To Be Seen

One of the most confusing but inquisitive things about humans are how deeply we all want to be seen. Not to be seen just physically, but to be seen in a sense of someone understanding who we are, what we think and what we feel.

The desire to be seen shows up during many times of our lives. It shows up while we carefully curate our social media accounts, in the way while we tell a story at lunch hoping a pair of ears are carefully listening. It even shows up in the subtle satisfaction that arises when someone remembers an important detail about you.

At a first glimpse it seems like it is all for show. However, to be seen is something so much broader than that. To be seen is to feel real.

This can be seen in history. Throughout history, individuals looked for recognition and titles in various different places. Artists painted, writers wrote, leaders spoke to be seen. And even today, society posts bits of their life to be seen. The method changes through history, but the aim remains the same. The motivation is a simple desire for acknowledgement.

To date, the modern world created a strange absurdity. All of us are more visible than ever, notwithstanding often feel less understood. Social media is a tool that lets people exhibit endless versions of themselves. Those images are often constructed and played with. The harder we try to present ourselves , the harder it gets to feel fairly remembered.

Maybe the desire isn’t visibility but the sense of understanding.

To be genuinely seen is not just someone recognizing the gleaming version we present, but also the unfinished version we carry underneath. To be genuinely seen is when someone notices the thoughts that we don’t say out loud, the ambitions that stick to us and the fears that we disguise.

Perhaps that’s why writing feels so powerful to me.

Writing allows a person to place their thoughts somewhere long lasting. Someplace that hopefully someone will find and understand them. It still satisfies you when someone finds and understands those thoughts a year later, even if it is somebody you have never met.

With that being said being seen is not about attention and affection. It is more about connection. And connection is what makes our experiences in life feel real.