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Jean Cocteau Quotes (1889-1963)
Poet, Painter, Novelist
About Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice EugΓ¨ne ClΓ©ment Cocteau (5 July 1889 β 11 October 1963) was a French poet, novelist, painter, and filmmaker.
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Explore our curated collection of the most famous and impactful Jean Cocteau quotes.
βHasten slowly. Run faster than beauty.β
βFind first, seek later.β
βCompromise yourself. Obscure your own trail.β
βIt is not I who become addicted, it is my body.β
βA prig always finds a last refuge in responsibility.β
βWhat the public criticizes in you, cultivate. It is you.β
βBe helpful, even if it compromises you.β
βHe who is affected by an insult is infected by it.β
βConsider metaphysics as an extension of the physical.β
βKnow that your work speaks only to those on the same wavelength as you.β
βMirrors would do well to reflect a little more before sending back images.β
Jean Cocteau Quotes by Topic
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Jean Cocteau on Poets 2 quotes
βThe worst fate of a poet is to be admired without being understood.β
Jean Cocteau on Human sexual activity
βThe prettiest dresses are worn to be taken off.β
Jean Cocteau on Fashion
βStyle is a simple way of saying complicated things.β
Jean Cocteau on Deflation
Jean Cocteau on Pauperism
Jean Cocteau on Ethics
βPoetry is an ethic. By ethic I mean a secret code of behavior, a discipline constructed and conducted according to the capabilities of a man who rejects the falsifications of the categorical imperative.β
Jean Cocteau on Categorical imperative
βPoetry is an ethic. By ethic I mean a secret code of behavior, a discipline constructed and conducted according to the capabilities of a man who rejects the falsifications of the categorical imperative.β
What Jean Cocteau Said About Others
Discover personal opinions Jean Cocteau shared regarding contemporaries.
Jean Cocteau on Orson Welles 2 quotes
βOrson Welles is a poet through his violence and through his grace. Never does he tumble from the tightrope on which he crosses cities and their dramas. [...] His handshake is as firm as he is and I think of it each time my work obliges me to leap over an obstacle.β
Jean Cocteau on Victor Hugo
Jean Cocteau on Klaus Kinski
βYour face is that of a child, but your expression is hard at the same time. It changes from one to the other in an instant. I have never seen such a face.β
Quotes About Jean Cocteau
Gain deeper perspective through quotes about Jean Cocteau from others.
Edith Wharton on Jean Cocteau
Misattributed Quotes
Quotes mistakenly credited to Jean Cocteau
βOriginality consists in trying to be like everybody else β and failing.β
About Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice EugΓ¨ne ClΓ©ment Cocteau (5 July 1889 β 11 October 1963) was a French poet, novelist, painter, and filmmaker.