We often think of a quote like this as being about seeing more about a
person the brighter the light. More wrinkles, more flaws, etc. But what
I think about is seeing something new and different about the person.
The person under the lamplight soliciting I see a certain way. That same
person at a pool of an apartment complex, swimming hard for exercise,
sunbathing and reading a book I will see a different way. That same person
is at the grocery store, the DMW, their child’s recital, the dentist or volunteering
at a soup kitchen, all under different lights, and I will see them differently
once again.
Who is that person? Will she be judged by her solicitation or by her love
for her child or her healthy habits or something else?
What light do you see people under? What light do you see yourself under?
“What is true by lamplight is not always true by sunlight.” – Joseph Joubert, French writer, 1754-1824