Gild Just One Lily

Gild Just One Lily(smashingmagazine.com)

38 points by serialx 161 days ago | 7 comments

wood_spirit 156 days ago |

Does the recent makeover of the Oval Office count as just one?

dgllghr 156 days ago | |

I think he has gilded many. Always gilded, though, never actually gold

mirawelner 156 days ago |

I like metaphors. I respect a good “run with a metaphor” post. But I feel like if you have to explain the metaphor this much during the post it’s not worth it

onraglanroad 156 days ago | |

True. This particular lily was less gilded than battered and deep fried.

stevedonovan 156 days ago | |

"This post could have been a tweet", and so on.

It's a lovely metaphor for the soulful business of doing something really well, even if there is no 'market' for that kind of quality

rf15 156 days ago | | |

Art is often its own reward.

IAmBroom 154 days ago |

The article goes to lengths to explain the saying, without ever mentioning its source... and so I assume the author also doesn't realize the common saying is a misquote. The actual quote makes a LOT more sense:

Shakespeare's King John, Act II (SALISBURY): ...To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, ...Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.

Gild all the lilies you want; artificial flowers have resale value.

But gold-plating gold? Yeah, that's just stupid.