Cognition reigns but does not rule. Paul Valery More Quotes by Paul Valery More Quotes From Paul Valery Do you not realise that dance is the pure act of metamorphosis? Paul Valery metamorphosis realising dance The "determinist" swears that if we knew everything we should also be able to deduce and foretell the conduct of every man in every circumstance, and that is obvious enough. But the expression "know everything" means nothing. Paul Valery expression men mean Advertising has annihilated the power of the most powerful adjectives. Paul Valery advertising adjectives powerful A businessman is a hybrid of a dancer and a calculator. Paul Valery hybridity dancer reality Poe is the only impeccable writer. He was never mistaken. Paul Valery impeccable mistaken Whatever we succeed in doing is a transformation of something we have failed to do. Thus, when we fail, it is only because we have given up. Paul Valery transformation succeed failure Man is only man at the surface. Remove the skin, dissect, and immediately you come to machinery. Paul Valery surface skins men Two dangers constantly threaten the world: order and disorder. Paul Valery two order world A work is never completed except by some accident such as weariness, satisfaction, the need to deliver, or death: for, in relation to who or what is making it, it can only be one stage in a series of inner transformations. Paul Valery satisfaction death needs Power without abuse loses its charm. Paul Valery charm abuse loses Freedom of mind and mind itself have been most fully developed in regions where trade developed at the same time. In all ages, without exception, every intense production of art, ideas, and spiritual values has occurred in some locality where a remarkable degree of economic activity was also manifest. Paul Valery spiritual ideas art History is the most dangerous product evolved from the chemistry of the intellect. ...History will justify anything. It teaches precisely nothing, for it contains everything and furnishes examples of everything. Paul Valery chemistry example history There is a difference if we see something with a pencil in our hand or without one. Paul Valery differences writing hands Science is feasible when the variables are few and can be enumerated; when their combinations are distinct and clear. We are tending toward the condition of science and aspiring to do it. The artist works out his own formulas; the interest of science lies in the art of making science. Paul Valery science lying art In the physical world, one cannot increase the size or quantity of anything without changing its quality. Similar figures exist only in pure geometry. Paul Valery quality math world Thought must be hidden in the verse like nutritional virtue in a fruit. Paul Valery fruit poetry art Talent without genius isn't much, but genius without talent is nothing whatsoever. Paul Valery talent genius A really free mind is scarcely attached to its opinions. If the mind cannot help giving birth to ... emotions and affections which at first appear to be inseparable from them, it reacts against these intimate phenomena it experiences against its will. Paul Valery mind giving firsts We must always apologize for talking painting. Paul Valery apologizing expression talking It seems to me that the soul, when alone with itself and speaking to itself, uses only a small number of words, none of them extraordinary. Paul Valery small-numbers soul use
