That which is not slightly distorted lacks sensible appeal; from which it follows that irregularity β that is to say, the unexpected, surprise and astonishment, are a essential part and characteristic of beauty.
Charles BaudelaireRead
Oh, Creator! Can monsters exist in the sight of him who alone knows how they were invented, how they invented themselves, and how they might not have invented themselves?
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the nature of creation and existence, questioning how beings with monstrous characteristics come into being.
In this thought-provoking quote, Baudelaire grapples with the paradox of creation and existence, pondering the idea that a higher creator or force may understand the complexities of existence, including the origins of both monstrous beings and the potential for self-creation. It invites contemplation of the nature of good and evil, as well as the limitations of human understanding regarding the forces at play in the universe.
Themes
CreationExistenceMonstersPhilosophyUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
During a philosophical discussion about morality and existence, one might use this quote to illustrate the complexity of understanding creation and self-identity.
More from Charles Baudelaire
All quotes βThe dance can reveal everything mysterious that is hidden in music, and it has the additional merit of being human and palpable. Dancing is poetry with arms and legs.
Charles BaudelaireRead
Who among us has not dreamt, in moments of ambition, of the miracle of a poetic prose, musical without rhythm and rhyme, supple and staccato enough to adapt to the lyrical stirrings of the soul, the undulations of dreams, and sudden leaps of consciousness.
Charles BaudelaireRead
There is no sweeter pleasure than to surprise a man by giving him more than he hopes for.
Charles BaudelaireRead
The priest is an immense being because he makes the crowd believe astonishing things.
Charles BaudelaireRead
I consider it useless and tedious to represent what exists, because nothing that exists satisfies me. Nature is ugly, and I prefer the monsters of my fancy to what is positively trivial.
Charles BaudelaireRead
Similar quotes
Men often oppose a thing merely because they have had no agency in planning it, or because it may have been planned by those whom they dislike.
Alexander HamiltonRead
I wish to say what I think and feel today, with the proviso that tomorrow perhaps I shall contradict it all.
Ralph Waldo EmersonRead
No mother would ever willingly sacrifice her sons for territorial gain, for economic advantage, for ideology.
Ronald ReaganRead
Avoid flatterers, for they are thieves in disguise.
William PennRead
When you start to think of revenge, you start to think of hate. I don't believe in hating people. It's a retrogressive thing.
Fela KutiRead
This demand follows from an insight that I was the first to articulate: that there are no moral facts.
Friedrich NietzscheRead