To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.
If it were not for the intellectual snobs who pay - in solid cash - the arts would perish with their starving practitioners. Let us thank heaven for hypocrisy.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the irony of how financial support for the arts often comes from those who may not genuinely appreciate it, emphasizing the necessity of such support for artists to survive.
Aldous Huxley's quote critiques the relationship between wealth and the arts, suggesting that the support artists receive often originates from individuals who may be considered 'intellectual snobs.' This support, despite its questionable sincerity, is crucial for the survival of the arts and their creators, who might otherwise struggle to make a living. In this way, Huxley provocatively calls for a gratitude towards this perceived hypocrisy, as it ultimately helps sustain artistic expression.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech at an arts funding gala, this quote can be used to highlight the importance of financial contributions to the arts.
More from Aldous Huxley
All quotes →Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
In the course of history many more people have died for their drink and their dope than have died for their religion or their country.
On no account brood over your wrongdoing. Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean.
No man ever dared to manifest his boredom so insolently as does a Siamese tomcat when he yawns in the face of his amorously importunate wife.
The leech's kiss, the squid's embrace, The prurient ape's defiling touch: And do you like the human race? No, not much.
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It has bothered me all my life that I do not paint like everybody else.
So here I stand before you preaching organic architecture: declaring organic architecture to be the modern ideal.