Control Quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
““That is quite another thing," said Albert; "because a man under the influence of violent passion loses all power of reflection, and is regarded as intoxicated or insane." "Oh! you people of sound understandings," I replied, smiling, "are ever ready to exclaim 'Extravagance, and madness, and intoxication!' You moral men are so calm and so subdued! You abhor the drunken man, and detest the extravagant; you pass by, like the Levite, and thank God, like the Pharisee, that you are not like one of them. I have been more than once intoxicated, my passions have always bordered on extravagance: I am not ashamed to confess it; for I have learned, by my own experience, that all extraordinary men, who have accomplished great and astonishing actions, have ever been decried by the world as drunken or insane. And in private life, too, is it not intolerable that no one can undertake the execution of a noble or generous deed, without giving rise to the exclamation that the doer is intoxicated or mad? Shame upon you, ye sages!””
About This Quote
Source Play: Faust, 1808
The speaker criticizes society’s condemnation of passionate, unconventional behavior, equating it with madness while praising extraordinary achievements.
In simple terms: Society often labels brilliance as madness.
Value originality over conformity.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- artistic expression
- innovative projects
- personal risk taking
- challenging norms
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- When does passion become harmful?
- How can society better support unconventional thinkers?
The quote may romanticize reckless behavior.