Lucretius Quotes

There are two kinds of people in the world: Johnny Von Neumann and the rest of us.

Men are like the stars; some generate their own light while others reflect the brilliance they receive.

By and large, talent is in such short supply that mediocrity can be taken for brilliance rather more than genius can go undiscovered.

People who are exceptionally intelligent are often lonely because there are few people as intelligent as them. I have two little children, and everyone says: 'I hope they're doing well in school. I hope they're bright.' And I think: 'Why would anyone want their children to be the brightest?' Academia is a lonely world.

I am an Epicurean. I consider the genuine (not the imputed) doctrines of Epicurus as containing everything rational in moral philosophy which Greek and Roman leave to us.

The ordinary man casts a shadow in a way we do not quite understand. The man of genius casts light.

There are only Epicureans, either crude or refined; Christ was the most refined.

Talent is a flame. Genius is a fire.

Men of genius are not be analyzed by commonplace rules.

Genius does not herd with genius.

Lights of the world, and stars of human race.

Some were brilliant bordering on genius. Others, genius bordering on madness

Pleasure is in itself a good; nay, even setting aside immunity from pain, the only good.

Genius is not so much a light as it is a constant awareness of the surrounding gloom.

Intellect is a fire; rash and pitiless it melts this wonderful bone-house which is called man. Genius even, as it is the greatestgood, is the greatest harm.

when you think you've got hold of a genius ... you can't be sure whether it's a spark of the divine fire or a mere flash in the pan.

Genius, in one respect, is like gold; numbers of persons are constantly writing about both, who have neither.

The proportion of genius to the vulgar is like one to a million.

Genius is a light which makes the darkness visible, like the lightning's flash, which perchance shatters the temple of knowledge itself.

We measure genius by quality, not by quantity.

It is only occasional that talent becomes genius - radiating sparks, brilliance, energy, and charismatic magnetism... such a talent was Janis Joplin.

Whatever good you would do out of fear of punishment, or hope of reward hereafter, the Atheist would do simply because it is good; and being so, he would receive the far surer and more certain reward, springing from well-doing, which would constitute his pleasure, and promote his happiness.

There is no genius free from some tincture of madness

Pleasure is our first and kindred good. It is the starting point of every choice and of every aversion, and to it we always come back, inasmuch as we make feeling the rule by which to judge of every good thing.

Genius, whether locked up in a cell or roaming at large, is always solitary.