Creativity and problem-solving
The first and last thing demanded of genius is love of truth.
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832), Maxims and Reflections (1833), Maxim 382, trans. Stopp

Creativity and problem-solving

What it means

Whatever else genius requires, it must begin and end with honesty. Brilliant work that is not true does not last.

About the author

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe — German writer and polymath (1749–1832).

Source and verification

Source
Maxims and Reflections (1833), Maxim 382, trans. Stopp
Reference
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe on Wikiquote
Checked
Wording and source taken from the sourced section of the author’s Wikiquote page, which cites the work given here (accessed 2026-10-11).
Copyright
Public domain: the author died in 1832. This English translation (Stopp) may still be in copyright; it is quoted briefly with attribution.

The explanation above is ToDoMatriX’s own reading of the quote, not the author’s words.

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