Genius is not a single power, but a combination of great powers. It reasons, but it is not reasoning; it judges, but it is not judgment; it imagines,… - Edwin Percy Whipple

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Genius is not a single power, but a combination of great powers. It reasons, but it is not reasoning; it judges, but it is not judgment; it imagines, but it is not imagination; it feels deeply and fiercely, but it is not passion. It is neither, because it is all. It is another name for the perfection of human nature, for Genius is not a fact but an ideal. It is nothing less than the possession of all the powers and impulses of humanity, in their greatest possible strength and most harmonious combination; and the genius of any particular man is great in proportion as he approaches this ideal of universal genius.

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About Edwin Percy Whipple

Edwin Percy Whipple (March 8, 1819 – June 16, 1886) was a literary critic and essayist from Massachusetts.

Also Known As

Alternative Names: Edwin P. Whipple

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