Artist Quote by Walter Isaacson
“Leonardo da Vinci was comfortable being illegitimate, gay, a misfit, a heretic. But he also respected other people. He didn't get into disputations. He was a genius but he had a certain humility. In his notebooks you see lists of people he wanted to grill about things like how the water diversions in Milan work; he was always interested in learning from other people.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Leonardo da Vinci, Biography by Walter Isaacson, 2017
Leonardo embraced his unconventional identity and remained humble, valuing learning from others without engaging in arguments.
In simple terms: He was humble, curious, and respected others despite being different.
Key Takeaway
Embrace humility and curiosity while respecting others.
Themes
humility
curiosity
respect
identity
learning
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
biographical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- artistic collaboration
- academic research
- personal growth
- conflict avoidance
Key Concepts
Renaissance
self‑acceptance
intellectual humility
Questions to Reflect On
- How does humility affect your willingness to question norms?
- In what ways can curiosity improve relationships?
A Different Perspective
His humility may have limited his willingness to challenge prevailing ideas.
![“He bores me. He ought to have stuck to his flying machine. [On Leonardo Da Vinci]” quote by Pierre-Auguste Renoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bc2/pierre-auguste-renoir-7064_art_he-bores-me-he-ought-to-have-stuck-to-hi_1535272.jpg)
