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
I have to confess that I had gambled on my soul and lost it with heroic insouciance and lightness of touch. The soul is so impalpable, so often useless, and sometimes such a nuisance, that I felt no more emotion on losing it than if, on a stroll, I had mislaid my visiting card.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Baudelaire reflects on the insignificance of the soul and the lack of emotional attachment to it.
In this quote, Charles Baudelaire conveys a sense of detachment from the concept of the soul, viewing it as something ephemeral and often burdensome. He likens losing his soul to misplacing a trivial item, suggesting a profound indifference to its significance, which invites reflection on the nature of existence and the value we assign to intangible aspects of our being.
Themes
SoulIndifferenceExistenceDetachmentPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a philosophical discussion about the nature of existence, referencing Baudelaire's view can illustrate points about detachment and meaning.
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.
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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.
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There is no sweeter pleasure than to surprise a man by giving him more than he hopes for.
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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
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It is a time when one’s spirit is subdued and sad, one knows not why; when the past seems a storm-swept desolation, life a vanity and a burden, and the future but a way to death. It is a time when one is filled with vague longings; when one dreams of flight to peaceful islands in the remote solitudes of the sea, or folds his hands and says, What is the use of struggling, and toiling and worrying any more? let us give it all up.
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For where the instrument of intelligence is added to brute power and evil will, mankind is powerless in its own defense.
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