Democracy divides people into workers and loafers. It makes no provision for those who have no time to work.
Karl KrausRead
A writer is someone who can make a riddle out of an answer.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A writer transforms simple truths into complex ideas through their creativity.
This quote by Karl Kraus suggests that a writer possesses the unique ability to take straightforward answers and imbue them with layers of meaning, crafting riddles that provoke thought and invite interpretation. This reflects the artistic nature of writing, where conveying a message can often involve turning the simple into the intricate, encouraging readers to look beyond the surface.
Themes
WriterRiddleCreativityArtMeaning
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a writing workshop to inspire participants about the creative process.
More from Karl Kraus
All quotes βThe mission of the press is to spread culture while destroying the attention span.
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War: first, one hopes to win; then one expects the enemy to lose; then, one is satisfied that he too is suffering; in the end, one is surprised that everyone has lost.
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Stupidity is an elemental force for which no earthquake is a match.
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Experiences are savings which a miser puts aside. Wisdom is an inheritance which a wastrel cannot exhaust.
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Sexuality poorly repressed unsettles some families; well repressed, it unsettles the whole world.
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Clever of me to become a critic. We critics scrutinize and show off to a higher end. For a greater good. Our manners, our tastes, our declarations are welcomed. Superior for life. Except when we're not. Except when we're dismissed or denounced as envious or petty, as derivatives and dependents by nature. Second class for life.
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...it is seldom indeed that a composition which was poor when the picture was taken can be improved by reshaping it in the dark room.
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If you're going to perform inception, you need imagination. You need the simplest version of the idea-the one that will grow naturally in the subject's mind. Subtle art.
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