I decided to run with the object that came to my mind first, which is my coffee cup. It goes everywhere with me. It is usually filled with a caffeinated beverage, sometimes tea, usually coffee – which brings me great joy. This object has a very clear functional purpose, yet represents so much more than just its form.
I have dissected this cup by its formal measurement and chemical composition. I have also examined this cup as a representation of an abstract type, which is all cups, or containers. A coffee cup encapsulates both its state and behavior. My cup may be full, and hot, an appropriate behavior in this state is to be drank… by me.
I believe our subconscious mind does view all the attributes of an object when we look at it. This is how we understand if something is odd or different from our previous experiences. The level of abstraction may change depending on our history with that object. To one person a car may be composed of interior and exterior attributes, to another it may be composed of mechanical attributes. Very rarely do we analyze what we are seeing when we look at an object, I believe this is the distinction.
We have a relationship with every object in our perception, sometimes it is important to analyze those relationships on a deeper level. I have this coffee cup because it is reusable, because I don’t want to pollute the earth with disposable cups and straws. I think if everyone stopped to evaluate everyday objects this way, it would be a very good thing. We take much for granted and waste a great deal.