Insights, Snippets, Quotes, Epiphanies & All That Sort of Things

[North Star]

Beauty.

*reaches back to the bookshelf*

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing 
A flowery band to bind us to the earth, 
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth 
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days, 
Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darkened ways           
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all, 
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall 
From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon, 
Trees old and young, sprouting a shady boon 
For simple sheep; and such are daffodils           
With the green world they live in; and clear rills 
That for themselves a cooling covert make 
'Gainst the hot season; the mid forest brake, 
Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms: 
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms           
We have imagined for the mighty dead; 
All lovely tales that we have heard or read: 
An endless fountain of immortal drink, 
Pouring unto us from the heaven's brink.

[Ten thumbs]

I'm wondering how to classify art that gives what it must but disguises it as what society wants.

[Karl Henning]

I'm wondering how to classify art that gives what it must but disguises it as what society wants.

It may be a question of overlap of use, rather than of intentional disguise.

[Ten thumbs]

It may be a question of overlap of use, rather than of intentional disguise.

In very many cases this is so - great art is often popular (I'm talking of all the arts - take Shakespeare as an extreme case) but there have been those for whom a living has to be made, and what has to be is dressed up as what the public want.

[Ten thumbs]

On further reflection, the idea that the public do not appreciate great art smacks of cultural snobbery. Generally speaking, artists do give what they must - there is no other classification.

[Karl Henning]

'cause, remember: no matter where you go, there you are.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

"Happy lovers arouse our envy before we know it, and the unhappy ones are always tedious."
Goethe

[Karl Henning]

"Happy lovers arouse our envy before we know it, and the unhappy ones are always tedious."
Goethe

0:)

[Jaakko Keskinen]

"Monseigneur could swallow a great many things with ease, and was by some few sullen minds supposed to be
rather rapidly swallowing France".

Dickens

[Wakefield]

"You've got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail."
-- Charlie Parker, quoted in Ágil mente by Estanislao Bachrach

[Wakefield]

I'm wondering how to classify art that gives what it must but disguises it as what society wants.

As a happy coincidence: like Telemann, Handel, Haydn, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd. 

[Wakefield]

Socialism is a system which makes the corporate unity of society responsible for all its economic processes, or all those affecting life and essential living. If anything important is sold, the Government has sold it; if anything important is given, the Government has given it; if anything important is even tolerated, the Government is responsible for tolerating it.  This is the very reverse of anarchy; it is an extreme enthusiasm for authority. It is in many ways worthy of the moral dignity of the mind; it is a collective acceptance of a very complete responsibility. But it is silly of Socialists to complain of our saying that it must be a destruction of liberty.  It is almost equally silly of Anti-Socialists to complain of the unnatural and unbalanced brutality of the Bolshevist Government in crushing a political opposition. A Socialist Government is one which in its nature does not tolerate any true and real opposition.  For there the Government provides everything; and it is absurd to ask a Government to provide an opposition.

You cannot go to the Sultan and say reproachfully, "You have made no arrangements for your brother dethroning you and seizing the Caliphate."  You cannot go to a medieval king and say, "Kindly lend me two thousand spears and one thousand bowmen, as I wish to raise a rebellion against you."  Still less can you reproach a Government which professes to set up everything, because it has not set up anything to pull down all it has set up. Opposition and rebellion depend on property and liberty. They can only be tolerated where other rights have been allowed to strike root, besides the central right of the ruler.  Those rights must be protected by a morality which even the ruler will hesitate to defy. The critic of the State can only exist where a religious sense of right protects his claims to his own bow and spear; or at least, to his own pen or his own printing-press. It is absurd to suppose that he could borrow the royal pen to advocate regicide or use the Government printing-presses to expose the corruption of the Government. Yet it is the whole point of Socialism, the whole case for Socialism, that unless all printing-presses are Government printing-presses, printers may be oppressed.  Everything is staked on the State's justice; it is putting all the eggs in one basket.  Many of them will be rotten eggs; but even then you will not be allowed to use them at political elections.

