--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Commonsense has trampled down many a…" description: "\"“Commonsense has trampled down many a gentle genius whose eyes had delighted in a too early moonbeam of some too early truth; commonsense has back-kick..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42b/vladimir-nabokov-198_too-early_commonsense-has-trampled-down-many-a-gen_2215001.jpg" --- # Commonsense has trampled down many a gentle genius whose… ![“Commonsense has trampled down many a gentle genius whose eyes had delighted in a too early moonbeam of some too early truth; commonsense has back-kicked dirt at the loveliest of queer paintings because a blue tree seemed madness to its well-meaning hoof; commonsense has prompted ugly but strong…” quote by Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42b/vladimir-nabokov-198_too-early_commonsense-has-trampled-down-many-a-gen_2215001.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42b/vladimir-nabokov-198_too-early_commonsense-has-trampled-down-many-a-gen_2215001.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42b/vladimir-nabokov-198_too-early_commonsense-has-trampled-down-many-a-gen_2215001.jpg) > ““Commonsense has trampled down many a gentle genius whose eyes had delighted in a too early moonbeam of some too early truth; commonsense has back-kicked dirt at the loveliest of queer paintings because a blue tree seemed madness to its well-meaning hoof; commonsense has prompted ugly but strong nations to crush their fair but frail neighbors the moment a gap in history offered a chance that it would have been ridiculous not to exploit.”” [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Common sense can suppress originality, misjudge unconventional art, and justify aggressive actions against weaker entities. **In simple terms:** Common sense often stifles creativity and justifies cruelty. Key Takeaway Question and protect unconventional ideas. Themes creativity conformity power ethics art Mood reflective critical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - art criticism - political strategy - personal relationships Key Concepts censorship social pressure imperialism Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance common sense with innovation? - When should we challenge prevailing norms? A Different Perspective Common sense can also preserve safety and social cohesion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Commonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commonsense/) [Commonsense Prompted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commonsense-prompted-4920362/) [Commonsense Trampled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commonsense-trampled-4920363/) [Hoof Commonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hoof-commonsense-4920364/) [Too early](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-early/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Commonsense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-commonsense-2669865/) ## Related quotes > [“You can't fight hatred with hatred and expect anyone to listen to you. You can only try to lessen it with humor, wit, truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/you-can-t-fight-hatred-with-hatred-and-expect-anyone-to-listen-to-you/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Sometimes you can’t figure out the truth because you’re asking people that are emotionally or socially invested in you to be brutally honest. Often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/sometimes-you-can-t-figure-out-the-truth-because-you-re-asking-people/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Then, after all the excitement, I shall experience a certain satiation of suffering--perhaps on the mountain pass to a kind of happiness which it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/then-after-all-the-excitement-i-shall-experience-a-certain-satiation/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [Commonsense is the realised sense of proportion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/commonsense-is-the-realised-sense-of-proportion/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It is not the homeless, mentally ill or extremely cunning people that we have to be afraid of. When someone loses everything that meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-is-not-the-homeless-mentally-ill-or-extremely-cunning-people-that/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Human was made to born with commonsense on the assumption that he looked after other living beings around him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chandrababu-vs/human-was-made-to-born-with-commonsense-on-the-assumption-that-he/) [Chandrababu VS](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chandrababu-vs/) > [“Happiness is not intelligence. You can be in a group of happy people, but they may be miles off course.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/happiness-is-not-intelligence-you-can-be-in-a-group-of-happy-people/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Be careful of living your life based only on faith and signs, or you might find yourself standing in a South American jungle holding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/be-careful-of-living-your-life-based-only-on-faith-and-signs-or-you/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Any business competition we have to be like a lion. Commonsense has taken the lion's violent animal, but the Lions have understood the meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/any-business-competition-we-have-to-be-like-a-lion-commonsense-has/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [“Never stop acquiring the commonsense, it is as good as the knowledge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/never-stop-acquiring-the-commonsense-it-is-as-good-as-the-knowledge/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Philosophy can be said to consist of three activities: to see the commonsense answer, to get yourself so deeply into the problem that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/philosophy-can-be-said-to-consist-of-three-activities-to-see-the/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [Logic is one thing and commonsense another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/logic-is-one-thing-and-commonsense-another/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [“Faith requires following the power of a whisper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/faith-requires-following-the-power-of-a-whisper/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“The only side God chooses is one of commonsense. If it doesn’t make sense; it is not God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/the-only-side-god-chooses-is-one-of-commonsense-if-it-doesn-t-make/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“If you have to convince someone to stay with you then they have already left.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/if-you-have-to-convince-someone-to-stay-with-you-then-they-have/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) ## More by Vladimir Nabokov > [And the rest is rust and stardust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/and-the-rest-is-rust-and-stardust/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [There is no science without fancy and no art without fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/there-is-no-science-without-fancy-and-no-art-without-fact/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“My solemn exasperation was to her the silence of love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/my-solemn-exasperation-was-to-her-the-silence-of-love/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [ “...under no circumstances would he \[Humbert Humbert\] have interfered with the innocence of a child, if there was the least risk of a row.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/under-no-circumstances-would-he-humbert-humbert-have-interfered-with/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/the-cradle-rocks-above-an-abyss-and-common-sense-tells-us-that-our/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“Ami azt illeti, Vannak kezdtek nagyon tetszeni a fák is, a csodák is meg az Adák is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/ami-azt-illeti-vannak-kezdtek-nagyon-tetszeni-a-f-k-is-a-csod-k-is/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [We live not only in a world of thoughts, but also in a world of things. Words without experience are meaningless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/we-live-not-only-in-a-world-of-thoughts-but-also-in-a-world-of-things/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“As palavras sem a experiência não teriam qualquer significado.