Pride is founded not on the sense of happiness, but on the sense of power.
William HazlittRead
The poetical impression of any object is that uneasy, exquisite sense of beauty or power that cannot be contained within itself; that is impatient of all limit; that (as flame bends to flame) strives to link itself to some other image of kindred beauty or grandeur; to enshrine itself, as it were, in the highest forms of fancy, and to relieve the aching sense of pleasure by expressing it in the boldest manner.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses the idea that true beauty prompts a desire to connect and share experiences of that beauty with others.
William Hazlitt suggests that the appreciation of beauty is an intense, almost restless feeling that seeks to communicate and express itself. This sense of beauty is not limited to the object itself; instead, it yearns to resonate with other forms of beauty, enhancing our understanding and appreciation through creative expression.
Themes
BeautyExpressionArtImpressionCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about creativity, one could quote Hazlitt to emphasize the power of artistic expression.
More from William Hazlitt
All quotes →The world loves to be amused by hollow professions, to be deceived by flattering appearances, to live in a state of hallucination; and can forgive everything but the plain, downright, simple, honest truth.
William HazlittRead
Our repugnance to death increases in proportion to our consciousness of having lived in vain.
William HazlittRead
We can bear to be deprived of everything but our self-conceit.
William HazlittRead
There are few things in which we deceive ourselves more than in the esteem we profess to entertain for our firends. It is little better than a piece of quackery. The truth is, we think of them as we please, that is, as they please or displease us.
William HazlittRead
Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater. Possession pampers the mind; privation trains and strengthens it.
William HazlittRead
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