Explaining “From the sublime to the ridiculous (is only a step)”

What does it mean?

The phrase "From the sublime to the ridiculous (is only a step)" suggests that the line between something grand or impressive and something absurd or trivial is often very thin.

Tone

Origin

The expression, though often linked to Napoleon Bonaparte, who used the phrase "Du sublime au ridicule, il n'y a qu'un pas", is traced back earlier. It appeared in the works of French historian Jean Francois Marmontel and was later used by Thomas Paine in his work "The Age of Reason".