Joseph Conrad 
Some Reminiscences [EPUB ebook] 

Since the beginning of time, sound has had more power than sense. Mankind should be more impressionable than reflective. Of course, the accent needs to be corrected. the large lung, the resonant, or the delicate vocal cords. He wrote down ideas, proverbs, and musings on ivory tablets, which fate has preserved for posterity. This is more of a private concern, affecting the individual who created the work, and maybe hinted at in a book when a private remark is written in the margin of a public page. No artist can be blamed for being afraid to take a risk that only fools race to take and only geniuses dare to take on without consequence. If the outward manifestation of feeling does not change, it will inevitably fade into disdain or contempt. Even at the expense of success, having a sense of decency is simply having a sense of one's own dignity, which is inextricably linked to the dignity of one's profession. All objectives are acceptable, with the exception of those that capitalize on human suffering or credulity. Ambitions in the arts and sciences are acceptable, even when they go above and beyond the bounds of cautious sanity. Even worse for the artist if they are insane. It's not insane to strive to go further.