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
Genius is nothing more or less than childhood recovered by will, a childhood how equipped for self-expression with an adult's capacities.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Genius involves reclaiming the creativity and openness of childhood while utilizing the skills and understanding of adulthood.
This quote by Charles Baudelaire suggests that true genius is not merely an innate talent but rather the ability to access the imaginative and curious qualities of childhood. It emphasizes the importance of harnessing adult skills and capacities to express one's ideas and creativity, indicating that the essence of genius lies in a blend of youthful wonder and mature insight.
Themes
GeniusChildhoodCreativitySelf-ExpressionAdult Capacities
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a creative workshop to inspire participants.
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
Any man who afflicts the human race with ideas must be prepared to see them misunderstood.
H. L. MenckenRead
No worse fate can befall a young man or woman than becoming prematurely entrenched in prudence and negation.
Knut HamsunRead
Clever talk can confound the workings of virtue, just as small impatiences can confound great projects.
ConfuciusRead
I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am
John NewtonRead
Experience shows that what happens is always the thing against which one has not made provision in advance.
John Maynard KeynesRead
The course of our lives is determined by how we react--what we decide and what we do--at the darkest of times. The nature of that response determines a person's true worth and greatness.
Daisaku IkedaRead