I definitely actively look at my tanks close up rather then far away. But, most of the time I passively look at my tanks from further away, like a brief glance while watching TV.
I see problems when I get too close (waste, poor plant growth, less than ideal fish coloration) so sometimes I find it best to admire from a distance less I spend 1-2 hours trying to perfect every little detail....
I am so glad there are people like me who have to be up close and count their fish. I also like to check out the plants and the snail's shells and how many asassins I can count! With my big tank so far I look at it from afar because I only have 5 fish in it and if I can see them I know that their tank is okay. My BF says it is OCD. LOL