I sense a Threshold: Light to Silence, Silence to Light - an ambiance of inspiration, in which the desire to be, to express, crosses with the possible Light to Silence, Silence to Light crosses in the sanctuary of art.
Louis KahnRead
The sun never knew how great it was until it hit the side of a building.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote implies that value and greatness often go unrecognized until they impact others or their environment.
Louis Kahn's quote highlights the idea that true greatness or value can often remain unnoticed until it interacts with something else. The sun, a powerful and essential force, might not fully understand its own significance until it illuminates and transforms its surroundings, symbolizing how our actions and qualities can bring light and meaning to the lives of others.
Themes
GreatnessValueImpactRecognitionLight
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a motivational talk about recognizing one's potential.
More from Louis Kahn
All quotes →Greek architecture taught me that the column is where the light is not, and the space between is where the light is. It is a matter of no-light, light, no-light, light. A column and a column brings light between them. To make a column which grows out of the wall and which makes its own rhythm of no-light, light, no-light, light: that is the marvel of the artist.
Louis KahnRead
The room is the beginning of architecture.
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Architecture is the reaching out for the truth.
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The creation of art is not the fulfillment of a need but the creation of a need. The world never needed Beethoven's Fifth Symphony until he created it. Now we could not live without it.
Louis KahnRead
We are born of light. The seasons are felt through light. We only know the world as it is evoked by light.
Louis KahnRead
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