Similar in Structure, Different in Impact : Recognition vs. Realization

“Recognition” and “realization” are similar in meaning and structure. Both begin with the same consonant sound, both consist of eleven letters, and both refer to a sort of identification, but while these similarities help explain the inevitable connection between the words, they also highlight the idea that perhaps without such structural similarities the words would not be used as if they were the same. While the words have some similar aspects, they should not be used interchangeably, for the implications of their uses are vastly different.

Recognition is an identification of presence. When a recognition is made by someone, he is able acknowledge the existence of something, but perhaps does not fully understand the concept. This is contrasted by a realization in which the person is struck by an identification in such a way that he is fully aware of the implications and results of whatever it is he has witnessed or realized.

The distinction between recognition and realization helps to explain situations in which both types of identifications occur. In Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Kurtz’s exclamation of “The horror! The horror!” exemplifies a profound realization, as Kurtz discovers something horrifying about the depth of his soul, the plight of humanity, and the terrifying nature of death. However, this realization is only experienced by Kurtz, and the reader, as well as the narrator Marlow, are left only with a recognition that something profound and important has occurred. Millions of scholars and readers have ventured their own ideas about what Kurtz may have meant when he uttered these famous words, but there is no true answer, condemning this identification to simply a recognition.

Recognitions can often pave the way to a meaningful realization. This is often how detectives work, as they recognize suspicious behavior and clues before following them to the realization of solving a case. A more spontaneous transition from recognition to realization occurs in the final minutes of “The Shawshank Redemption” when the warden quickly transitions from noticing a hole in the Rita Hayworth poster (recognition of something wrong) to realizing the implications of the tunnel Andy has escaped through. When the warden first hurls a stone through the poster, he does not know the full implications of what has happened. However, the realization of truth can not occur without the initial recognition. Acting upon recognitions often results in realizations, and it is important to act without hesitation to avoid missing an opportunity at profound realization.

Response to Prompt 1

Realization and recognition are kind of like fraternal twins--- alike in concept, very different in actuality. When one realizes something, anything, one is seeing something completely new. A paradigm shift has occurred. For example, when Emma Stone, in “Easy A”, becomes aware of the power she has as a female and the power of perception, she realizes something she has never known before. She uncovers this secret (although to many others it is not a secret). She has never been aware of this “power”, and so, to her, a sudden light bulb goes off, that she never knew existed in the first place.

Recognition is similar to dusting off an old photo album. One is not uncovering something, rather, refreshing an idea or thought that was already in place. A seed was planted a while ago… in The Color Purple, when Celie begins to come to terms with the fact that she has been horribly mistreated and abused by Albert, there is a sense of recognizing something that she has known the whole time. She just needs others to tell her something she has known the whole time in her gut.

Answer to First Blog Prompt

By Meggie!

Although the words “recognize” and “realize” share similar connotations of a basic sort of knowing, recognizing is simply the act of noting an object’s, person’s, or event’s existence, while realizing implies a deeper level of understanding of the meaning of the aforementioned object, person, or event. The difference between recognition and realization is exemplified in the climax of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Romeo, upon seeing a deeply sleeping Juliet in a tomb, recognizes that she is dead. Understandably, it makes sense for him to reason that, since Juliet outwardly displays all the signs of lifelessness. However, had he received the message that she was feigning death, he would have realized and truly understood the purpose of her state. Romeo’s recognition, and not realization, of Juliet’s “death” leads to his unnecessary suicide. Conversely, when Juliet awakes from her intense slumber, she swiftly comprehends what Romeo has done, realizing exactly why he took his own life - her message never reached him. Understanding the events that took place that led Romeo to his fate, Juliet commits suicide with a purpose, her decision supported by her awareness of the facts.
A less tragic example of the stark difference between recognizing and realizing occurs in the 2006 cinematic gem, “She’s the Man,” a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. The protagonist, Viola, assumes the identity of her twin brother in order to participate in the “boys only” soccer team, deceiving all of her classmates. Her friends and teammates unsuspectingly “recognize” a wig-wearing Viola as her twin brother, but only a select few realize the suspiciousness of a high-school jock discussing the inconveniences of wearing heels, or refusing to shower at the same time as the rest of “his” team. These few “realizers” eventually reveal Viola’s true identity because they are the only ones to see beyond simple appearances to discover truth.
Though recognition is essential to everyday life (i.e. recognizing a hall-mate, or a building where class takes place), it is very straightforward in nature. Realization requires looking beyond the accepted “face value” to discover someone or something’s greater function. However, realization cannot exist without some sort of recognition beforehand. Thus, recognition and realization work in tandem in the process of uncovering truth and purpose.

Recognition is the final step of realization. A realization can take many forms: it can be frivolous or life-changing, it can come gradually or in a single elucidating moment, it can be intensely personal or universally applicable. No revelation, however, merits the title of ‘realization’ until the moment of recognition, the moment in which the subject can, in retrospect, see a series of events or a set of knowledge – which may or may not have seemed significant at the time – as the stepping stones to a greater understanding.

