Thou art a man God is no more Thy own humanity Learn to adore
William BlakeRead
What is grand is necessarily obscure to weak men. That which can be made explicit to the idiot is not worth my care.
Interpretation
Great ideas can be lost on those who lack the understanding to appreciate them.
William Blake suggests that profound and noble concepts are often beyond the comprehension of the less intellectually inclined. He implies that ideas that can be easily understood are trivial and not deserving of serious consideration or concern. This quote reflects the belief that true greatness is often misunderstood or overlooked by those who do not possess the requisite insight or depth of understanding.
In practice
During a discussion about creativity at a conference, one could use this quote to emphasize the depth of artistic expression.
Thou art a man God is no more Thy own humanity Learn to adore
In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.
O thou who passest through our valleys in Thy strength, curb thy fierce steeds, allay the heat That flames from their large nostrils! Thou, O Summer, Oft pitchest here thy golden tent, and oft Beneath our oaks hast slept, while we beheld With joy thy ruddy limbs and flourishing hair.
Every Night and every Morn Some to Misery are born. Every Morn and every Night Some are born to Sweet Delight, Some are born to Endless Night.
As the caterpillar chooses the fairest leaves to lay her eggs on, so the priest lays his curse on the fairest joys.
He who would do good to another must do it in minute particulars.
It is not enough to prove something, one also has to seduce or elevate people to it. That is why the man of knowledge should learns how to speak his wisdom: and often in such a way that it sounds like folly!
Devotion is diligence without assurance. Faith is a way of saying "Yes, I pre-accept the terms of the universe and I embrace in advance what I am presently incapable of understanding.
I trust in the ebb and flow of the universe. I trust that life's bigger than what I can see. I trust that there is a divine order beyond my control. And I trust that no matter what happens, I will be all right.
You cannot be all things to all people. Be unique. Be different. Give to others what you want yourself. And do what you were made to do.
Those who are quite satisfied sit still and do nothing; those who are not quite satisfied are the sole benefactors of the world.
Ask no guarantees, ask for no security, there never was such an animal. And if there was it would be related to the great sloth which hangs upside down in a tree all day every day, sleeping its life away.
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