A Quote by Johann Kaspar Lavater

True genius repeats itself forever, and never repeats itself--one ever varied sense beams novelty and unity on all.

Johann Kaspar Lavater

Quote Topics

Ever Forever Genius Itself Never Novelty Repeats Sense True True Genius Unity Varied

Quote Author

Johann Kaspar Lavater
German - Theologian
November 15, 1741 - January 2, 1801

"The Universe repeats itself, with the possible exception of history." Of all earthly studies history is the only one that does not repeat itself. ... Astronomy repeats itself; botany repeats itself; trigonometry repeats itself; mechanics repeats itself; compound long division repeats itself. Every sum if worked out in the same way at any time will bring out the same answer. ... A great many moderns say that history is a science; if so it occupies a solitary and splendid elevation among the sciences; it is the only science the conclusions of which are always wrong.

Gilbert K. Chesterton

"History repeats itself" and "History never repeats itself" are about equally true ... We never know enough about the infinitely complex circumstances of any past event to prophesy the future by analogy.