Quotes & anectdotes from the wise, the foolish, the courageous & the drunk

Joseph Addison Playwright

  • Gender: Male
  • Citizenship: England
  • Born: May 1, 1672
  • Died: Jun 17, 1719

Joseph Addison was an English essayist, poet, playwright, and politician. He was the eldest son of The Reverend Lancelot Addison. His name is usually remembered alongside that of his long-standing friend, Richard Steele, with whom he founded The Spectator magazine.

A man must be both stupid and uncharitable who believes there is no virtue or truth but on his own side. truth

I will indulge my sorrows, and give way to all the pangs and fury of despair. sympathy

The fear of death often proves mortal, and sets people on methods to save their Lives, which infallibly destroy them. death & fear

Nothing is capable of being well set to music that is not nonsense. music

To be perfectly just is an attribute of the divine nature to be so to the utmost of our abilities, is the glory of man. nature

There is not so variable a thing in nature as a lady's head-dress. nature

Cheerfulness is the best promoter of health and is as friendly to the mind as to the body. best & health

What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to the soul. education

A cloudy day or a little sunshine have as great an influence on many constitutions as the most recent blessings or misfortunes. greatness

Music, the greatest good that mortals know and all of heaven we have hear below. music

The utmost extent of man's knowledge, is to know that he knows nothing. knowledge

No oppression is so heavy or lasting as that which is inflicted by the perversion and exorbitance of legal authority. the law

A woman seldom asks advice before she has bought her wedding clothes. wedding

Nothing is more gratifying to the mind of man than power or dominion. power

A just and reasonable modesty does not only recommend eloquence, but sets off every great talent which a man can be possessed of. greatness

Young men soon give, and soon forget, affronts old age is slow in both. aging

To be an atheist requires an indefinitely greater measure of faith than to recieve all the great truths which atheism would deny. faith & greatness

Men may change their climate, but they cannot change their nature. A man that goes out a fool cannot ride or sail himself into common sense. change & nature

Mutability of temper and inconsistency with ourselves is the greatest weakness of human nature. nature

There is nothing that makes its way more directly into the soul than beauty. beauty

There is nothing more requisite in business than despatch. business

The greatest sweetener of human life is Friendship. To raise this to the highest pitch of enjoyment, is a secret which but few discover. friendship

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. happiness, hope, life & love

If we hope for what we are not likely to possess, we act and think in vain, and make life a greater dream and shadow than it really is. hope

St. Patrick's Day March 17, 2025

There is no language like the Irish for soothing and quieting. 3 quotes from John Millington Synge

3 quotes from John Millington Synge

Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy. 28 other sayings from William Butler Yeats

28 other sayings from William Butler Yeats

Geographically, Ireland is a medium-sized rural island that is slowly but steadily being consumed by sheep. 27 other sayings from Dave Barry

27 other sayings from Dave Barry

We have always found the Irish a bit odd. They refuse to be English. 74 quotes from Winston Churchill

74 quotes from Winston Churchill