That which is not slightly distorted lacks sensible appeal; from which it follows that irregularity β that is to say, the unexpected, surprise and astonishment, are a essential part and characteristic of beauty.
Charles BaudelaireRead
All which is beautiful and noble is the result of reason and calculation.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Beauty and nobility stem from thoughtful reasoning and careful planning.
In this quote, Charles Baudelaire suggests that true beauty and nobility in art, life, and human endeavors are not arbitrary or solely emotional but are instead rooted in reason and meticulous calculation. This implies that a thoughtful approach can lead to creations and purposes that elevate our experiences and understanding of the world.
Themes
BeautyNobilityReasonCalculationArtPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of art in education, one could quote this to emphasize the need for critical thinking.
More from Charles Baudelaire
All quotes βThe dance can reveal everything mysterious that is hidden in music, and it has the additional merit of being human and palpable. Dancing is poetry with arms and legs.
Charles BaudelaireRead
Who among us has not dreamt, in moments of ambition, of the miracle of a poetic prose, musical without rhythm and rhyme, supple and staccato enough to adapt to the lyrical stirrings of the soul, the undulations of dreams, and sudden leaps of consciousness.
Charles BaudelaireRead
There is no sweeter pleasure than to surprise a man by giving him more than he hopes for.
Charles BaudelaireRead
The priest is an immense being because he makes the crowd believe astonishing things.
Charles BaudelaireRead
I consider it useless and tedious to represent what exists, because nothing that exists satisfies me. Nature is ugly, and I prefer the monsters of my fancy to what is positively trivial.
Charles BaudelaireRead
Similar quotes
I believe that any man who takes the liberty of another into his keeping is bound to become a tyrant, and that any man who yields up his liberty, in however slight the measure, is bound to become a slave.
H. L. MenckenRead
Myth expresses in terms of the world - that is, of the other world or the second world - the understanding that man has of himself in relation to the foundation and the limit of his existence.
Paul RicoeurRead
For every man the world is as fresh as it was at the first day, and as full of untold novelties for him who has the eyes to see them.
Thomas HuxleyRead
Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost.
Dalai LamaRead
There's a very simple reason for focusing on the nuclear issue. Many, many issues are of supreme importance in one way or another, but if we blow ourselves up with nuclear weapons, no other issue is really going to matter. Quite possibly there would be no other human beings left to be concerned about anything else.
Alan CranstonRead
The principle of democracy is a recognition of the sovereign, inalienable rights of man as a gift from God, the Source of law.
Fulton J. SheenRead