You can t, in sound morals, condemn a man for taking care of his own integrity. It is his clear duty. And least of all can you condemn an artist pursuing, however humbly and imperfectly, a creative aim. In that interior world where his thought and his emotions go seeking for the experience of imagined adventures, there are no policemen, no law, no pressure of circumstance or dread of opinion to keep him within bounds. Who then is going to say Nay to his temptations if not his conscience?

Summary

This quote highlights the importance of allowing individuals, particularly artists, to pursue their creative aims without judgment or condemnation. It argues that it is morally wrong to criticize someone for prioritizing their own integrity and following their artistic inspirations. In the realm of imagination and creative pursuits, there should be no external constraints like societal pressures or opinions. Instead, it suggests that artists rely on their own conscience to navigate the boundaries of their work, as there are no authorities regulating their inner world of exploration and self-expression.

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