-- G.K. Chesterton: The Outline of Sanity (1927)

[Florestan]

-- G.K. Chesterton: The Outline of Sanity (1927)

Amen!

[Wakefield]

"You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him to find it within himself."

I found this attributed to Galileo Galilei in Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy. Probably, he took it from How to Win Friends and Influence People (1935) by Dale Carnegie; also paraphrased as "You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him to find it for himself."

According Wikiquote, attributions to Galileo are found as early as 1882: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Galileo_Galilei

[NikF]

"If I were reading a book and happened to strike a wonderful passage I would close the book then and there and go for a walk. I hated the thought of coming to the end of a good book. I would tease it along, delay the inevitable as long as possible, But always, when I hit a great passage, I would stop reading immediately. Out I would go, rain, hail, snow or ice, and chew the cud."

― Henry Miller, Plexus

[Florestan]

At a distance, one learns only about the first artists, and often one contents oneself with their names. But if one comes closer to this sky of stars, and those of second and third size too begin to twinkle, and each stands out as belonging to the whole constellation, then the world seems wide, and art rich. --- Goethe

[North Star]

Mr. Winston Churchill presents his compliments to Mr. Winston Churchill, and begs to draw his attention to a matter which concerns them both. He has learnt from the Press notices that Mr. Winston Churchill proposes to bring out another novel, entitled Richard Carvel, which is certain to have a considerable sale both in England and America. Mr. Winston Churchill is also the author of a novel now being published in serial form in Macmillan's Magazine, and for which he anticipates some sale both in England and America. He also proposes to publish on the 1st of October another military chronicle on the Soudan War. He has no doubt that Mr. Winston Churchill will recognise from this letter -- if indeed by no other means -- that there is grave danger of his works being mistaken for those of Mr. Winston Churchill. He feels sure that Mr. Wiston Churchill desires this as little as he does himself. In future to avoid mistakes as far as possible, Mr. Winston Churchill has decided to sign all published articles, stories, or other works, 'Winston Spencer Churchill,' and not 'Winston Churchill' as formerly. He trusts that this arrangement will commend itself to Mr. Winston Churchill, and he ventures to suggest, with a view to preventing further confusion which may arise out of this extraordinary coincidence, that both Mr. Winston Churchill and Mr. Winston Churchill should insert a short note in their respective publications explaining to the public which are the works of Mr. Winston Churchill and which those of Mr. Winston Churchill. The text of this note might form a subject for future discussion if Mr. Winston Churchill agrees with Mr. Winston Churchill's proposition. He takes this occasion of complimenting Mr. Winston Churchill upon the style and success of his works, which are always brought to his notice whether in magazine or book form, and he trusts that Mr. Winston Churchill has derived equal pleasure from any work of his that may have attracted his attention.

Mr. Winston Churchill is extremely grateful to Mr. Winston Churchill for bringing forward a subject which has given Mr. Winston Churchill much anxiety. Mr. Winston Churchill appreciates the courtesy of Mr. Winston Churchill in adopting the name of "Winston Spencer Churchill" in his books, articles, etc. Mr. Winston Churchill makes haste to add that, had he possessed any other names, he would certainly have adopted one of them

[North Star]

The greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world is to see something, and tell what it saw in a plain way. Hundreds of people can talk for one who can think, but thousands can think for one who can see. To see clearly is poetry, prophecy, and religion, — all in one.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

"To enjoy and give enjoyment, without injury to yourself or others; this is true morality." - Nicolas Chamfort

(read one minute ago on Forbes.com --- thank Jens for that!  )

Ha! Was that the commercial-wall-insight? I'm so glad they had to offer a good one.

[Wakefield]

Coming soon:

https://youtu.be/UW8Zyt8SF_U

"Life doesn't imitate art, it imitates bad television."
-- Woody Allen