Joseph Joubert Quotes

Repartee is altogether a natural endowment, and is the lightning of the mind.

I hate clever-cleverness, but I love good honest cleverness.

Wit is an unexpected explosion of thought.

"Self-taught, are you?" Julian Castle asked Newt. "Isn't everybody?" Newt inquired. "Very good answer." Castle was respectful.

The true touchstone of wit is the impromptu.

One can have a wit, but not a witless

You can pretend to be serious; but you can't pretend to be witty.

Especially when you deal with comedy, you have got to be really honest because it's the honesty and the spontaneity that causes people to chuckle, that catches people.

Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.

Next to being witty, the best thing is being able to quote another's wit.

Listen closely as those around you speak; great truths are revealed in jest.

Wit is the salt of conversation, not the food.

This has been a most wonderful evening. Gertrude has said things tonight it will take her 10 years to understand.

A woman who knows that she doesn't have to get all decked out to look good is sexy. A woman who can make you feel smart with her conversation skills is also sexy. I believe the sense of humor is important.

The well of true wit is truth itself.

Wit is the appearance, the external flash of imagination. Thus its divinity, and the witty character of mysticism.

There's something very authentic about humor, when you think about it. Anybody can pretend to be serious. But you can't pretend to be funny.

I like to think I'm a bit smarter than I sometimes let on.

I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.

I'll see something, and I'll go, 'Oh, wow, that's interesting,' because really, comedy comes from the truth.

Don't put too fine a point to your wit for fear it should get blunted.

Many live by their wits but few by their wit.

The quality of wit inspires more admiration than confidence

Wit does not take the place of knowledge.

Passion very often makes the wisest men fools, and very often too inspires the greatest fools with wit.