No great mind without a touch of madness.

What it means

Seneca credits this to Aristotle while arguing that a mind must sometimes be stirred to say anything great. Brilliance often comes with a little wildness. Give yourself room to be inspired, then let reason edit.

The source

"No great mind without a touch of madness." Aristotle, quoted by Seneca said it in On Tranquility of Mind 17.10. Translated from the original Latin by Spartan Surfers.

"nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae fuit"

Original Latin, On Tranquility of Mind 17.10. Text read at thelatinlibrary.com.

Who said it

Seneca (c. 4 BC–65 AD). Stoic philosopher, playwright and adviser to the emperor Nero. His letters to his friend Lucilius are the most readable handbook of Stoicism ever written.

Questions

What does "No great mind without a touch of madness." mean?

Seneca credits this to Aristotle while arguing that a mind must sometimes be stirred to say anything great. Brilliance often comes with a little wildness. Give yourself room to be inspired, then let reason edit.

Who said "No great mind without a touch of madness."?

Aristotle, quoted by Seneca (c. 4 BC–65 AD). Source: On Tranquility of Mind 17.10.

What is the original Latin?

nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae fuit. Translated from the original Latin by Spartan Surfers.

Is "No great mind without a touch of madness." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"No great mind without a touch of madness." (Aristotle, quoted by Seneca, On Tranquility of Mind 17.10, translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/no-great-mind-without-a-touch-of-madness