And if, as all philosophers on the subject have noted, art is a human activity that relies on the senses to reach the soul, did it not also stand to reason that dogs -- at least dogs of Mr. Bones' caliber -- would have it in them to feel a similar aesthetic impulse? Would they not, in other words, be able to appreciate art? As far as Willy knew, no one had ever thought of this before. Did that make him the first man in recorded history to believe such a thing was possible? No matter. It was an idea whose time had come. If dogs were beyond the pull of oil paintings and string quartets, who was to say they wouldn't respond to an art based on the sense of smell? Why not an olfactory art? Why not an art for dogs that dealt with the world as dogs knew it? .Paul Auster
About This Quote
If dogs could feel, they would appreciate the same things we do. They would be able to smell, hear and taste just like we can. If dogs were capable of feeling, they would understand art more than we can imagine. In this quote, William Shatner is discussing the idea of dogs being able to appreciate art.
He is suggesting that if dogs could feel, they would respond to art more than any other animal out there on the planet. He also mentions that dogs could have a similar aesthetic impulse as humans and that he believes no one has ever thought of this before.
Source: Timbuktu
Some Similar Quotes
- All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart.
- It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.
- It’s important that what thoughts you are feeding into your mind because your thoughts create your belief and experiences. You have positive thoughts and you have negative ones too. Nurture your mind with positive thoughts: kindness, empathy, compassion, peace, love, joy, humility, generosity, etc. The...
- Men build too many walls and not enough bridges.
- Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.
More Quotes By Paul Auster
- I had jumped off the edge, and then, at the very last moment, something reached out and caught me in midair. That something is what I define as love. It is the one thing that can stop a man from falling, powerful enough to negate...
- I felt the taste of mortality in my mouth, and at that moment I understood that I was not going to live forever. It takes a long time to learn that, but when you finally do, everything changes inside you, you can never be the...
- Deep down, I don’t believe it takes any special talent for a person to lift himself off the ground and hover in the air. We all have it in us–every man, woman, and child–and with enough hard work and concentration, every human being is capable...
- As long as a man had the courage to reject what society told him to do, he could live life on his own terms. To what end? To be free. But free to what end? To read books, to write books, to think.
- The truth of the story lies in the details.