I so enjoy seeing the simple relationships among shapes, textures and colors. The great danger for me of “knowing” and “naming” what I see is that I may then lose the delight and magic that comes with first seeing. Clearly this is not always the case but how many shells on a beach have I simply walked by? What remarkable beauty can I find in stopping long enough to see what is there in the sand?
Still Learning To See 
You make a good point–but I don’t think knowledge can do anything except deepen our love and appreciation (whether of people or the natural world). Rather, it’s taking the time to “pay attention”. I love that you DO that–slow down and find the beauty in a shell on the sand. And the fact that you know the shell’s name (albeit a “name” given by human beings”) adds another layer of appreciation. I wonder what the shell would name ITSELF if it could? 🙂
Thank you. Yes, I agree and I find a danger in knowing just enough to pigeon-hole things. I suspect shells name themselves “LIFE!” or, as my brother says below “I’m a beach angel!!:
It’s not a shell it is a beach angel.