Joseph Joubert (1754–1824) was a French man of letters who wrote on philosophical, moral, and literary topics. He is remembered today largely for his Pensées (Thoughts,) which were published posthumously.
Born in Montignac, Perigord, Joubert studied and taught at the college of Toulouse. He then went to Paris, where he lived through the French Revolution. In 1809, he was nominated inspector-general for the lycées (universities) under Napoleon Bonaparte.
Throughout his life, Joubert wrote in notebooks, on scraps of paper, which he then stored, mostly unclassified, in a case. After his death, his friend François-René de Châteaubriand edited a small volume from Joubert’s papers.
Joubert found fame for the concise, accurate—and, at times, witty—quality of writing in his Recueil des pensées de M. Joubert (1838, also Pensées or ‘Thoughts.’) These are in the best French tradition of François de La Rochefoucauld, Blaise Pascal, and Jean de La Bruyèreand Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Joseph Joubert
Professional critics are incapable of distinguishing and appreciating either diamonds in the rough or gold in bars. They are traders, and in literature know only the coins that are current. Their critical lab has scales and weights, but neither crucible or touchstone.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Criticism, Critics
We may convince others by our arguments, but we can only persuade them by their own.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Women
The best remedy for a short temper is a long walk.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Walking, Anger
Haughty people seem to me to have, like the dwarfs, the statures of a child and the face of a man.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Pride
Maxims are to the intellect what laws are to actions: they do not enlighten, but guide and direct, and though themselves blind, are protecting.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Wisdom
The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Argument, Arguments, Perspective
Order is to arrangement what the soul is to the body, and what mind is to matter.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Order
Tenderness is the repose of passion.
—Joseph Joubert
Ornaments were invented by modesty.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Humility, Modesty
Who ever has no fixed opinions has no constant feelings.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Consistency
Justice is the truth in action.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Justice
Be charitable and indulgent to everyone but thyself.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Charity, Service, Kindness, Giving
History needs distance, perspective. Facts and events which are too well attested cease, in some sort, to be malleable.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: History
Politeness is the flower of humanity.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Manners
The mind’s direction is more important than its progress.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Goals, Change, Imagination, Virtues, Creativity, Miscellaneous, Knowledge
Ask the young. They know everything.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Time, Youth
You arrive at truth through poetry; I arrive at poetry through truth.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Poetry
Superstition is the only religion of which base souls are capable.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Superstition
In the commerce of speech use only coin of gold and silver.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Language
Without the spiritual world the material world is a disheartening enigma.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Spirituality, Spirit
Gravity is but the rind of wisdom; but it is a preservative rind.
—Joseph Joubert
We always believe God is like ourselves, the indulgent think him indulgent and the stern, terrible.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: God, Religion
Monuments are the grappling-irons that bind one generation to another.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Legacy
Ignorance, which in behavior mitigates a fault, is, in literature, a capital offence.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Ignorance
We do not do well except when we know where the best is and when we are assured that we have touched it and hold its power within us.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Excellence
In bringing up a child, think of its old age.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Children
There was a time when the world acted on books; now books act on the world.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Books, Reading
Avoid singularity.—There may often be less vanity in following the new modes, than in adhering to the old ones.—It is true that the foolish invent them, but the wise may conform to, instead of contradicting them.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Fashion
We know God easily, if we do not constrain ourselves to define him.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: God
A part of kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Service, Kindness, Compassion
Questions show the mind’s range, and answers its subtlety.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Questions, Questioning
Misery is almost always the result of thinking.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Positive Attitudes, Thinking, Happiness, Optimism
Remorse is the punishment of crime; repentance, its expiation. The former appertains to a tormented conscience; the latter to a soul changed for the better.
—Joseph Joubert
It is an aspect of all happiness to suppose that we deserve it.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Happiness
Justice without strength, or strength without justice—fearful misfortunes!
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Justice
Ambition is pitiless. Any merit that it cannot use it finds despicable.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Ambition
Children need models rather than critics.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Children, Criticism
Tenderness is the rest of passion.
—Joseph Joubert
Topics: Strength
Eyes raised toward heaven are always beautiful, whatever they may be.
—Joseph Joubert
God has commanded time to console the unhappy.
—Joseph Joubert
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