Parents are usually more careful to bestow knowledge on their children rather than virtue, the art of speaking well rather than doing well; but their manners should be of the greatest concern.
Only the free-wheeling artist-explorer, non-academic, scientist-philosopher, mechanic, economist-poet who has never waited for patron-starting and accrediting of his co-ordinate capabilities holds the prime initiative today.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True innovators do not wait for approval or validation to pursue their creative visions.
This quote by R. Buckminster Fuller emphasizes the importance of self-initiative and the ability to explore, create, and innovate without seeking external validation or traditional credentials. It speaks to the essence of creativity and the value of a multidisciplinary approach, suggesting that true progress comes from those who bravely navigate their own paths in various fields rather than conforming to established norms.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about pursuing careers in the arts, one might use this quote to inspire students to follow their passions without waiting for approval.
More from R. Buckminster Fuller
All quotes →There is no such thing as genius, some children are just less damaged than others.
The end move in politics is always to pick up a gun.
I have spent most of my life unlearning things that were proved not to be true
The earth is like a spaceship that didn't come with an operating manual.
Nature is trying very hard to make us succeed, but nature does not depend on us. We are not the only experiment.
Similar quotes
I don't know why you'd want to say your work comes from nature, because art is related to perception, not nature. All abstract artists try to tell you that what they do comes from nature, and I'm always trying to tell you that what I do is completely abstract. We're both saying something we want to be true.
Making social comment is an artificial place for an artist to start from. If an artist is touched by some social condition, what the artist creates will reflect that, but you can't force it.
Imagination helps the realism of every detail, and only sees the beauties of the work.
I could spend my whole life photographing circuses. They combine everything I'm interested in - they're ironic, poetic, and corny at the same time. There's also something about a circus that's magical, sentimental, and almost tragic, like a Fellini film.
I was captured by music at a really early age. I was really captured by it. Everything about it. It was my mother… It was my father… It was my play thing. It was my toy. It was the best thing in my life.
No poet, no artist of any art, has his complete meaning alone.