--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Art is one of man's few serious activities." description: "\"Art is one of man's few serious activities.\" — Austin O'Malley" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/austin-o-malley-1805_activities_art-is-one-of-man-s-few-serious-activiti_516953.jpg" --- # Art is one of man's few serious activities. ![“Art is one of man's few serious activities.” quote by Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/austin-o-malley-1805_activities_art-is-one-of-man-s-few-serious-activiti_516953.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/austin-o-malley-1805_activities_art-is-one-of-man-s-few-serious-activiti_516953.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/austin-o-malley-1805_activities_art-is-one-of-man-s-few-serious-activiti_516953.jpg) > “Art is one of man's few serious activities.” [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art is a rare, profound pursuit that gives meaning to human life. **In simple terms:** Art is a serious, meaningful activity. Key Takeaway Value art as a vital human practice. Themes creativity meaning humanism Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical cultural When to use this quote - personal growth - education - community projects - mental health therapy Key Concepts Aesthetics existential purpose Questions to Reflect On - How does art shape your sense of purpose? - What barriers prevent you from engaging with art? A Different Perspective Art may be inaccessible to some due to socioeconomic barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [It is not what a man does that is of final importance, but what he is in what he does. The atmosphere produced by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/it-is-not-what-a-man-does-that-is-of-final-importance-but-what-he-is/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [To the best of my knowledge, when I became national secretary and, indeed, Victorian secretary, the - my predecessors in the union had detected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/to-the-best-of-my-knowledge-when-i-became-national-secretary-and/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [The swing of art is circular, from form to formalism, from formalism to formlessness, from formlessness to form again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/the-swing-of-art-is-circular-from-form-to-formalism-from-formalism-to/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [Art is a human activity consisting in this, that one man consciously, by means of certain external signs, hands on to others feelings he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/art-is-a-human-activity-consisting-in-this-that-one-man-consciously/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Art is the highest task and the proper metaphysical activity of this life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/art-is-the-highest-task-and-the-proper-metaphysical-activity-of-this/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [A game played with serious problems. That's what art is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-schwitters/a-game-played-with-serious-problems-that-s-what-art-is/) [Kurt Schwitters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-schwitters/) > [Reasonably accurate appraisal of one's own capabilities is, therefore, of considerable value in successful functioning. Large misjudgments of personal efficacy in either direction have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bandura/reasonably-accurate-appraisal-of-one-s-own-capabilities-is-therefore/) [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) > [The philosophy that I have worked under most of my life is that the serious study of natural history is an activity which has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-tory-peterson/the-philosophy-that-i-have-worked-under-most-of-my-life-is-that-the/) [Roger Tory Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-tory-peterson/) > [Although humans tend to view sex as mainly a fun recreational activity sometimes resulting in death, in nature it is a far more serious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/although-humans-tend-to-view-sex-as-mainly-a-fun-recreational/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Man's most serious activity is play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/man-s-most-serious-activity-is-play/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [I love downtown Seattle. It's a city that has all of the outdoor activities and is still a very cosmopolitan city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-lemond/i-love-downtown-seattle-it-s-a-city-that-has-all-of-the-outdoor/) [Greg LeMond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-lemond/) > [A day at the beach with my kids is one of the least relaxing activities I can think of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-morocco/a-day-at-the-beach-with-my-kids-is-one-of-the-least-relaxing/) [Chris Morocco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-morocco/) > [I was pursuing the arts with theater in school, and I was doing after-school activities, but not in any real movement towards a professional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/i-was-pursuing-the-arts-with-theater-in-school-and-i-was-doing-after/) [Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/) > [The activities that went on at Camp King between 1946 and the late 1950s have never been fully accounted for by either the Department…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/the-activities-that-went-on-at-camp-king-between-1946-and-the-late/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [“Doing activities that you love to do, even a few minutes a day, can help you experience more flow, improve your well-being, and help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-e-smith/doing-activities-that-you-love-to-do-even-a-few-minutes-a-day-can/) [Laurie E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-e-smith/) ## More by Austin O'Malley > [Sermons are like pie-crust, the shorter the better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/sermons-are-like-pie-crust-the-shorter-the-better/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [You can swim in life and seawater, but both are hard to swallow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/you-can-swim-in-life-and-seawater-but-both-are-hard-to-swallow/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [Law is the rudder of the ship of state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/law-is-the-rudder-of-the-ship-of-state/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [A woman, like a cross-eyed man, looks one way, but goes another--hence her mysteriousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/a-woman-like-a-cross-eyed-man-looks-one-way-but-goes-another-hence/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [Religion often gets credit for curing rascals when old age is the real medicine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/religion-often-gets-credit-for-curing-rascals-when-old-age-is-the/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [Charity is the note that resolves the discord.