The common idea that success spoils people by making them vain, egotistic and self-complacent is erroneous; on the contrary it makes them, for the most part, humble, tolerant and kind.
W. Somerset MaughamRead
I have an idea that the only thing which makes it possible to regard this world we live in without disgust is the beauty which now and then men create out of the chaos. The pictures they paint, the music they compose, the books they write, and the lives they lead. Of all these the richest in beauty is the beautiful life. That is the perfect work of art.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Beauty emerges from chaos through human creativity, enriching our perception of life.
W. Somerset Maugham expresses the notion that amidst the chaos of the world, it is human creativity—through art, music, literature, and the conduct of our lives—that provides relief and beauty, making existence bearable. The pinnacle of this beauty is the creation of a 'beautiful life,' which he considers the ultimate masterpiece, reflecting the power of human expression to transform and elevate our experience of reality.
Themes
BeautyChaosCreativityArtLife
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of creativity in education.
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I don't think of the past. The only thing that matters is the everlasting present.
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The world is quickly bored by the recital of misfortune, and willing avoids the sight of distress.
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There in the mist, enormous, majestic, silent and terrible, stood the Great Wall of China. Solitarily, with the indifference of nature herself, it crept up the mountain side and slipped down to the depth of the valley.
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