Joseph Joubert
Joseph Joubert
Joseph Joubertwas a French moralist and essayist, remembered today largely for his Pensées, which was published posthumously...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth7 May 1754
CountryFrance
charitable indulgent
Be charitable and indulgent to everyone but thyself.
disguise great mask minds
Great minds are those that disguise their limits, that mask their mediocrity.
book reputation made
How many books there are whose reputation is made that would not obtain it were it now to make?
witty men wit
There are some men who are witty when they are in a bad humor, and others only when they are sad.
book excess littles
Only just the right quantum of wit should be put into a book; in conversation a little excess is allowable.
inspired surprise arise
Genuine witticisms surprise those who say them as much as those who listen to them; they arise in us in spite of us, or, at least, without our participation,--like everything inspired.
law discipline religion
Religion is neither a theology nor a theosophy; it is more than that, it is a discipline, a law, a yoke, an indissoluble engagement.
ambition greed matter
In these times gain is not only a matter of greed, but of ambition.
justice waking speak
Lenity is a part of justice; but she must not speak too loud for fear of waking justice.
character style letters
The true character of epistolary style is playfulness and urbanity.
sound logic grammar
Logic is to grammar what the sense of words is to their sound.
excellence germs maxims
Good maxims are the germs of all excellence.
beauty beautiful heart
He who cannot see the beautiful side is a bad painter, a bad friend, a bad lover; he cannot lift his mind and his heart so high as goodness.
fire religion alive
Religion is fire which example keeps alive, and which goes out if not communicated.