27 September 2013 - QA 5

If appreciating a work of art or literature is emotional, i.e., it moves a person, then isn’t it more emotional than cerebral?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Literature cannot be emotional only. If it is only mushy-mushy, then people will not like to read it. Reading is an intellectual job, it can’t be too dry, like reading a technical book, then it will be very boring. Literature should be a combination of a little bit of emotions and a little bit of intellectual sharpness; like modern poetry, which has an intellectual angle. It stimulates your intellect, and kindles and sparks the much needed emotion. I think all successful literature has both these aspects.