The common idea that success spoils people by making them vain, egotistic and self-complacent is erroneous; on the contrary it makes them, for the most part, humble, tolerant and kind.
W. Somerset MaughamRead
Art for art's sake makes no more sense than gin for gin's sake.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that art should have purpose and meaning, just like one doesn't drink gin without a reason.
W. Somerset Maugham's quote critiques the notion of creating art solely for the sake of art, highlighting that, similar to consuming alcohol, art should serve a higher purpose or intention. It invites a deeper consideration of the motivations behind artistic expression, implying that art should resonate with something beyond its mere existence.
Themes
ArtPurposeExpressionMeaningCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the role of art in society during a lecture.
More from W. Somerset Maugham
All quotes βCronshaw stopped for a moment to drink. He had pondered for twenty years the problem whether he loved liquor because it made him talk or whether he loved conversation because it made him thirsty.
W. Somerset MaughamRead
Are you sure you can prevent yourself from falling in love one of these days? Such things do happen, you know, even to the most prudent men.' Simon gave him a strange, one might even have thought a hostile, look. I should tear it out of my heart as I'd wrench out of my mouth a rotten tooth.
W. Somerset MaughamRead
I don't think of the past. The only thing that matters is the everlasting present.
W. Somerset MaughamRead
The world is quickly bored by the recital of misfortune, and willing avoids the sight of distress.
W. Somerset MaughamRead
There in the mist, enormous, majestic, silent and terrible, stood the Great Wall of China. Solitarily, with the indifference of nature herself, it crept up the mountain side and slipped down to the depth of the valley.
W. Somerset MaughamRead
Similar quotes
Beauty is a form of Genius--is higher, indeed, than Genius, as it needs no explanation. It is one of the great facts of the world, like sunlight, or springtime, or the reflection in the dark waters of that silver shell we call the moon. It cannot be questioned. It has divine right of sovereignty. It makes princes of those who have it.
Oscar WildeRead
That's the thing about fiction writers: what seems alarming or particular or perverse about them is simply the shape of their brain - they cannot be otherwise.
Zadie SmithRead
The stars fell one by one into his eyes and burnt.
Frank O'HaraRead
What distinguishes modern art from the art of other ages is criticism.
Octavio PazRead
The thing about my music is, there really is no point.
Neil YoungRead
Folk melodies are the embodiment of an artistic perfection of the highest order; in fact, they are models of the way in which a musical idea can be expressed with utmost perfection in terms of brevity of form and simplicity of means.
Bela BartokRead