--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Genius has to pass over madness and…" description: "\"Genius has to pass over madness and madness over genius\" — Salvador Dali" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/salvador-dali-2350_genius_genius-has-to-pass-over-madness-and-madn_946130.png" --- # Genius has to pass over madness and madness over genius ![“Genius has to pass over madness and madness over genius” quote by Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/salvador-dali-2350_genius_genius-has-to-pass-over-madness-and-madn_946130.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/salvador-dali-2350_genius_genius-has-to-pass-over-madness-and-madn_946130.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/salvador-dali-2350_genius_genius-has-to-pass-over-madness-and-madn_946130.png) > “Genius has to pass over madness and madness over genius” [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creativity often walks the line between genius and madness, each feeding the other. **In simple terms:** Great art can be both brilliant and chaotic. Key Takeaway Embrace the tension between order and chaos. Themes creativity duality psychology Mood introspective enigmatic Type philosophical artistic When to use this quote - painting - writing - innovation - mental health therapy Key Concepts madness genius inspiration Questions to Reflect On - When does madness become destructive? - How to channel chaos constructively? A Different Perspective Excessive chaos can hinder productive output. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madness/) [Madness Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madness-genius/) ## Related quotes > [“No man is normal without a tinge of madness in him! Madness in a person is a sign of intelligence, whoever they are. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fahad-basheer/no-man-is-normal-without-a-tinge-of-madness-in-him-madness-in-a/) [Fahad Basheer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fahad-basheer/) > [“Some internal process held him rapt. He had begun, perhaps, to map the paths inside himself which led to the Past. This gave him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-john-harrison/some-internal-process-held-him-rapt-he-had-begun-perhaps-to-map-the/) [M. John Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-john-harrison/) > [“Success requires a bit of sanity and a lot of madness. I’m all in on the madness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-bekoe/success-requires-a-bit-of-sanity-and-a-lot-of-madness-i-m-all-in-on/) [Marion Bekoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-bekoe/) > [I call to mind flatness and dampness; and then all is madness - the madness of a memory which busies itself among forbidden things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/i-call-to-mind-flatness-and-dampness-and-then-all-is-madness-the/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [Madness is no madness when shared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/madness-is-no-madness-when-shared/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius. And its better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring, And when it comes to it, I let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn/imperfection-is-beauty-madness-is-genius-and-its-better-to-be/) [Marilyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn/) > [Imperfection is Beauty, Madness is Genius, and it's better to be Absolutely Ridiculous then Absolutely Boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/imperfection-is-beauty-madness-is-genius-and-it-s-better-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It is sheer madness sometimes, but often, madness is needed to separate the winners from the losers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-gunzburg/it-is-sheer-madness-sometimes-but-often-madness-is-needed-to-separate/) [Ari Gunzburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-gunzburg/) > [“Have you noticed that all your foundations are completely mired in madness? (..) 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Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-g-jung/) > [So when you find yourself locked onto an unpleasant train of thought, heading for the places in your past where the screaming is unbearable,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/so-when-you-find-yourself-locked-onto-an-unpleasant-train-of-thought/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [“When Kafka allows a friend to understand that he writes because otherwise he would go mad, he knows that writing is madness already, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-blanchot/when-kafka-allows-a-friend-to-understand-that-he-writes-because/) [Maurice Blanchot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-blanchot/) > [“There is no cure for madness except the madness as the cure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-kalwar/there-is-no-cure-for-madness-except-the-madness-as-the-cure/) [Santosh Kalwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-kalwar/) > [Some are born mad, some achieve madness, and some have madness thrust upon 'em.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilie-autumn/some-are-born-mad-some-achieve-madness-and-some-have-madness-thrust/) [Emilie Autumn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilie-autumn/) > [I think the big danger of madness is not madness itself, but the habit of madness. What I discovered during the time I spent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-think-the-big-danger-of-madness-is-not-madness-itself-but-the-habit/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It takes madness to find out madness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gregory/it-takes-madness-to-find-out-madness/) [Lady Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gregory/) ## More by Salvador Dali > [Since I don't smoke, I decided to grow a mustache - it is better for the health. However, I always carried a jewel-studded cigarette…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/since-i-don-t-smoke-i-decided-to-grow-a-mustache-it-is-better-for-the/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [There is only one difference between a madman and me. The madman thinks he is sane. I know I am mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/there-is-only-one-difference-between-a-madman-and-me-the-madman/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/those-who-do-not-want-to-imitate-anything-produce-nothing/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [Someone like myself, who claimed to be a real madman, living and organized with a Pythagorean precision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/someone-like-myself-who-claimed-to-be-a-real-madman-living-and/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [I seated ugliness on my knee, and almost immediately grew tired of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/i-seated-ugliness-on-my-knee-and-almost-immediately-grew-tired-of-it/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [Great wine requires a mad man to grow the vine, a wise man to watch over it, a lucid poet to make it, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/great-wine-requires-a-mad-man-to-grow-the-vine-a-wise-man-to-watch/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [Liking