Quote

A transposable aphorism is a malaise of the urge to be witty, or in other words, a maxim that is untroubled by the fact that the opposite of what it says is equally true so long as it appears to be funny.

Umberto Eco

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Umberto Eco
Age: 84 †
Born: 1932
Born: January 5
Died: 2016
Died: February 19
Essayist
Historian
Literary Critic
Literary Scholar
Medievalist
Novelist
Pedagogue
Philosopher
Screenwriter
Semiotician
Translator
Lissändria
Umberto Ecco
Umberto Eccounstino
Humberto Eco
Dedalus
Umberto Eko
Oumperto Eko
Eco Umberto
U. Eco
Funny
Urges
Words
Appears
Facts
Equally
Untroubled
True
Witty
Malaise
Long
Opposite
Aphorism
Opposites
Maxim
Says
Maxims
Fact
Urge

More quotes by Umberto Eco

Image
How beautiful was the spectacle of nature not yet touched by the often perverse wisdom of man!
Umberto Eco
Image
A dream is a scripture, and many scriptures are nothing but dreams.
Umberto Eco
Image
The question of manuscript changes is very important for literary criticism, the psychology of creation and other aspects of the study of literature.
Umberto Eco
Image
But the purpose of a story is to teach and to please at once, and what it teaches is how to recognize the snares of the world.
Umberto Eco
Image
When one starts writing a book, especially a novel, even the humblest person in the world hopes to become Homer.
Umberto Eco
Image
It takes a little time, but the pleasures of cooking begin before the pleasures of the palate, and preparing means anticipating.
Umberto Eco
Image
I have a good memory. But I would be interested in memory even if I had a bad memory, because I believe that memory is our soul. If we lose our memory completely, we are without a soul.
Umberto Eco
Image
Someone said that patriotism is the last refuge of cowards those without moral principles usually wrap a flag around themselves, and those bastards always talk about the purity of race.
Umberto Eco
Image
Whenever a poet or preacher, chief or wizard spouts gibberish, the human race spends centuries deciphering the message.
Umberto Eco
Image
In the United States, politics is a profession, whereas in Europe it is a right and a duty .
Umberto Eco
Image
Conspiracies and all the theories of conspiracy are a part of the canon of fakes. And I'm involved, in all of my writings, the theoretical ones as well as the novels, with the production of fakes.
Umberto Eco
Image
What we honor as prudence in our elders is simply panic in action.
Umberto Eco
Image
History is rich with adventurous men, long on charisma, with a highly developed instinct for their own interests, who have pursued personal power - bypassing parliaments and constitutions, distributing favours to their minions, and conflating their own desires with the interests of the community.
Umberto Eco
Image
I always assume that a good book is more intelligent than its author. It can say things that the writer is not aware of.
Umberto Eco
Image
There is only one thing that you write for yourself, and that is a shopping list.
Umberto Eco
Image
After years of practice, I can walk into a bookstore and understand its layout in a few seconds. I can glance at the spine of a book and make a good guess at its content from a number of signs.
Umberto Eco
Image
With all of its defects, the global market makes war less likely, even between the USA and China.
Umberto Eco
Image
He who falls in love in bars doesn't need a woman all his own. He can always find one on loan.
Umberto Eco
Image
New Orleans is not in the grip of a neurosis of a denied past it passes out memories generously like a great lord it doesn't have to pursue the real thing.
Umberto Eco
Image
The cultivated person's first duty is to be always prepared to rewrite the encyclopedia.
Umberto Eco