An extravagance is something that your spirit thinks is a necessity.
Bernard WilliamsRead
Ideas are like wandering sons. They show up when you least expect them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Ideas can appear unexpectedly, often surprising us when we least anticipate them.
This quote by Bernard Williams signifies the unpredictable nature of inspiration and creativity. It suggests that ideas, much like wandering sons, arrive unexpectedly and often require us to be open and receptive to embrace their potential, reminding us that creativity can strike at any moment.
Themes
IdeasCreativityInspirationUnexpectedImagination
In practice
Example use cases
During a brainstorming session, when an unexpected idea pops up, referencing this quote can illustrate the spontaneous nature of creativity.
More from Bernard Williams
All quotes →There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.
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Contemporary moral philosophy has found an original way of being boring, which is by not discussing moral issues at all.
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The majority of philosophers are totally humorless. That's part of their trouble.
Bernard WilliamsRead
People have been predicting the death of philosophy since the 17th century. When I was a student, people were saying, 'We're in the last days of philosophy.' Then we were told in the '60s it would be replaced by sociology, then by literary criticism.
Bernard WilliamsRead
Virtually the only subject in which one could ever get a scholarship to Oxford or Cambridge was classics. So I went to Oxford to study classics and, unlike Cambridge, it had a philosophy component, and I became completely transported by it.
Bernard WilliamsRead
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