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/as-palavras-sem-a-experi-ncia-n-o-teriam-qualquer-significado/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“It isn’t possible. I cannot imagine it. Come on over here, you foolish little doe, and tell me on what day I shall die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/it-isn-t-possible-i-cannot-imagine-it-come-on-over-here-you-foolish/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“Precautions to be taken in the case Of freak reincarnation: what to do On suddenly discovering that you Are now a young and vulnerable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/precautions-to-be-taken-in-the-case-of-freak-reincarnation-what-to-do/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [And this is the only immortality you and i may share, my Lolita.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/and-this-is-the-only-immortality-you-and-i-may-share-my-lolita/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“Be true to your Dick.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/be-true-to-your-dick/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“It is indeed a tricky name. It is often misspelt, because the eye tends to regard the "a" of the first syllable as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/it-is-indeed-a-tricky-name-it-is-often-misspelt-because-the-eye-tends/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“(T)here exist friendships which develop their own inner duration, their own eons of transparent time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/t-here-exist-friendships-which-develop-their-own-inner-duration-their/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [“She was all rose and honey.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/she-was-all-rose-and-honey/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) [Explore all 883 Vladimir Nabokov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) ## More Commonsense quotes > [“If you have to convince someone to stay with you then they have already left.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/if-you-have-to-convince-someone-to-stay-with-you-then-they-have/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“The only side God chooses is one of commonsense. If it doesn’t make sense; it is not God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/the-only-side-god-chooses-is-one-of-commonsense-if-it-doesn-t-make/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Faith requires following the power of a whisper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/faith-requires-following-the-power-of-a-whisper/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Logic is one thing and commonsense another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/logic-is-one-thing-and-commonsense-another/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Philosophy can be said to consist of three activities: to see the commonsense answer, to get yourself so deeply into the problem that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/philosophy-can-be-said-to-consist-of-three-activities-to-see-the/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [“Never stop acquiring the commonsense, it is as good as the knowledge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/never-stop-acquiring-the-commonsense-it-is-as-good-as-the-knowledge/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Any business competition we have to be like a lion. Commonsense has taken the lion's violent animal, but the Lions have understood the meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/any-business-competition-we-have-to-be-like-a-lion-commonsense-has/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [“Be careful of living your life based only on faith and signs, or you might find yourself standing in a South American jungle holding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/be-careful-of-living-your-life-based-only-on-faith-and-signs-or-you/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Happiness is not intelligence. You can be in a group of happy people, but they may be miles off course.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/happiness-is-not-intelligence-you-can-be-in-a-group-of-happy-people/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Human was made to born with commonsense on the assumption that he looked after other living beings around him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chandrababu-vs/human-was-made-to-born-with-commonsense-on-the-assumption-that-he/) [Chandrababu VS](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chandrababu-vs/) > [“It is not the homeless, mentally ill or extremely cunning people that we have to be afraid of. When someone loses everything that meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-is-not-the-homeless-mentally-ill-or-extremely-cunning-people-that/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Commonsense is the realised sense of proportion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/commonsense-is-the-realised-sense-of-proportion/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“Never allow yourself to become a choice in any relationship. The moment you do is when you have reduced your loved one's affections to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/never-allow-yourself-to-become-a-choice-in-any-relationship-the/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Not every person wants the prettiest, smartest, talented or spiritually uplifting person to build a life with. Sometimes we just want that special someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/not-every-person-wants-the-prettiest-smartest-talented-or-spiritually/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“We were meant to rescue each other, not cut down the forest to rescue one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/we-were-meant-to-rescue-each-other-not-cut-down-the-forest-to-rescue/) [shannon l. alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) [Browse all 57 Commonsense quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commonsense/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Commonsense has trampled down many a gentle genius whose eyes had delighted in a too early moonbeam of some too early truth; commonsense has back-kicked dirt at the loveliest of queer paintings because a blue tree seemed madness to its well-meaning hoof; commonsense has prompted ugly but strong nations to crush their fair but frail neighbors the moment a gap in history offered a chance that it would have been ridiculous not to exploit.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Vladimir Nabokov" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/commonsense-has-trampled-down-many-a-gentle-genius-whose-eyes-had/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Commonsense" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/commonsense-has-trampled-down-many-a-gentle-genius-whose-eyes-had/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42b/vladimir-nabokov-198_too-early_commonsense-has-trampled-down-many-a-gen_2215001.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42b/vladimir-nabokov-198_too-early_commonsense-has-trampled-down-many-a-gen_2215001.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42b/vladimir-nabokov-198_too-early_commonsense-has-trampled-down-many-a-gen_2215001.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Commonsense has trampled down many a gentle genius whose eyes had delighted in a too early moonbeam of some…” — Vladimir Nabokov", "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": "Vladimir Nabokov", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Commonsense has trampled down many a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/commonsense-has-trampled-down-many-a-gentle-genius-whose-eyes-had/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/commonsense-has-trampled-down-many-a-gentle-genius-whose-eyes-had/#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 } } ] } ```