Gilbert K. Chesterton Quotes

He who has laughter on his side has no need of proof.

A pin has as much head as some authors and a good deal more point.

Wit gives an edge to sense, and recommends it extremely.

The tongue is the only tool that gets sharper with use.

Wit is an explosion of the compound spirit.

A clever, imaginative, humorous request can open closed doors and closed minds.

The man who can make others laugh secures more votes for a measure than the man who forces them to think.

Brevity is the soul of wit.

The ability to quote is a serviceable substitute for wit.

A witty saying proves nothing.

You'd better get your laugh while you're making your point, or you won't be doing it very long.

I get the impression the English kings were witty, for some reason. I feel like all you had was your wit.

I think humor is a very serious thing. I use it as a way of weakening the reader's defenses so that I can more easily take him to something more.

Always say 'no pun intended' to draw attention to the intended pun.

Eloquence and wisdom are by no means the same thing. They are sometimes united, but not necessarily ; perhaps never when eloquence is the mere gift of nature rather than the slow result of nature and art conjoined. A ready supply of glittering language and an ardent conception, i. e. a fertile imagination, and quick feelings, united to a retentive memory—these are together quite sufficient to make an orator, but by no means to make a wise man; to make a speaker or even a leader in a popular assembly, but not necessarily a statesman.

Humor disarms people to some degree and makes them a little more receptive to a notion that would normally make them angry,

I think comedy is a good way to help people change their minds. I think that if you're laughing and getting a message across, it's a lot easier than when somebody is screaming in your face.

Comedy can take you a lot further in getting your point across. People are entertained, and then, by being entertained, they get your point.

My favorite comedians are just presenting an argument, and they're doing it in a funny way.

And sometimes you can make your point better with comedy than you can through shouting about it.

My lines are witty in nature and I love to be surrounded by people who are witty.

I'm very competitive about puns.

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

People are clever, but almost no one ever devises an optimal quip precisely at the needed moment. Therefore, virtually all great one-liners are later inventions - words that people wished they had spouted, but failed to manufacture at the truly opportune instant.

My brain's not sharp enough to come up with a witty comment.