Salomon saith, There is no new thing upon the earth. So that as Plato had an imagination, that all knowledge was but remembrance; so Salomon giveth his sentence, that all novelty is but oblivion.
Francis BaconRead
For no man can forbid the spark nor tell whence it may come.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that creativity and inspiration are uncontrollable forces that cannot be restricted or predicted.
Francis Bacon's quote reflects the idea that the origin of inspiration and genius is mysterious and beyond the control of individuals. It implies that while one cannot dictate how or when a moment of creative insight will occur, it is a vital and inevitable spark that can emerge from anywhere, reminding us of the unpredictable nature of human thought and innovation.
Themes
CreativityInspirationSparkControlGenius
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared in a motivational speech about nurturing creativity in children.
More from Francis Bacon
All quotes →Nothing doth more hurt in a state than that cunning men pass for wise.
Francis BaconRead
Truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion.
Francis BaconRead
Great art is always a way of concentrating, reinventing what is called fact, what we know of our existence- a reconcentration… tearing away the veils, the attitudes people acquire of their time and earlier time. Really good artists tear down those veils
Francis BaconRead
Wise men make more opportunities than they find.
Francis BaconRead
Knowledge and human power are synonymous.
Francis BaconRead
Similar quotes
We worship perfection because we can't have it; if we had it, we would reject it. Perfection is inhuman, because humanity is imperfect.
Fernando PessoaRead
A good working definition of fanaticism is that you are so convinced of your views and policies that you are sure that anyone who opposed them must be either stupid and decieved or have some ulterior motive. We are today a nation where almost everyone in the public eye displays fanaticism with every utterance.
Orson Scott CardRead
I have never conceived that having been in public life required me to belie my sentiments, or to conceal them. Opinion and the just maintenance of it shall never be a crime in my view, nor bring injury on the individual. I never will by any word or act, bow to the shrine of intolerance. I never had an opinion in politics or religion which I was afraid to own; a reserve on these subjects might have procured me more esteem from some people, but less from myself.
Thomas JeffersonRead
One day the absurdity of the almost universal human belief in the slavery of other animals will be palpable. We shall then have discovered our souls and become worthier of sharing this planet with them.
Martin Luther King, Jr.Read
I dreamed: I am the fish whose flesh is eaten, and because I am fat, it is good.
Philip K. DickRead
People react differently to hearing 'Procedure X has a 70 percent chance of survival' and 'Procedure Y has a 30 percent chance of death.' Phrased that way, people flock to Procedure X, even though the numbers are the same.
Paul KalanithiRead