A conceptual visual of the posthumous genius, akin to running a race where the person is so far ahead of the present-day competition, that he or she is competing against of species of humans that "do not yet exist" as Nietzsche (1888) famously put things. |
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”— Greek proverb (c.300BC) (Ѻ)
“An so, wise men, you are not men of your times; you are men of the future, the precursors of future reason. It is not wealth, nor honour, nor vulgar applause that you should aim for: it is immortality.”— Baron d’Holbach (1770), Essay on the Prejudices [5]
“Let them speak of immortality to intrepid and noble souls; let them show it as the price of their labors to energetic minds, who, springing forward beyond the boundaries of their actual existence, are little satisfied with eliciting the admiration and with gaining the love of their contemporaries, but are determined also to wrest the homage, to secure the affection of future races. Indeed, there is an immortality to which genius, talents, virtue, have a just right to pretend; do not therefore let them censure or endeavour to stifle so noble a passion in man, which is founded upon his nature, and from which society gathers the most advantageous fruits.”— Baron d’Holbach (1770), The System of Nature (pg. 133)
“It is for them that he plants the tree which his eyes will never behold in its vigor.”— Baron d’Holbach (1770), The System of Nature (pg. 133)
“My books [e.g. Moral Motion, 1789] should be translated into Latin and buried to escape anticipated censorship and suppression.”— John Stewart (c.1820)
“It is the not the present age, but a remote future, which he himself will never see, that can and will do justice to his intentions.”— Ludwig Buchner (1884), Preface to 15th edition of Force and Matter (pg. xiii)
“These remarks [from Solger to Tieck] were written as early as 1809. I should then have been much cheered to hear so kind a word about Elective Affinties; for at that time, and afterwards, not many pleasant remarks were vouchsafed be about that novel.”— Johann Goethe (1827), comment to Johann Eckermann; on Solger speaking of the fine nature of the Architect’s character, Jan 18 [1]
“It is difficult to overestimate the value of Goethe’s work to humanity. The bequest which he left to the world in his writings, and in the whole intellectual result of his life, is not as yet appreciated at its full worth; because, intellectually, the world has not yet caught up to him. His influence today asserts itself in a hundred minute ways—even where no one suspects it. The century has received the stamp and impress of his mighty personality. The intellectual currents of the age, swelled and amplified by later tributaries, flow today in the directions which Goethe indicated.”— Hjalmar Boyesen (1885), The Life of Goethe
“Beauty is said to be a fatal gift to women, and it may be added that genius is a fatal gift to men; they are born before their time and out of harmony with the things about them.”— Edward Trelawny (1878), “Commentary on Percy Shelley” (see: posthumous genius); in: Records of Shelley, Byron, and the Author, Volume One (pg. xvi) [1]
“My time has not yet come, some people are born posthumously. I write for a species of men that do not yet exist.”Sudanese-born American philosopher Monydit Malieth, citing this quote, claims that somewhere Nietzsche prophesied that his words would not begin to be understood until after the year 2000. [2]
“It seems that I have always been ahead of my time.”— Nikola Tesla (c.1930), comment to George Sylverster Viereck (1884-1862) (Ѻ)(Ѻ)
“Maybe someday kids, in the future, instead of or in addition to learning 1 + 1 = 2, will learn something like molecule A + molecule B = married couple? Ha ha, it’s just a thought, but wouldn’t it be funny if it were true?”— Natalia Duncan (c.2004), review of draft version of Cessation Thermodynamics; quote recalled [2015] from memory
“A book 60-80 years ahead of its time. In the future, Thims will be someone who’s talked about in classrooms as this guy who had this idea. However, now, yes the book will sell, but its premise will not be accepted by people of this generation.”— Monzer Ettawil (2005), review (Ѻ) of 72-page draft version of Cessation Thermodynamics, May 7
“I must say, I started watching your videos over a year ago, and have re-watched many. And they still fascinate me. I’m only 17 and I’m seriously considering doing a degree in chemistry after watching your videos. The only downside is not many people I know can have a conversation about the things you’re talking about. You were right your videos are decades if not a century in front of its time.”— Benjamin Cresdee (2011), comment on Human Chemistry 101 YouTube channel
“Sadly logic barely has any significance amongst a swarm of imbeciles. Some people are doomed to feel like an alien.”— Torandrius (2011), commentary on Libb Thims' HumanChemistry101 YouTube channel (Ѻ)
“It would appear almost an act of folly, in pretending to uproot that ancient Upas-tree of religious superstition, under the poisonous shade of which mankind has been for ages accustomed to repose, and the roots of which are so widespread and profound.”— Charles Dupuis (c.1794), cited as views in agreement with by 1872 English translator
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”— Greek proverb (c.300BC) (Ѻ)
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