Exposition, criticism, appreciation, is work for second-rate minds.
Interpretation
G. H. Hardy suggests that true intellectual work goes beyond mere analysis and requires creativity and original thought.
In this quote, G. H. Hardy emphasizes the distinction between superficial analyses of work and the deeper, original contributions of great minds. He implies that those who are limited to exposition, criticism, and appreciation lack the originality required to create real advancements in thought or art. For Hardy, the highest form of intellectual engagement is not just about understanding or evaluating previous work, but also about creating something new and valuable.
In practice
In a speech about innovation, one might quote Hardy to emphasize the importance of originality over imitation.
A chess problem is genuine mathematics, but it is in some way "trivial" mathematics. However, ingenious and intricate, however original and surprising the moves, there is something essential lacking. Chess problems are unimportant. The best mathematics is serious as well as beautiful-"important" if you like, but the word is very ambiguous, and "serious" expresses what I mean much better.
Mathematics is not a contemplative but a creative subject; no one can draw much consolation from it when he has lost the power or the desire to create; and that is apt to happen to a mathematician rather soon. It is a pity, but in that case he does not matter a great deal anyhow, and it would be silly to bother about him.
It is hardly possible to maintain seriously that the evil done by science is not altogether outweighed by the good. For example, if ten million lives were lost in every war, the net effect of science would still have been to increase the average length of life.
Real mathematics must be justified as art if it can be justified at all.
If intellectual curiosity, professional pride, and ambition are the dominant incentives to research, then assuredly no one has a fairer chance of gratifying them than a mathematician.
There is no scorn more profound, or on the whole more justifiable, than that of the men who make for the men who explain. Exposition, criticism, appreciation, is work for second-rate minds.
Again, it may be said, that to love justice and equality the people need no great effort of virtue; it is sufficient that they love themselves.
The bells they sound on Bredon, And still the steeples hum. "Come all to church, good people"- Oh, noisy bells, be dumb; I hear you, I will come.
I would say that normally it is the creative minorities that determine the future, and in this sense, the Catholic Church must understand itself as a creative minority that has a heritage of values that are not things of the past, but a very living and relevant reality.
Even though the body appears to be material, it is not. In the deeper reality, your body is a field of energy, transformation and intelligence.
Over the years, I realized there was a Republican philosophy that I liked. And then they lost it. And LIBERTARIANS had more of it. Because what I really believe is, let's spend a little more time leaving everybody alone.
I suddenly understood that if every moment of a book should be taken seriously, then every moment of a life should be taken seriously as well.
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