Talent without genius isn't much, but genius without talent is nothing whatsoever. Paul Valery More Quotes by Paul Valery More Quotes From Paul Valery The folly of mistaking oneself for an oracle is built right into us. Paul Valery oraclesfollyoneself The folly of mistaking a paradox for a discovery, a metaphor for a proof, a torrent of verbiage for a spring of capital truths, and oneself for an oracle, is inborn in us. Paul Valery honestytruthspring To write regular verses destroys an infinite number of fine possibilities, but at the same time it suggests a multitude of distant and totally unexpected thoughts. Paul Valery unexpectedwritingnumbers What Degas called 'a way of seeing' must consequently bear a wide enough interpretation to include way of being, power, knowledge, and will. Paul Valery degasbearsway Collect all the facts that can be collected about the life of Racine and you will never learn from them the art of his verse. All criticism is dominated by the outworn theory that the man is the cause of the work as in the eyes of the law the criminal is the cause of the crime. Far rather are they both the effects. Paul Valery eyemenart The history of thought may be summed up in these words: it is absurd by what it seeks and great by what it finds. Paul Valery absurdmay Cognition reigns but does not rule. Paul Valery cognitionreigndoe The wind is rising ... we must attempt to live. Paul Valery risingwind Stupidity is not my strong suit. Paul Valery suitsstupiditystrong Liberty is the hardest test that one can inflict on a people. To know how to be free is not given equally to all men and all nations. Paul Valery equalitymenpeople What golden hour of life, what glittering moment will ever equal the pain its loss can cause? Paul Valery goldenpainloss Latent in every man is a venom of amazing bitterness, a black resentment; something that curses and loathes life, a feeling of being trapped, of having trusted and been fooled, of being helpless prey to impotent rage, blind surrender, the victim of a savage, ruthless power that gives and takes away, enlists a man, drops him, promises and betrays, and -crowning injury- inflicts on him the humiliation of feeling sorry for himself. Paul Valery sorrygivingmen Love is acting stupid together. Paul Valery actingstupidlove-is The mere notion of photography, when we introduce it into our meditation on the genesis of historical knowledge and its true value, suggests the simple question: Could such and such a fact, as it is narrated here, have been photographed? Paul Valery historical-knowledgephotographysimple Man cannot bear his own portrait. The image of his limits and his own determinacy exasperates him, drives him mad. Paul Valery portraitsmadmen From the moment that photography appeared, the descriptive genre began to invade Letters... In verse as in prose the décor and exterior aspects of life took an almost excessive place. Paul Valery momentsphotographyletters ...in song the words tend to lose their significance, do often lose it, while at the other extreme, in current prose it is the musical value that tends to disappear - so that verse stands symmetrically, as it were, between song, on the one hand, and prose on the other - and is thus admirably and delicately balanced between the sensual and the intellectual power of language. Paul Valery musicalsonghands In most cases, when the lion, weary of obeying its master, has torn and devoured him, its nerves are pacified and it looks round for another master before whom to grovel. Paul Valery lionsnerveslooks The commerce of minds was necessarily the first commerce in the world, ... since before bartering things one must barter signs, and it is necessary therefore that signs be instituted.There is no market or exchange without language. The first instrument of all commerce is language. Paul Valery mindworldfirsts Whoever wants to accomplish great things must devote to a lot of profound thought to details. Paul Valery detailsinspirationalprofound
