I account him no common, shallow being, inasmuch as it is…
““I account him no common, shallow being, inasmuch as it is an undisputed fact that he is never found on soundings, or near shores; all other whales sometimes are. He is both ponderous and profound. And I am convinced that from the heads of all ponderous profound beings, such as Plato, Pyrrho, the Devil, Jupiter, Dante, and so on, there always goes up a certain semi-visible steam, while in the act of thinking deep thoughts. While composing a little treatise on Eternity, I had the curiosity to place a mirror before me; and ere long saw reflected there, a curious involved worming and undulation in the atmosphere over my head. The invariable moisture of my hair, while plunged in deep thought, after six cups of hot tea in my thin shingled attic, of an August noon;””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The passage satuses the elusive, profound nature of great thinkers, likening them to a massive, deep whale that surfaces only in moments of intense contemplation.
In simple terms: Great minds are rare and deep, appearing only when thinking deeply.
Key Takeaway
Seek depth in thought, not surface appearances.
Themes
philosophy
creativity
depth
solitude
imagination
Mood
reflective
curious
introspective
Type
literary
philosophical
metaphorical
When to use this quote
- academic research
- creative writing
- philosophical contemplation
- solitary study
Key Concepts
Metaphor
existentialism
introspection
literary all
Questions to Reflect On
- How does solitude affect your creative process?
- What does “deep thought” look like in everyday life?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may over‑romanticize isolation, ignoring collaborative benefits.