"Things always look better when you haven't seen them"

The quote "Things always look better when you haven't seen them" by Craig Bruce recommends that our creativity typically idealizes or romanticizes things that we haven't yet skilled or seen firsthand. This phenomenon can be attributed to the human tendency to fill the unknown with expectations, desires, and dreams that often lean toward the favorable. The mind, when denied of concrete details, has the liberty to craft an idealized variation of things, unencumbered by reality's flaws.

This quote works as a commentary on the nature of anticipation versus truth. When we think of something we have yet to experience, whether it be a location, a task, a relationship, and even an item we wish to own, we typically envision the very best possible circumstance. Our expectations are formed by our desires, goals, and in some cases an absence of information, leading us to build an idealized version in our heads.

However, when we lastly confront reality, the experience may not live up to this mental image. Reality is inherently flawed and unpredictable, filled with subtleties and details that our fantasies often omit. This can result in dissatisfaction or disillusionment when what we see or experience stops working to match the perfection of our creativity.

Additionally, this quote sheds light on the idea of 'the grass is constantly greener on the other side.' It challenges us to question if what we want is truly much better or if it just appears so since it remains out of reach and thus untouched by the restrictions of reality.

In a more comprehensive sense, Bruce's words can be interpreted as a call to embrace realism. It encourages us to temper our expectations and approach new experiences with an open mind, prepared to value them with all their flaws. It works as a pointer to be mindful of enabling our imaginations to run too far from the truth and to value the charm discovered in real, lived experiences.