"The few bad poems which occasionally are created during abstinence are of no great interest"
- Wilhelm Reich
About this Quote
This quote by Wilhelm Reich is referring to the concept that abstaining from innovative activities can result in a lack of motivation and imagination. He is recommending that when one avoid innovative activities, the couple of poems that are produced are not of fantastic interest. This could be translated as a warning to those who are innovative to not avoid their imaginative activities, as it might lead to a lack of motivation and imagination. Reich is suggesting that imagination is something that needs to be supported and cultivated in order to produce interesting and significant work. He is also suggesting that abstaining from imaginative activities can result in an absence of motivation and imagination, which the couple of poems produced throughout abstinence are not of great interest. This quote is a pointer to those who are innovative to not take their creativity for given, and to support and cultivate it in order to produce interesting and significant work.
"To be really great in little things, to be truly noble and heroic in the insipid details of everyday life, is a virtue so rare as to be worthy of canonization"
"Having soon discovered to be great, I must appear so, and therefore studiously avoided mixing in society, and wrapped myself in mystery, devoting my time to fasting and prayer"