truths that blindness often obscures from our vision.

Quotes About Inner Blindness

Here are some related quotes on blindness of the heart and mind from various thinkers and faith traditions:

"There are none so blind as those who will not see." - John Heywood

This English proverb conveys willful blindness to inconvenient truths. It criticizes those who deliberately avoid seeing things that would contradict their assumptions or self-interest.

"The eye by which I see God is the same eye by which God sees me." - Meister Eckhart

This Christian mystic points to the interconnectedness between human and divine. He suggests that to see and know God clearly, we must also strive to see ourselves and others clearly.

"It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it." - Eleanor Roosevelt

The former First Lady highlights that just talking about or believing in ideals like peace is meaningless without earnest effort and work to practice those principles every day.

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." - Barack Obama

America's first Black president calls for taking responsibility to be the change, rather than waiting for others or better circumstances to magically appear. Progress comes through people's collective action.

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." - Jesus (Matthew 7:1-2)

In the Bible, Jesus preaches against hypocritical and narrow judgment of others, warning that God will hold people to the same strict standards they use towards other people.

How to Recognize Blindness in Ourselves

Since inner blindness by definition impairs self-awareness, how can we spot it in ourselves? Some signs include:

• Dismissing certain people or groups as inferior, untrustworthy, sinful, etc.
• Assuming our own group or culture is inherently superior.
• Justifying unfair treatment or oppression of other groups.
• Defensive reactions when others point out our harmful attitudes.
• Feeling threatened by differing perspectives and worldviews.
• Frequent judgment, criticism, or moral superiority over others' choices.
• Limited relationships and interactions across lines of difference.
• Indifference or minimization of issues impacting marginalized people.

Regular self-reflection and openness to critique from trusted sources can reveal blind spots in ourselves. We all have more progress to make in overcoming inner blindness.

Modern Applications of the Quote

This ancient saying about blindness remains highly relevant to many social dynamics and injustices faced today. Some examples include:

Prejudice & Discrimination

Ongoing prejudice based on race, gender, sexuality, religion, immigration status, disability, and other characteristics persists throughout societies. Self-examination and education are needed to counter conditioned biases.

Environmental Exploitation

Short-term profit continues to be prioritized over long-term sustainability of the planet. More expansive moral vision is necessary to curb pollution, climate change, and mass extinction.

War & Conflict

Dehumanization and hatred of perceived "enemies" allows violence and aggression to continue endlessly. Rejecting the division of "us vs. them" is key to peace.

Materialism & Consumerism

Attachment to money, power, and possessions eclipses higher priorities of compassion, service, and community. Simplicity and generosity can remedy this blindness.

Inequality & Injustice

Vast inequities persist locally and globally while the privileged remain oblivious or indifferent. More voices must be heard to bring about a just society.

In all these areas, overcoming blindness of heart is essential to creating a more ethical, enlightened, and loving world.

Ways to Cultivate Greater Openness

Here are some recommended practices for developing greater openness of mind and heart:

• Travel - Gain perspective by experiencing other regions/countries.
• Read diversely - Choose books, media, and information sources that expand your worldview.
• Make new friends - Pursue friendships with people of different backgrounds than your own.
• Examine assumptions - Question unexamined stereotypes, generalizations, and biases.
• Practice empathy - Strive to understand how issues look from other vantage points.
• Listen without judgment - Let go of knee-jerk judgment as much as possible when listening to others.
• Change your environment - If your community lacks diversity, spend time in new places.
• Keep learning - Never assume you fully understand complex social dynamics or human experience.

While a perfectly open mind is impossible, we can always seek greater understanding by honestly engaging with differing perspectives and new information.

Quotes on Open-Mindedness and Understanding

Here are some additional inspirational quotes highlighting the importance of openness:

"Widen the space of your tent, stretch your tent curtains open, don't hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes." - Isaiah 54:2

This Biblical verse uses a tent metaphor to describe expanding perspective. It encourages enlarging our viewpoint and welcoming others inside our circle of care.

"A single conversation across the table with a wise person is worth a month's study of books." - Chinese proverb

This Chinese proverb elevates the value of interpersonal dialogue over solitary book learning. Shared discourse can offer new dimensions of insight.

"He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that." - John Stuart Mill

The nineteenth-century English philosopher argues that fully understanding an issue or situation requires awareness of competing perspectives.

