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Not hammer-strokes, but dance of the water, sings the pebbles into perfection.
Rabindranath Tagore
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote emphasizes the gradual and gentle processes of nature in achieving perfection, rather than harsh or forceful methods.

Rabindranath Tagore’s quote illustrates how the natural world cultivates beauty and perfection through subtler, more fluid movements rather than abrupt, aggressive actions. It suggests that like the gentle dance of water shaping pebbles over time, a more harmonious approach to life and creativity leads to greater outcomes than sheer force.

Themes

NaturePerfectionGentlenessArtProcess

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can inspire artists to appreciate the process of creation rather than focusing solely on the final piece.

More from Rabindranath Tagore

The small wisdom is like water in a glass: clear, transparent, pure. The great wisdom is like the water in the sea: dark, mysterious, impenetrable.
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Music fills the infinite between two souls. This has been muffled by the mist of our daily habits.
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True deliverance of man is the deliverance from Avidya i.e. ignorance. It is not in destroying anything that is positive and real, for that cannot be possible, but that which is negative, which obstructs our vision of truth.
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The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures. It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
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If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars.
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To be outspoken is easy when you do not wait to speak the complete truth.
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