To emphasize only the beautiful seems to me to be like a

Hearken to the words of Paul Klee, master of color and imagination, who declared: “To emphasize only the beautiful seems to me to be like a mathematical system that only concerns itself with positive numbers.” In this utterance lies wisdom profound, for he reminds us that life, like art, is not whole when it gazes only upon the light. To deny the shadows is to deny the very truth of existence, just as a mathematician who counts only the positive numbers neglects half the universe of thought.

For beauty is not found in sweetness alone. It is sharpened by contrast, revealed by its neighbor, the harsh and the sorrowful. Without pain, joy cannot be truly known. Without darkness, light does not blaze. Without suffering, compassion cannot bloom. Klee speaks not only to the artist, but to every soul: if you embrace only what pleases the eye, you blind yourself to the deeper harmony that arises when all things, bright and dark, are woven together.

Consider the story of Vincent van Gogh, whose life was tormented by loneliness, poverty, and despair. His canvases do not hide his anguish; they burn with it, and because of this, they pierce the soul. His beauty was not in false perfection, but in the raw honesty of colors that trembled with both agony and awe. Had he painted only the gentle and serene, the world would never have known the fierce light of “Starry Night” or the aching tenderness of his sunflowers. His art was complete because it held both wound and wonder.

So too in history we see this truth. Think of Abraham Lincoln, who bore the weight of civil war. He did not offer his people only bright promises; he spoke honestly of sacrifice, of sorrow, of the blood that must be shed to birth a freer nation. His greatness was not in denying suffering, but in acknowledging it and still pointing toward hope. In this way, his leadership mirrored Klee’s wisdom: that one must embrace the whole equation of life, not only its positive numbers, but also its debts and burdens.

The meaning of the quote is this: to create truth—whether in art, in life, or in leadership—we must not turn away from the broken, the bitter, the tragic. For these too belong to the fabric of existence. To seek only the beautiful is to live shallowly, but to hold both beauty and sorrow together is to live deeply. It is there, in the tension of opposites, that wisdom grows and meaning blossoms.

The lesson for us is clear: do not fear the shadows in your own life. Do not despise the struggles, the losses, the scars. They, too, are part of your design, and they give depth to the joys that follow. When you tell your story, tell it whole—not only the triumphs, but also the trials. In this way, your life will shine with authenticity, and others will draw courage from your honesty.

Practical wisdom calls us to three steps: first, when sorrow comes, do not bury it, but face it as a teacher. Second, in your art—whether it is painting, writing, speaking, or simply living—let your truth include both the bright and the dark. Third, when you look upon others, do not seek only their beauty, but also honor their scars, for these too reveal strength.

So let it be remembered: life is no single note of joy, but a symphony of light and shadow. Paul Klee’s words call us to embrace the whole, to count not only the positive numbers, but to reckon with all that existence offers. For only then do we approach wholeness, only then do we touch truth, and only then can we create lives and works that endure beyond the fleeting moment.