money like I like it, is nothing less than mysticism. Money is a glory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/liking-money-like-i-like-it-is-nothing-less-than-mysticism-money-is-a/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [Instead of stubbornly attempting to use surrealism for purposes of subversion, it is necessary to try to make of surrealism something as solid, complete…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/instead-of-stubbornly-attempting-to-use-surrealism-for-purposes-of/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [It is mostly with your blood, Gala that I paint my pictures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/it-is-mostly-with-your-blood-gala-that-i-paint-my-pictures/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napoleon. And my ambition has been growing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/at-the-age-of-six-i-wanted-to-be-a-cook-at-seven-i-wanted-to-be/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [To be interesting, one has to provoke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/to-be-interesting-one-has-to-provoke/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [Beauty should be edible, or not at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/beauty-should-be-edible-or-not-at-all/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [The thermometer of success is merely the jealousy of the malcontents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/the-thermometer-of-success-is-merely-the-jealousy-of-the-malcontents/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [Democratic governments are not suited to the publication of the thunderous revelations I am in the habit of making. The unpublished parts will appear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/democratic-governments-are-not-suited-to-the-publication-of-the/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) > [Without hesitation, I place Freud among the heroes. He dispossessed the Jewish people of the greatest and most influential of all heroes-Moses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/without-hesitation-i-place-freud-among-the-heroes-he-dispossessed-the/) [Salvador Dali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) [Explore all 153 Salvador Dali quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/) ## More Genius quotes > [“If people fully understand you, they will think of you as a normal, if they half understand you, will think of you as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/if-people-fully-understand-you-they-will-think-of-you-as-a-normal-if/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Woman, in short, has an unconscious life, man a conscious life, and the genius the most conscious life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/woman-in-short-has-an-unconscious-life-man-a-conscious-life-and-the/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [The truth is I've just never had any kind of plan at all for my career, which is probably not a very flattering thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/the-truth-is-i-ve-just-never-had-any-kind-of-plan-at-all-for-my/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [What we shall need is not geniuses, or cynics, or misanthropes, or clever tacticians, but plain, honest, straghtforward men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/what-we-shall-need-is-not-geniuses-or-cynics-or-misanthropes-or/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I have known many chess players, but among them there has been only one genius - Capablanca!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-lasker/i-have-known-many-chess-players-but-among-them-there-has-been-only/) [Emanuel Lasker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-lasker/) > [A time will come when the science of destruction shall bend before the arts of peace; when the genius which multiplies our powers, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-arago/a-time-will-come-when-the-science-of-destruction-shall-bend-before/) [Francois Arago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-arago/) > [One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius; and the feminine situation has up to the present rendered this becoming practically impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/one-is-not-born-a-genius-one-becomes-a-genius-and-the-feminine/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [The beginning of genius is being scared shitless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/the-beginning-of-genius-is-being-scared-shitless/) [Louis-Ferdinand Celine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/) > [Treason implies responsibility for something, control over something, influence upon something, knowledge of something. Treason in our time is a proof of genius. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/treason-implies-responsibility-for-something-control-over-something/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/mediocrity-knows-nothing-higher-than-itself-but-talent-instantly/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [With the proper training, I could've been an evil genius.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/with-the-proper-training-i-could-ve-been-an-evil-genius/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [Never try to judge any one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajat-dogra/never-try-to-judge-any-one/) [Rajat Dogra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajat-dogra/) > [“genius is a path that we can all take and derive much benefit, happiness, fulfillment, and success from...not a genetic windfall or divine gift.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-patrick/genius-is-a-path-that-we-can-all-take-and-derive-much-benefit/) [Sean Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-patrick/) [Browse all 5,125 Genius quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Genius has to pass over madness and madness over genius", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Salvador Dali" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/genius-has-to-pass-over-madness-and-madness-over-genius/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Genius" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/genius-has-to-pass-over-madness-and-madness-over-genius/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/salvador-dali-2350_genius_genius-has-to-pass-over-madness-and-madn_946130.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/salvador-dali-2350_genius_genius-has-to-pass-over-madness-and-madn_946130.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/salvador-dali-2350_genius_genius-has-to-pass-over-madness-and-madn_946130.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Genius has to pass over madness and madness over genius” — Salvador Dali", "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": "Salvador Dali", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salvador-dali/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Genius has to pass over madness...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/genius-has-to-pass-over-madness-and-madness-over-genius/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-dali/genius-has-to-pass-over-madness-and-madness-over-genius/#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 } } ] } ```