Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Quotes About Genius

• Each indecision brings its own delays and days are lost lamenting over lost days... What you can do or think you can do, begin it. For boldness has magic, power, and genius in it.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Inspirational, Mistake, Thinking

• If children grew up according to early indications, we should have nothing but geniuses.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Children, Should Have, Childhood

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, John Oxenford (2013). “The Auto-Biography of Goethe: Truth and Poetry: From My Own Life”, p.54, Cambridge University Press

• Common sense is the genius of humanity.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Meaningful, Common Sense, Humanity

• Humor is one of the elements of genius--admirable as an adjunct; but as soon as it becomes dominant, only a surrogate for genius.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Humor, Genius, Elements

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, John Stuart Blackie (1883). “The Wisdom of Goethe”, Edinburgh, W. Blackwood

• Boldness has power, magic and genius in it.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Magic, Genius, Boldness

• Mediocrity has no greater consolation than in the thought that genius is not immortal.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Knowledge, Genius, Mediocrity

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1868). “Novels and Tales by Goethe”, p.153

• The first and last thing required of genius is the love of truth.
  [Ger., Das erste und letzte, was vom Genie gefordert wird, ist Wahreits-Liebe.]

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Genius, Lasts, Firsts

• The greatest genius will not be worth much if he pretends to draw exclusively from his own resources

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Inspirational, Genius, Resources

• It is the great triumph of genius to make the common appear novel.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Triumph, Genius, Common

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, John Stuart Blackie (1883). “The Wisdom of Goethe”, Edinburgh, W. Blackwood

• The best genius is that which absorbs and assimilates everything without doing the least violence to its fundamental destiny.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Destiny, Violence, Attention

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (2012). “The Goethe Treasury: Selected Prose and Poetry”, p.12, Courier Corporation

• Profoundness, genius, spontaneity, merit, nobility, ingenuity, voice propriety, feeling, discernment, sensibility, good taste, great tone, rightness, courtliness, vivacity, boldness, style, freshness, harmony, perfection, imagination, purity, correctness. The greatest writer of all times. God's most astonishing creation.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Religious, Voice, Imagination

• Don't dissipate your powers; strive to concentrate them. Genius thinks it can do whatever it sees others doing, but it will surely repent of every ill-judged outlay.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Power, Thinking, Focus

• First and last, what is demanded of genius is love of truth.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Love, Truth, Genius

  "Maxims and Reflections". Book by by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Maxim 382, 1833.

• Whether one show one's self a man of genius in science or compose a song, the only point is, whether the thought, the discovery, the deed, is living and can live on.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Song, Science, Men

• It is commonly the personal character of a writer which gives him his public significance. It is not imparted by his genius. Napoleon said of Corneille, "Were he living I would make him a king;" but he did not read him. He read Racine, yet he said nothing of the kind of Racine.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Kings, Character, Giving

• Beauty and Genius must be kept afar if one would avoid becoming their slave.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Genius, Afar, Becoming

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1893). “Maxims and Reflections”, p.62, Library of Alexandria

• Lose this day loitering 'Twill be the same old story, Tomorrow and the next, Even more dilatory. Whatever you would do, Or dream of doing, begin it! Boldness has power, genius, and magic in it. Begin it now.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Dream, Courage, Responsibility

• There is no greater consolation for mediocrity than that the genius is not immortal.

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  Genius, Mediocrity, Immortal

  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (2015). “Maxims and Reflections”, p.111, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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