Who said “Gaiety --a quality of ordinary men. Genius always presupposes some disorder in the…”?

Verified

Denis Diderot. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceElements of Physiology (1875), “Diseases"

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“Gaiety --a quality of ordinary men. Genius always presupposes some disorder in the machine.”
— Denis Diderot
VerifiedElements of Physiology (1875), “Diseases" · evidenceHappiness

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Elements of Physiology (1875), “Diseases".

APA

Diderot, D. (n.d.). Gaiety --a quality of ordinary men. Genius always presupposes some disorder in the machine. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/20951-gaiety-a-quality-of-ordinary-men-genius-always/

MLA

Diderot, Denis. “Gaiety --a quality of ordinary men. Genius always presupposes some disorder in the machine.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/20951-gaiety-a-quality-of-ordinary-men-genius-always/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Diderot, Denis. “Gaiety --a quality of ordinary men. Genius always presupposes some disorder in the machine.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/20951-gaiety-a-quality-of-ordinary-men-genius-always/.

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