"Wisdom is found in those who take the time to understand" - Unknown

This quote notes that wisdom comes not from speed or passion, but from investing the necessary effort to gain in-depth understanding.

"Do not close your mind or your heart; keep them open. Knowledge comes from listening, not screaming." - Tim Fargo

This contemporary author emphasizes staying open to new information by truly listening, rather than aggressively shouting established beliefs.

Practicing greater openness of mind, heart, and will; seeking wisdom; and really listening to others with different experiences can help cure blindness.

Blindness as a Symbol of General Ignorance

Beyond literally relating to vision loss or metaphorical inner blindness, calling someone "blind" is also sometimes used as a general symbol of ignorance, foolishness and refusal to understand. For example:

• "He's turning a blind eye to the consequences of his actions."
• "Your blind hatred is destroying you from the inside."
• "Patricia was blind to all the warning signs of abuse."
• "Don't be blind to solutions other than your own."

In these contexts, accusing someone of blindness highlights willful or unintentional ignorance of important information, realities, or perspectives. It conveys an urgent need to open one's eyes to significant truths.

Related Symbols of Ignorance

Similar symbolic metaphors for ignorance include:

• Having one's "head in the sand"
• Being "deaf" to something
• "Turning a deaf ear"
• Being "in the dark" about an issue
• Having "tunnel vision"
• Wearing "blinders" like a horse
• Being "clueless" or "in the dark"

Each of these visually imaginative idioms compares willful or innocent ignorance to some form of impaired senses or vision. They emphasize the need to gain greater insight and perspective.

Overcoming Heart Blindness Through Spiritual Vision

Many spiritual and philosophical traditions propose that cultivating deeper forms of inner sight allows transcending blindness of the heart. Some principles include:

Seeing Humanity's Shared Divine Nature

Mystical paths teach that recognizing the same divine essence in all people overrides surface differences and prompts unconditional compassion.

Seeing Through the Veil of Ego and Desire

Some Eastern faiths suggest that peering behind the illusory self-centered desires of the ego reveals our authentic nature and interconnectedness.

Seeing Present and Eternal Reality

Contemplative practices aim at perceiving the deeper truths of the present moment rather than being distracted by materialism and transient concerns.

Seeing Life as Interdependent and Whole

Holistic worldviews propose that understanding reality as an integrated living system inspires ethics of unity, cooperation, and sustainability.

Thus, fully healing heart blindness may require transcending everyday perception and cultivating deeper forms of sight and insight.

Quotes About Spiritual Vision

Here are some quotes highlighting the importance of spiritual sight:

"The eyes of the soul of the multitudes are unable to endure the vision of the Divine." - Plato

The Greek philosopher suggests most cannot withstand the illumination of directly experiencing divine truth due to heart blindness.

"This is the use of memory: For liberation - not to freeze you in a past moment, but to teach you to see, to be the eyes of God." – A Course in Miracles

This spiritual text frames the goal of remembering as helping realize one's true nature rather than clinging to history.

"Where there is ruin, there is hope for a treasure." - Rumi

This Sufi mystic poet proposes that human flaws and suffering paradoxically conceal great gifts and meaning accessible through spiritual sight.

"The eyes of the soul of the multitudes are unable to endure the vision of the Divine." - Plato

The Greek philosopher suggests most cannot withstand the illumination of directly experiencing divine truth due to heart blindness.

"This is the use of memory: For liberation - not to

FAQs

What is the literal meaning of blindness?

Literal blindness refers to complete or near complete vision loss caused by eye diseases, disorders, or injuries that damage key parts of the visual system.

What does "blindness of the heart" symbolize?

"Blindness of the heart" symbolizes inner factors like ignorance, close-mindedness, prejudice, arrogance, indifference, and lack of compassion that impair moral, spiritual, and emotional sight.

How can we recognize inner blindness in ourselves?

Signs may include defensiveness when challenged, frequent judgment of others, limited diversity in relationships, and lack of concern about injustice impacting other groups.

What practices help overcome blindness of the heart?

Practices like seeking out new perspectives, admitting personal biases, challenging prejudice, cultivating empathy and compassion, and advocating for justice promote openness.

Why is overcoming inner blindness important for society?

Addressing blindness of heart underlies progress on social justice issues like inequality, discrimination, environmental harm, violence, and lack of unity across diversity.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.