One human life is deeper than the ocean. Strange fishes and sea-monsters and mighty plants live in the rock-bed of our spirits. The whole of human history is an undiscovered continent deep in our souls. There are dolphins, plants that dream, magic birds inside us. The sky is inside us. The earth is in us.
Politics is the art of the possible; creativity is the art of the impossible.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Politics involves navigating feasible options, while creativity pushes the boundaries of what can be imagined.
This quote highlights the dichotomy between the practical realm of politics and the limitless domain of creativity. Politics requires compromise and negotiation, focusing on achievable solutions within the constraints of societal frameworks. In contrast, creativity embodies the ability to envision and create possibilities that may seem unattainable, emphasizing the importance of imagination and innovation in contrast to the often rigid structures of political decision-making.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of innovative thinking in governance, one might say, 'As Ben Okri wisely noted, politics is the art of the possible; creativity is the art of the impossible.'
More from Ben Okri
All quotes βOur time here is magic! It's the only space you have to realize whatever it is that is beautiful, whatever is true, whatever is great, whatever is potential, whatever is rare, whatever is unique, in. It's the only space.
Don't despair too much if you see beautiful things destroyed, if you see them perish. Because the best things are always growing in secret.
I began my writing life as a poet, so poetry has always been fundamental. I evolved from poetry to journalism to stories to novels. But poetry was always there.
The acknowledged legislators of the world take the world as given. They dislike mysteries, for mysteries cannot be coded, or legislated, and wonder cannot be made into law. And so these legislators police the accepted frontiers of things.
We can still astonish the gods in humanity_x000D_ _x000D_ And be the stuff of future legends,_x000D_ _x000D_ If we but dare to be real,_x000D_ _x000D_ And have the courage to see_x000D_ _x000D_ That this is the time to dream_x000D_ _x000D_ The best dream of them all.
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Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable β the art of the next best
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