Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.
ConfuciusRead
Ah, music, sacred tongue of God! I hear thee calling and I come.
Interpretation
Music is viewed as a divine language that calls out to us.
This quote expresses the idea that music transcends human communication and taps into something sacred and profound. Confucius suggests that music speaks to the soul, inviting us to respond to its beauty and significance, reflecting its power to connect us to a higher realm.
In practice
In a speech about the power of art in society.
Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.
Earnest in practicing the ordinary virtues, and careful in speaking about them, if, in his practice, he has anything defective, the superior man dares not but exert himself; and if, in his words, he has any excess, he dares not allow himself such license.
When you see a good person, think of becoming like her/him. When you see someone not so good, reflect on your own weak points.
Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.
The superior man is distressed by the limitations of his ability; he is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability that he has.
Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.
No matter where I am working, I cannot make a film without 100% creative control and final cut. If there is such a guarantee, I can work anywhere.
In business sharp practice sometimes succeeds, but in art honesty is not only the best but the only policy.
When you go to an art gallery you are simply a tourist looking at the trophy cabinet of a few millionaires.
When you work on something that combines both the spectacular and the relatable, the hyperreal and the real, it suddenly can become supernatural. The hypothetical and the theoretical can become literal.
That song helped make me a world citizen. It allowed me to live, work and sing in any city on the globe. It changed my whole life.
To be true to life, a novel must have an ending that is inevitable given the specific personalities of the characters involved. The novelist must not impose an ending upon them.
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