It is the mark of a great man that he puts to flight all ordinary calculations. He is at once sublime and touching, childlike and of the race of giants.
• Part I, ch. XV
• Part I, ch. XV
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Le propre d’un grand homme est de dérouter les calculs ordinaires. Il est sublime et attendrissant, naïf et gigantesque.
— Honoré de Balzac
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Le propre d’un grand homme est de dérouter les calculs ordinaires. Il est sublime et attendrissant, naïf et gigantesque." in the context of "It is the mark of a great man that he puts to flight all ordinary calculations. He is at once sublime and touching, childlike and of the race of giants.
• Part I, ch. XV" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Honoré de Balzac" (Quotes, Letters of Two Brides (1841-1842))
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac (20 May 1799 – 18 August 1850) was a French novelist. Along with Flaubert, he is generally regarded as a founding father of realism in European literature.
About Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac (20 May 1799 – 18 August 1850) was a French novelist. Along with Flaubert, he is generally regarded as a founding father of realism in European literature.
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