Learning to See: Driving, AI, and Faith in Action

When I first signed up for driving school in Munich, I thought I was just learning a practical skill — something necessary, maybe stressful, but ultimately straightforward.

I never imagined I’d still be struggling months later, having failed the theory once, the practical twice, and spent over €8,000. But gradually, I realized this wasn’t just about learning to drive.

It was about learning to see, not just with my eyes, but with attention, awareness, and presence.

This experience unexpectedly brought together three parts of my life: my struggle to drive, my background in Artificial Intelligence, and the spiritual guidance of the Baha’i Faith. At the heart of it all was a teaching I kept returning to:

“By faith is meant, first, conscious knowledge, and second, the practice of goodly deeds.”
— Abdu’l-Baha

At first glance, it might seem strange to link faith with knowledge, especially conscious knowledge. But what this quote helped me realize is that faith isn’t blind belief, and it isn’t just effort or habit. It begins with awareness—a clear, inward recognition of what’s real and meaningful.

That’s what conscious knowledge is: not just memorizing information, but perceiving it with attention and intention. It’s like learning to see something that was always there, but was previously overlooked, either in your environment, in yourself, or in a challenge you’re facing.

When we develop conscious knowledge, we begin to see more truly. And once we see clearly, our actions naturally begin to align with that vision. 

That truth quietly reshaped everything.

I began driving school in February 2024. I failed the theory exam in March and passed it in September. I failed the practical exam in April 2025, and again in May. Despite dozens of lessons, nothing seemed to change.

My instructor kept repeating the same things: ”You don’t see the traffic signs.” “You’re still making the same mistakes.” “It doesn’t matter how much you practice if you don’t change.”

Eventually, I had to ask myself: What exactly am I not seeing?

Because I studied Artificial Intelligence, I naturally saw a parallel. In AI, we train a model by giving it labeled data and meta-information, ie. structured input and expected outcomes. The model adjusts its internal parameters, and over time, it begins to detect patterns and respond in useful ways. These parameters are the model’s form of “knowledge.” Even though it doesn’t understand in a human sense, we say it can “see”, because with enough training, it can correctly interpret new input.

That helped me reflect on my own process. I had no shortage of input: lessons, corrections, test experience. But like a model stuck in repetition, I hadn’t built the internal structure—the vision—to make sense of it all. I wasn’t lacking practice. I was lacking perceptual clarity.

In both machine learning and human development, meaningful action depends on trained perception. The AI uses label data as input to “see.” I needed conscious knowledge and reflective attention to do the same.

Once that clicked, things began to change.

I began reviewing my routes with GPS, mentally rehearsing intersections using Google Earth, asking friends for insight, and even switching instructors. What helped wasn’t more effort, it was greater clarity. I stopped just reacting and started truly reading the road.

This shift reminded me of another passage from Baha’u’llah that gave words to what I was going through:

“We cherish the hope that through the loving-kindness of the All-Wise, the All-Knowing, obscuring dust may be dispelled and the power of perception enhanced, that the people may discover the purpose for which they have been called into being […] This vision acteth as the agent and guide for true knowledge.”¹

I wasn’t just trying to pass a test. I was trying to clear the obscuring dust—the fear, the mental noise, the habits that blocked my awareness. The more present I became, the more I could perceive what had been in front of me the whole time. The passage goes on to say:

“Indeed in the estimation of men of wisdom keenness of understanding is due to keenness of vision.”
— Baha’u’llah²

I didn’t need to memorize more rules. I needed to see better.

One more concept stayed with me throughout this journey and it’s from The Seven Valleys:

“Thus it hath been made clear that these stages depend on the attainment of the wayfarer. In every city he will behold a world, in every valley reach a spring…”³

The roads in Munich hadn’t changed. But I had. What once felt overwhelming became navigable. I began to understand what my instructor meant when he said, “You need to drive with presence.” I wasn’t just reacting anymore. I was participating, consciously.

Looking back, this experience taught me lessons that go far beyond driving:

1. Repetition doesn’t lead to growth, perception does.
No amount of effort helps if your way of seeing stays the same.

2. Real learning happens after failure.
My failed exams forced me to reflect more deeply. That’s where change began.

3. Consultation brings clarity.
Asking for help–from friends, instructors, and tools–made all the difference. In the Baha’i Faith, consultation is more than strategy; it’s a spiritual act.

4. Detachment keeps you steady.
Letting go of the outcome helped me stay present. I learned to persist without being consumed by stress.

5. Growth happens in the valleys.
Baha’u’llah writes that in every valley in the metaphorical search for truth, there is a spring. I found mine in the humbling moments when I felt furthest from success.

In AI, a model trains through trial and feedback until it learns to “see” structure and respond with accuracy. Humans grow the same way,  but with something more: meaning. It’s my understanding that is what the Baha’i teachings call conscious knowledge. It’s not abstract philosophy. It’s the first spark of real transformation,the moment when perception sharpens, understanding deepens, and action finally becomes aligned with insight.

So wherever you are in your own journey–whether learning something new, recovering from a setback, or simply seeking clarity–don’t just ask:

“Am I doing enough?”

Ask instead:

“Am I seeing clearly?”

Because once vision expands, everything else begins to shift.

1. Compilation for the 2018 Counsellor’s Conference [↩]
2. Compilation for the 2018 Counsellor’s Conference [↩]
3. Baha’u’llah, The Call of the Divine Beloved [↩]

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Haonan Qiu

Haonan Qiu, Ph.D. is passionate about understanding human intelligence, spirituality, and virtues from multiple perspectives, including psychology, computer science, artificial intelligence, education, philosophy, language, and the arts. She earned her Ph.D. from Ulm University’s Artificial Intelligence Department in Germany. Currently, she works as a researcher in the automotive industry while actively contributing to community-building efforts. Having received immense support, love, and guidance throughout her academic and professional journey, she is deeply committed to giving back and supporting others. Haonan was introduced to the Baha’i Faith in China around 2009. Since then, she has been striving to apply its teachings in her daily life, navigating both challenges and personal growth. She currently lives in Munich, Germany.