"I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking"

This quote by Christopher Isherwood talks to the idea of being an observer of life, rather than an active participant. Isherwood is recommending that he is a passive observer, like a video camera, just tape-recording what he sees with no judgement or viewpoint. He is not considering what he is seeing, however just taking it in and recording it. This concept of being a passive observer is a typical theme in Isherwood's work, as he frequently discussed the concept of being an outsider searching in. He was interested by the concept of being able to observe life without belonging of it. This quote speaks to the idea that we can learn a lot by just observing the world around us, without getting too involved. By being a passive observer, we can gain a much better understanding of the world and individuals in it.