Every year at the beginning of October, the world celebrates World Sight Day, an occasion to remind us of the importance of eye care and the need to raise awareness about eye diseases and ways to prevent them.
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This phenomenon is also associated with many myths and popular sayings that often involve metaphors, symbols, or folk beliefs, rather than being based on medical facts. Sight is not merely a complex physiological process; it is also a fertile subject for myth, art, philosophy, and linguistic expression.
One of the most common myths is that carrots improve eyesight. While carrots do contain vitamin A, which is essential for retinal health, they do not improve current vision or cure nearsightedness. It's worth noting that this myth spread during World War II when the British government promoted this information regarding its pilots in an attempt to conceal their use of radar technology.
Although carrots are rich in vitamin A, which is essential for vision, a balanced diet provides all the body needs of this vitamin. Therefore, excessive carrot consumption will not improve eyesight beyond normal levels. In fact, vitamin A deficiency only causes specific problems such as night blindness and conjunctival xerosis (dry eye), and eating carrots does not correct refractive errors such as nearsightedness.
Another myth is that "reading in dim light damages eyesight." Experts believe that dim light doesn't permanently alter the eye's structure, but it does force the ciliary muscle, responsible for visual focus, to work harder, leading to strain and discomfort. However, vision returns to normal once rest is taken. Nevertheless, prolonged reading in poor light can cause headaches and dry eyes, but it doesn't lead to vision loss or increased nearsightedness, as is commonly believed.
Another misconception is that "glasses weaken eyesight." This is incorrect; glasses simply correct a refractive error in the eye. Refusing to wear them when needed can lead to additional strain and even physical discomfort. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that glasses make the eye "dependent" on them or worsen vision; glasses are a corrective tool, not a cause of illness.
There is also a common belief that trying to make your eyes cross by moving them towards your nose causes permanent strabismus. This is simply a folk remedy with no medical basis. Strabismus is a medical condition that is not caused by merely manipulating eye movements. It may be congenital, or result from a nerve or muscle disorder, or other causes, but it is not caused by a casual exercise or joke.
Some people believe that eye exercises restore vision. This is also incorrect. Eye exercises do not correct refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. Their benefits are limited to relieving muscle tension, improving blood flow, and reducing strain. Some exercises may help in specific cases, such as digital eye strain, but they are not a substitute for glasses, contact lenses, or medical treatment when needed.
On the other hand, the language has become entrenched with expressions that view sight not merely as a physiological process, but as a symbol of something greater, such as "the eyes are the mirror of the soul," a phrase that affirms that one's gaze can reveal much about their inner state and personality. Also of this type is the common saying, "Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times," which highlights the value of direct perception.
Many thinkers and sages have pondered the sense of sight, its nature, and its importance. The Greek philosopher Aristotle said of it: "The eye is the organ of sense which gives us the greatest satisfaction; it allows us to perceive the essence of nature." Hermann von Helmholtz, the German physicist, physician, and philosopher, said: "Of all the human senses, the eye has always been regarded as the most magnificent gift and the most wondrous creation of nature's creative power."
Albrecht von Greve, the eminent German ophthalmologist and surgeon, knew the value of sight better than most. He said of the eye: "Orators have praised the eye and singers have sung its praises, but the true appreciation of the eye lies in the silent suffering of those who once had sight and then lost it."
Moreover, the eye is one of the oldest, most powerful and influential symbols in world cultures; almost every culture has developed its own myths, beliefs and magical concepts related to sight, starting with the concept of the “envious eye” or “evil eye” and the like.
Among the more unusual ancient myths surrounding eyes, one held by the Maya was that strabismus, a misalignment of the eyes, was a beauty mark, and they practiced rituals to artificially induce this condition in children. Many cultures also viewed the sun as a divine eye. In ancient Greece, the sun represented the eye of Zeus, while the eye in general symbolized Apollo, the "watcher of the heavens." In ancient Egypt, the Eye of Horus was associated with protection, healing, and royalty, and became one of the most famous religious symbols in history.
A medieval legend tells that when Alexander the Great reached the gates of Paradise, an eye rolled out to greet him. The wise men placed all the precious stones in the world on one side of a scale and the eye on the other. The eye outweighed all the jewels, proving that "man is never satisfied with what he possesses." However, when a speck of dust was thrown into the scale, it proved to be heavier than the eye. The moral of the story is: "As long as one gazes upon the world, desire will continue to torment him; and only death, by turning man to dust, can strip the eye of its power to envy."
Most of these myths are based on a single fundamental logic: the eye is not merely seen as an organ of sight, but as a bridge connecting the visible and invisible worlds, life and death, humanity and divinity, knowledge and mystery. It is precisely this duality—the capacity to perceive truth and inflict harm simultaneously—that has made the eye one of the most profoundly significant symbols in human history. Thus, sight remains, between medicine and myth, humanity's window to the world and its mirror to itself.
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