The union of the mathematician with the poet, fervor with measure, passion with correctness, this surely is the ideal.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The ideal state combines the passion of a poet with the precision of a mathematician.
- In plain terms
- You need both feeling and accuracy to be truly great.
- What can you take from it?
- Balance passion with precision in your work.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you balance passion and precision?
- Is one trait more important than the other?
Another view
This ignores those who excel by specializing in just one trait.
More from William James
Real culture lives by sympathies and admirations, not by dislikes and disdain - under all misleading wrappings it pounces unerringly upon the human core.
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