There is no scorn more profound, or on the whole more justifiable, than that of the men who make for the men who explain. Exposition, criticism, appreciation, is work for second-rate minds.
Interpretation
Hardy expresses disdain for those who merely explain rather than create, suggesting that critical analysis is inferior to original thought.
In this quote, G. H. Hardy conveys a strong belief that the act of creating or producing new ideas and works is far superior to the act of merely explaining, critiquing, or analyzing the works of others. He perceives exposition and criticism as activities that do not contribute to the advancement of knowledge or art, and thus considers those who engage in these pursuits as second-rate thinkers compared to the innovators and creators who push boundaries and contribute original concepts to society.
In practice
This quote could be used in a lecture on the importance of creativity in the arts.
A chess problem is genuine mathematics, but it is in some way "trivial" mathematics. However, ingenious and intricate, however original and surprising the moves, there is something essential lacking. Chess problems are unimportant. The best mathematics is serious as well as beautiful-"important" if you like, but the word is very ambiguous, and "serious" expresses what I mean much better.
Mathematics is not a contemplative but a creative subject; no one can draw much consolation from it when he has lost the power or the desire to create; and that is apt to happen to a mathematician rather soon. It is a pity, but in that case he does not matter a great deal anyhow, and it would be silly to bother about him.
Exposition, criticism, appreciation, is work for second-rate minds.
It is hardly possible to maintain seriously that the evil done by science is not altogether outweighed by the good. For example, if ten million lives were lost in every war, the net effect of science would still have been to increase the average length of life.
Real mathematics must be justified as art if it can be justified at all.
If intellectual curiosity, professional pride, and ambition are the dominant incentives to research, then assuredly no one has a fairer chance of gratifying them than a mathematician.
Time alone reveals the just man; but you might discern a bad man in a single day.
Neither seek nor avoid, take what comes.
Are wars... anything but the means whereby a nation's problems are set, where creation is stimulated - there you have adventure. But there is no adventure in heads-or-tails, in betting that the toss will come out of life or death. War is not an adventure. It is a disease. It is like typhus.
When men abandon reason, physical force becomes their only means of dealing with one another and of settling disagreements.
We cannot grasp the true meaning of the divine holiness by thinking of someone or something very pure and then raising the concept to the highest degree we are capable of. God's holiness is not simply the best we know infinitely bettered. We know nothing like the divine holiness. It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable. The natural man is blind to it. He may fear God's power and admire His wisdom, but His holiness he cannot even imagine.
If thou suffer injustice, console thyself; the true unhappiness is in doing it.
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