First sight Quote by Arthur Koestler
“We find in the history of ideas mutations which do not seem to correspond to any obvious need, and at first sight appear as mere playful whimsies such as Apollonius' work on conic sections, or the non-Euclidean geometries, whose practical value became apparent only later.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Sleepwalkers, 1959
Ideas often arise without clear purpose, later revealing unexpected practical value.
In simple terms: Ideas can start as playful whims and later become useful.
Key Takeaway
Embrace curiosity and explore ideas even without immediate need.
Themes
creativity
serendipity
innovation
Mood
curious
optimistic
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- research
- artistic experimentation
- technology development
- educational curricula
Key Concepts
epistemology
historical development
unintended consequences
Questions to Reflect On
- What seemingly frivolous idea could become vital later?
- How can we foster environments that value playful exploration?
A Different Perspective
Not all whimsical ideas become useful; many remain dead ends.
![“And we [The Futurist artists] must invent dynamic designs to go with them and express them in equally dynamic shapes: triangles, cones, spirals, ellipses, circles, etc.” quote by Giacomo Balla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e15/giacomo-balla-70920_art_and-we-the-futurist-artists-must-invent_1063434.jpg)
![“p.61 He [Roark] was usually disliked, from the first sight of his face, anywhere he went. His face was closed like the door of a safety vault; things locked in safety vaults are valuable; men did not care to feel that. He was a cold, disquieting presence in the room; his presence had a strange…” quote by Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/576/ayn-rand-59_care_p-61-he-roark-was-usually-disliked-from_38338.jpg)
