No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did he would cease to be an artist.
In mathematics, the journey is just as important as the destination, for it is through the process of discovery that we truly learn.
I think the best architecture comes from a synthesis of all the elements that separately comprise a building: the structure that holds it up; the services that allow it to function; its ecology; the quality of natural light; the symbolism of the form; the relationship of the building to the skyline or the streetscape; and, perhaps most importantly, the client's vision and the user's needs.