That which has always been accepted by everyone, everywhere, is almost certain to be false.
Paul ValeryRead
Serious-minded people have few ideas. People with ideas are never serious.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that those who are overly serious tend to lack creativity, while imaginative people may not take things seriously.
Paul Valery's quote highlights the dichotomy between seriousness and creativity, implying that a deep focus on serious matters can hinder one's ability to generate ideas. It suggests that a playful and open-minded approach is necessary for creativity, whereas a serious disposition can lead to rigidity in thought, stifling innovation and imagination.
Themes
CreativitySeriousnessIdeasImaginationPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a business meeting, to encourage creative thinking, one might say this quote.
More from Paul Valery
All quotes βOh, hasten not this loving act, Rapture where self and not-self meet: My life has been the awaiting you, Your footfall was my own heart's beat.
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The history of thought may be summed up in these words: it is absurd by what it seeks and great by what it finds.
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The world acquires value only through its extremes and endures only through moderation; extremists make the world great, the moderates give it stability.
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It would be impossible to "love" anyone or anything one knew completely. Love is directed towards what lies hidden in its object.
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You have certainly observed the curious fact that a given word which is perfectly clear when you hear it or use it in everyday language, and which does not give rise to any difficulty when it is engaged in the rapid movement of an ordinary sentence becomes magically embarrassing, introduces a strange resistance, frustrates any effort at definition as soon as you take it out of circulation to examine it separately and look for its meaning after taking away its instantaneous function.
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