Beauty Quote by Kenneth Clark
““At certain epochs, man has felt conscious of something about himself - body and spirit - which was outside the day-to-day struggle for existence and the night-to-night struggle with fear; and he has felt the need to develop these qualities of thought and feeling so that they might approach as nearly as possible to an ideal of perfection - reason, justice, physical beauty, all of them in equilibrium. He has managed to satisfy this need in various ways - through myths, through dance and song, through systems of philosophy and through the order that he has imposed upon the visible world.””
About This Quote
Source Lecture: Human Aspirations and Ideals, 1972
Humans seek to develop thought and feeling toward an ideal balance of reason, justice, and beauty, using myths, arts, philosophy, and order.
In simple terms: People strive for balanced perfection.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate balanced ideals.
Themes
philosophy
art
humanism
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
philosophical
cultural
When to use this quote
- education
- creative arts
- community building
Key Concepts
reason
justice
beauty
balance
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you define personal perfection?
- Which medium best expresses your ideals?
A Different Perspective
Ideal balance may be unattainable.
![“Everyone becomes equally conscious of his body as a separate and complete organism, [but] everyone does not become equally conscious of himself as a complete and separate personality. The feeling of apartness from others comes to most with puberty, but it is not always developed to such a degree…” quote by W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d15/w-somerset-maugham-237_football-match_everyone-becomes-equally-conscious-of-hi_3048461.jpg)
