We must not seek to abstract from the busts of the great Greeks and Romans rules for the visible form of genius as long as we cannot contrast them with Greek blockheads.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- We shouldn't model genius on ancient statues unless we compare them to average people.
- In plain terms
- Don't judge genius by old statues without context.
- What can you take from it?
- Compare greats to the average.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who is your comparison for excellence?
- Is genius comparable?
Another view
Statues capture timeless ideals worth studying.
More from Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
We live in a world in which one fool makes many fools but one wise man only a few wise men.
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Permalink to quote #162 Those who never have time do least.
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