“Nothing so closely approaches a grand style as turgid nonsense: the ridiculous is one of the extremes of the subtle.”
Rien n'est si voisin du haut style que le galimatias: le ridicule est une des extrémités du subtil.
Socrate Chrétien, Discours X.
Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 202.
Socrate Chrétien (1662)
Original
Rien n'est si voisin du haut style que le galimatias: le ridicule est une des extrémités du subtil.
Socrate Chrétien (1662)
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Jean-Louis Guez de Balzac 8
French author, best known for his epistolary essays 1597–1654Related quotes

“No one can say which approach is the right one — so no one can say how close we are to a solution.”
On developing a unification of quantum theory, relativity and classical physics, "Conversation with Martin Rees" at the Templeton Foundation (1 June 2012) https://www.templeton.org/who-we-are/media-room/video-and-audio/conversation-with-martin-rees

Alternative translation: Subtle and insubstantial, the expert leaves no trace; divinely mysterious, he is inaudible. Thus he is master of his enemy's fate.
Alternative translation: O divine art of subtlety and secrecy! Through you we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible and hence we can hold the enemy's fate in our hands.
The Art of War, Chapter VI · Weaknesses and Strengths
Context: Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate.

(zh-TW) 微乎微乎,至於無形;神乎神乎,至於無聲;故能為敵之司命。
Alternative translation: Subtle and insubstantial, the expert leaves no trace; divinely mysterious, he is inaudible. Thus he is master of his enemy's fate.
Alternative translation: O divine art of subtlety and secrecy! Through you we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible and hence we can hold the enemy's fate in our hands.
The Art of War, Chapter VI · Weaknesses and Strengths

“In politics, being ridiculous is more damaging than being extreme.”
Evening Standard, 9 May 1989
Quote, 1922; from Bouillon 2006, p. 89; as cited on Wikipedia: Maurice Denis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Denis - reference [35]
1921 and later