Art Quote by Tennessee Williams
“Luxury is the wolf at the door and its fangs are the vanities and conceits germinated by success. When an artist learns this, he knows where the danger is.”
About This Quote
Source Play: A Streetcar Named Desire, 1947
Success breeds vanity; artists must recognize this danger to stay authentic.
In simple terms: Success can create vanity that threatens artistic integrity.
Key Takeaway
Stay aware of ego when achieving success.
Themes
art
success
vanity
authenticity
Mood
cautionary
thoughtful
Type
advisory
inspirational
When to use this quote
- career advancement
- artistic projects
- public recognition
- teaching
- mentoring
Key Concepts
psychology
creative integrity
ego management
Questions to Reflect On
- What signs show vanity creeping into your work?
- How can you maintain humility amid success?
A Different Perspective
Focusing solely on ego may ignore external pressures that also threaten authenticity.
![“Luxury is dangerous to people who have never known it and to whom its temptations are held out too suddenly. [...] Just as the advantage of culture is that it enables you to talk nonsense with distinction, so the habit of luxury allows you to regard its frills and furbelows with a proper…” quote by W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3d8/w-somerset-maugham-237_quote_luxury-is-dangerous-to-people-who-have-n_1262444.jpg)