In Albert Camus’ The Stranger, Mersault reaches the realization that death is inevitable, and no difference exists between dying by execution and dying by natural causes. His lucidity and self-analysis in his final moments starkly contrast his previous indifference and apathy; his new clarity of thought stems from his ability and willingness to recognize the meaning – or lack thereof – of his life events thus far. No new events occur in Mersault’s final moments, but his ultimate recognition of the implications of his past completes his final realization.

On a slightly disparate vein, Chuck Palahniuk tells the story in his novel, Fight Club, of the protagonist’s (who is never named) life and interactions with a man named Tyler Durden, ultimately concluding in a final realization toward which the protagonist reels over the course of the novel. Similar to Mersault, the protagonist’s realization immediately precedes the time he believes he will be killed. His mental clarity in his final moments allows him to recognize, in retrospect, that every occurrence in his life has been a stepping stone, a clue – and finally, with this recognition, his realization is complete: he and Tyler Durden are the same person, he has a split personality.

Realizations are reached every day – in life, in literature, in the movies – but no thought can be a realization until the subject recognizes it as such.

Post 1

Although seemingly identical, recognition and realization are instead two distinct phenomena that are, however, closely related. Recognition implies a simple comprehension, as opposed to a deep understanding. It also suggests that the knowledge had been previously gained, and is now merely being acknowledged. On the other hand, realization is a sudden burst of understanding that implies that the subject was previously unknown.

A perfect example of the distinction between recognition and realization can be found in Heart of Darkness. When Marlowe gets to Africa he realizes the true destitution of the natives. The scene that especially highlights his epiphany is when he meets the well-dressed accountant who is living in luxury compared to the starving natives. Later, when Marlowe is on the boat manned by the natives, he recognizes how they are near starvation and could easily overwhelm him and the captain. Since the knowledge of their poor condition was not new, he was simply recognizing their famishment, as opposed to realizing it.

Another example of a profound realization occurs in a Farewell to Arms. Frederick is immediately introduced to war’s cruel nature when he is injured early on in the novel, and from that moment on his view of the war radically shifts. Frederick recognizes that war is not romantic and glorious, and instead is truly repulsive. It is fortunate of him to have realized this sad fact early on, for it came in handy to him when he was stopped at a checkpoint by the Italian army. Frederick was able to recognize that they were killing the deserters, and was able to escape into the river and avoid punishment. In short, realization is the process of understanding new knowledge, while recognition is merely referencing it.

Recognizing and Realizing the Consequences

Recognizing and Realizing the Consequences - Sydney Bernardo

Shakespeare time and time again depicted the effects of recognition and realization through his classic tragedies Othello, King Lear, and Julius Caesar. The universal truth embedded within these three plays and countless other literary works is that the two concepts come in a distinct chronological order and can bring either satisfaction or destruction. Though recognition entails an aspect of “memory recall” in which a person connects an idea or event to a past experience, it can ultimately lead to full understanding - also known as a realization - of a concept, completely changing his or her outlook on life. And as Adam and Eve learned in the Garden of Eden, understanding and knowledge bring their own consequences. The recognition of a realization too late, for example, causes disaster and brings about harmful consequences to overall “good” people such as Othello, who ultimately murders his innocent wife; and Marcus Brutus, whose trusting nature and dedication to the Republic leads him to betray and kill his friend. However, on a positive note, recognition of a realization also has the possibility of improving one’s life, as in the movie Tangled when Rapunzel recognizes the shape of a sun in each of her murals, leading her to the realization that she is the lost princess.

It is not so much that the two entities are different, but rather, that they complement each other, fleshing out and augmenting to the experience one attains. Whether this experience is necessarily good or bad has yet to be seen.

Question Response

Although recognition and realization superficially appear as vastly similar, almost interchangeable, terms, their definitions contain key divisions that manifest in nuanced but significant instances. The most basic difference appears in the chronology associated with the meanings of realization and recognition. A realization implies the genesis of a thought or connection, and recognition implies the identification of a previously known entity. In the classic Greek tragedy, Oedipus’ famous moment of anagnorisis highlights the chronological separation of recognition and realization; he recognizes the familiar tale of a baby with pierced ankles, which prefaces his original realization that he has killed his father and married his mother. Recognition must stem from the identification of something previously known, while realization needs no chronological precursor and constitutes the creation of original thought. Yet, this fundamental distinction frequently appears blurred, especially regarding the issue of self-conscious thoughts. Isn’t it possible to recognize something for the first time? But, that sounds a lot like a realization… Recognition can happen even if the previous familiarity exists without conscious knowledge and conscious realization can follow a long time after the first unconscious illumination. Strangely, the unconscious aspects of recognition and realization show up regularly in everyday life and popular culture. Vague feelings of previous familiarity strike quite frequently and often lead to “spontaneous” recognition, a situation most commonly known as déjà vu. A multitude of high profile movies utilize the notion of the delayed conscious realization; the main character finally realizes their best friend is their true love (e.g. Spiderman, Iron Man, Harry Potter). Although the interplay between recognition and realization can become convoluted, the underlying distinction is that recognition must stem from previous familiarity while realization is the creation of a new thought or connection.