That which is not slightly distorted lacks sensible appeal; from which it follows that irregularity – that is to say, the unexpected, surprise and astonishment, are a essential part and characteristic of beauty.
Charles BaudelaireRead
The pleasure we derive from the representation of the present is due, not only to the beauty it can be clothed in, but also to its essential quality of being the present.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The enjoyment we find in the present moment comes from its beauty and its unique nature as the 'now'.
Charles Baudelaire expresses the idea that our appreciation for the present moment is multifaceted; it is not solely about its aesthetic beauty but also about the intrinsic value that comes from experiencing life as it happens. The 'present' is something unique and fleeting, and recognizing its beauty and significance enhances our enjoyment of life's current experiences.
Themes
PresentBeautyPleasureExperienceLife
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a mindfulness workshop to emphasize the importance of living in the moment.
More from Charles Baudelaire
All quotes →The dance can reveal everything mysterious that is hidden in music, and it has the additional merit of being human and palpable. Dancing is poetry with arms and legs.
Charles BaudelaireRead
Who among us has not dreamt, in moments of ambition, of the miracle of a poetic prose, musical without rhythm and rhyme, supple and staccato enough to adapt to the lyrical stirrings of the soul, the undulations of dreams, and sudden leaps of consciousness.
Charles BaudelaireRead
There is no sweeter pleasure than to surprise a man by giving him more than he hopes for.
Charles BaudelaireRead
The priest is an immense being because he makes the crowd believe astonishing things.
Charles BaudelaireRead
I consider it useless and tedious to represent what exists, because nothing that exists satisfies me. Nature is ugly, and I prefer the monsters of my fancy to what is positively trivial.
Charles BaudelaireRead
Similar quotes
I love to go to the studio and stay there 10 or 12 hours a day. I love it. What is it? I don't know. It's life.
Johnny CashRead
The memory of things gone is important to a jazz musician. Things like old folks singing in the moonlight in the back yard on a hot night or something said long ago.
Louis ArmstrongRead
For Christ plays in ten thousand places,/ Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his/ To the Father through the features of men’s faces.
Gerard Manley HopkinsRead
He was intrigued by the power of words, not the literary words that filled the books in the library but the sharp, staccato words that went into the writing of news stories. Words that went for the jugular. Active verbs that danced and raced on the page.
Robert CormierRead
A playwright lives in an occupied country. And if you can't live that way you don't stay.
Arthur MillerRead
It's always thrilling to encounter the sweep of time in a work of fiction in a way that feels authentic and real.
Michael ChabonRead