I saw that everything famous and beautiful in the world, if we judge by the descriptions and drawings of writers and artists, always loses when we go to see it and examine it closely.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Famous and beautiful things often disappoint when experienced directly compared to their representations.
- In plain terms
- Real life rarely matches the idealized versions created by artists and writers.
- What can you take from it?
- Manage expectations by recognizing that reality often falls short of art.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Do you prefer the idea of a place or the place itself?
- How does art shape your view of reality?
Another view
Some physical experiences exceed what can be captured in descriptions or drawings.
More from Giacomo Casanova
Great God, and you witnesses of my death, I have lived as a philosopher, and I die as a Christian.
Permalink to quote #4 The 'Laforgue edition' (1826-1838), heavily rewritten and censored:
Permalink to quote #1 I will begin with this confession: whatever I have done in the course of my life, whether it be good or evil, has been done freely; I am a free agent.
Permalink to quote #5
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