The first look at the world, by the mind's eye, as well as by the bodily organs of vision, conveys no distinct impression, either to our heads or to our hearts. We see things without perceiving them, and it takes a long time before we learn to understand the things we see.
Translated by Otto Wenckstern, Goethe's Opinions on the World, Mankind, Literature, Science, and Art, (p. 23)