Word of the Day: Reflection

re·flec·tion /rəˈflekSH(ə)n/ noun: 1. the return of light or sound waves from a surface “For as sense telleth me, when I see directly, that the colour seemeth to be in the object; so also sense telleth me, when I see by reflection, that colour is not in the object.” Thomas Hobbes, 1588 – 1679 2. an image produced by or as if by a mirror “The world is a looking glass and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face.” William Makepeace Thackeray, 1811 – 1863 3. careful thought or deep consideration “Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.” Margaret J. Wheatley, 1944 – “A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as observation, to appreciate it.” Frederick Douglass, 1818 – 1895