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/charity-is-the-note-that-resolves-the-discord/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [We must be laid like a brand in the fire ... if we would gain immortal youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/we-must-be-laid-like-a-brand-in-the-fire-if-we-would-gain-immortal/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [If you snub Conscience a few times she will cut your acquaintance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/if-you-snub-conscience-a-few-times-she-will-cut-your-acquaintance/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [A hole is nothing at all, but you can break your neck in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/a-hole-is-nothing-at-all-but-you-can-break-your-neck-in-it/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [A drunkard is like a whiskey-bottle, all neck and belly and no head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/a-drunkard-is-like-a-whiskey-bottle-all-neck-and-belly-and-no-head/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [Power should answer by action, not by speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/power-should-answer-by-action-not-by-speech/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [Charity is the only lubricant that keeps the axle of the world creaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/charity-is-the-only-lubricant-that-keeps-the-axle-of-the-world/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [Reason clears and plants the wilderness of the imagination to harvest the wheat of art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/reason-clears-and-plants-the-wilderness-of-the-imagination-to-harvest/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [Some men are like a church-organ -- you can play on them for a lifetime and always find new harmonies; others are like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/some-men-are-like-a-church-organ-you-can-play-on-them-for-a-lifetime/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [Laws are made by the old, exceptions by the young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/laws-are-made-by-the-old-exceptions-by-the-young/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) [Explore all 207 Austin O'Malley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) ## More Activities quotes > [“Doing activities that you love to do, even a few minutes a day, can help you experience more flow, improve your well-being, and help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-e-smith/doing-activities-that-you-love-to-do-even-a-few-minutes-a-day-can/) [Laurie E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-e-smith/) > [The activities that went on at Camp King between 1946 and the late 1950s have never been fully accounted for by either the Department…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/the-activities-that-went-on-at-camp-king-between-1946-and-the-late/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [I was pursuing the arts with theater in school, and I was doing after-school activities, but not in any real movement towards a professional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/i-was-pursuing-the-arts-with-theater-in-school-and-i-was-doing-after/) [Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/) > [A day at the beach with my kids is one of the least relaxing activities I can think of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-morocco/a-day-at-the-beach-with-my-kids-is-one-of-the-least-relaxing/) [Chris Morocco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-morocco/) > [I love downtown Seattle. It's a city that has all of the outdoor activities and is still a very cosmopolitan city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-lemond/i-love-downtown-seattle-it-s-a-city-that-has-all-of-the-outdoor/) [Greg LeMond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-lemond/) > [We didn't discuss Covid at home and did activities like Tik Tok to divert our minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuzvendra-chahal/we-didn-t-discuss-covid-at-home-and-did-activities-like-tik-tok-to/) [Yuzvendra Chahal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuzvendra-chahal/) > [The United Nations will be at the heart of our international activities. France will assume its full responsibilities at the Security Council by putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-hollande/the-united-nations-will-be-at-the-heart-of-our-international/) [Francois Hollande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-hollande/) > [In my spare time, I volunteer at my daughters' schools so I can stay involved with the activities and parent/teacher community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belinda-johnson/in-my-spare-time-i-volunteer-at-my-daughters-schools-so-i-can-stay/) [Belinda Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belinda-johnson/) > [“Society has got a lot of activities and attractions to steal your time and to make you think less about your diminishing life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/society-has-got-a-lot-of-activities-and-attractions-to-steal-your/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [I had never been much for outdoor activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-blake/i-had-never-been-much-for-outdoor-activities/) [Amanda Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-blake/) > [At Natura, we have long been committed to measure and improve the impacts of our activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guilherme-leal/at-natura-we-have-long-been-committed-to-measure-and-improve-the/) [Guilherme Leal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guilherme-leal/) > [There is much more to schools than buildings. There are academic activities, how it reaches the community and its proximity to other programs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-warner/there-is-much-more-to-schools-than-buildings-there-are-academic/) [John Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-warner/) > [To the best of my knowledge, when I became national secretary and, indeed, Victorian secretary, the - my predecessors in the union had detected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/to-the-best-of-my-knowledge-when-i-became-national-secretary-and/) [Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/) > [Activism could be defined as activities engaged in by individuals to change there of others situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-edwards/activism-could-be-defined-as-activities-engaged-in-by-individuals-to/) [Ben Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-edwards/) > [Sin may result from activities that begin innocently or that are perfectly legitimate in moderation, but in excess they can cause us to veer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-wirthlin/sin-may-result-from-activities-that-begin-innocently-or-that-are/) [Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/) Browse all 215 Activities quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Art is one of man's few serious activities.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Austin O'Malley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/art-is-one-of-man-s-few-serious-activities/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Activities" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/art-is-one-of-man-s-few-serious-activities/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/austin-o-malley-1805_activities_art-is-one-of-man-s-few-serious-activiti_516953.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/austin-o-malley-1805_activities_art-is-one-of-man-s-few-serious-activiti_516953.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8db/austin-o-malley-1805_activities_art-is-one-of-man-s-few-serious-activiti_516953.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Art is one of man's few serious activities.” — Austin O'Malley", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Austin O'Malley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Art is one of man's few...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/art-is-one-of-man-s-few-serious-activities/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/art-is-one-of-man-s-few-serious-activities/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```