Looking at it this way, I guess
there are a lot of things to be looking at. Networks of people posting images
to look at. Advertisements and videos of things about things to look at. If
looking at things translates to thinking about things, then by all means, we
should keep looking at things—keep typing words in the blank and laughing or
gasping at the suggestions, observing the spectrum of images that define each
specific query. I look at things and make things to look at, not because I want
people to look at them, but because I know people will. People are looking at
everything, and that's where I get hyper self-conscious, knowing that people
are looking at everything. It's the first step to interpreting things, and
interpretations are infinite, like good, bad, and all the places in between and
undefined, like 'okay'. Infinite is strange, oblique. I can't imagine being lost
in space and feeling infiniteness in all directions. Though I can imagine you'd
feel fear. But maybe not, considering there'd be nothing to look at.
J Potter
The Dead Father
Donald Barthelme