Hidden in Plain Sight Amanda Caleb, PhD, MPH Editor-in-chief or a failure to not just look but to see. The idiom “hidden in plain sight” is thought to have originated in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Purloined Letter” (1844). In the short story, the Paris police attempt to recover a letter stolen from the queen by a political rival Minister D__. When their investigation stalls, they turn to detective C. Auguste Dupin, who finds the letter on the mantlepiece of Minister D__’s home and not in some obscure or remote location. This story reveals the limits of human perception in failing to see the obvious and the importance of observation. To be “hidden in plain sight” can be both a deliberate act by the hidden/hider (such as Minister D__ leaving the letter on the mantlepiece)
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The expression “hidden in plain sight” is a paradox of perception: the idea that something can be both conspicuous and inconspicuous simultaneously. Something that is “hidden” would typically be associated with obscurity and invisibility, while the notion of being “in plain sight” suggests visibility and accessibility. Yet, this paradox forms the crux of the idiom’s meaning, inviting us to reflect on our perception of the world and why we overlooked what was right in front of us. The idiom challenges us to explore the limits of our attention and the biases that shape our
