Context

 This line was written by Helen Keller in her book The Story of My Life (1905).

Helen Keller's life was popularized in the play and movie The Miracle Worker; the story of how young Helen, who was deaf and blind, learned to communicate. Helen was practically a feral child before she met her teacher, Anne Sullivan. Once she could communicate, Helen started down a road to advocacy for the deaf and blind.

In 1905, Helen Keller wrote the story of her life and called it, very appropriately, The Story of My Life. The book includes a letter to a friend in which she says that "her teacher explained to her that the best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen nor even touched, but just felt in the heart." It's a motivational quote often ascribed to Keller, but since she says her teacher explained it to her, perhaps Sullivan deserves the credit.

Where you've heard it

You've seen this on countless inspirational cards and memes. It encourages you to find a deeper meaning, and to go beyond the superficial and the materialistic.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

We're not sure if this quote is more pretentious if delivered by a blind person or a sighted person, so we're splitting it down the middle.