Joseph Joubert:
(Montignac in Périgord, 7 May 1754 – Paris, 4 May 1824)
French moralist and essayist.
He who does not have the weakness of friendship also lacks its strength.
Imagination is the eye of the soul.
The mind conceives with pain, but it brings forth with delight.
Grace is in garments, in movements, in manners; beauty in the nude, and in forms. This is true of bodies; but when we speak of feelings, beauty is in their spirituality, and grace in their moderation.
Make what is vice in others a quality in you.
It is easy to understand God as long as you don’t try to explain him.
Ask the young. They know everything.
You will not find poetry anywhere unless you bring some of it with you.
The statement expresses a deep truth about how we experience art and beauty:
– ‘Poetry is not a property of text alone’, but arises in the encounter between words and reader. An unfeeling or impressionable reader reads the same poem and experiences something completely different.
– ‘He who is open to beauty will find it everywhere’ — in a cloud, a paving stone, an ordinary sentence. Anyone who does not take that with them will not find it anywhere, not even in a collection by Rilke or Nijhoff.
– The statement also has a slightly provocative character: anyone who says “I don’t understand it” or “poetry is not for me” excludes themselves.
Origin:
This quote is most likely an English adaptation or paraphrase of a well-known statement by the French moralist and essayist Joseph Joubert (1754–1824). The original quote reads:
> “Vous ne trouverez de la poésie nulle part si vous n’en apportez pas avec vous.”
This aphorism is attributed to Joseph Joubert, and the core of both formulations is identical: poetry is not something you find ‘outside’ yourself, but something you have to bring ‘within’.
Author:
Joseph Joubert (May 6, 1754 – May 4, 1824)
French moralist and essayist, best remembered for his ¨Pensées¨ (Thoughts), which were published posthumously. He published nothing during his lifetime, but filled notebooks with aphoristic thoughts about literature, human existence and spiritual life. After his death, his widow transferred the notes to his friend Chateaubriand, who published a selection in 1838.
Joubert is to the French-speaking tradition what Montaigne is to the essay: a master of the short, sharp sentence that contains more than it seems to promise.
Pleasures are always children, pains always have wrinkles.
Superstition is the only religion of which base souls are capable of.
Everyone is born to observe order, but few are born to establish it.
The beautiful epic, dramatic, lyrical poems are nothing but the dreams of an awakened sage.
The passions of the young are vices in the old.
Only choose in marriage a man whom you would choose as a friend if he were a woman.
God is the place where I don’t remember the rest.
There are opinions that come from the heart, and whoever has no fixed opinion has no constant feelings.
Logic works, metaphysics contemplates.
The Bible remained for me a book of books, still divine – but divine in the sense that all great books are divine which teach men how to live righteously.
How many people make themselves abstract to appear profound. The most useful part of abstract terms are the shadows they create to hide a vacuum.
We must respect the past, and mistrust the present, if we wish to provide for the safety of the future.
Never write anything that does not give you great pleasure. Emotion is easily transferred from the writer to the reader.
Misery is almost always the result of thinking.
Those who never retract their opinions love themselves more than they love the truth.
Justice is the truth in action.
– “Truth” is an insight or principle: knowing what is right.
– “Justice” only arises when that insight is ‘concretely translated into action’.
– In other words:
– truth without application remains abstract;
– justice is truth that ‘becomes visible in choices, laws, judgments, and behavior’.
Simply put:
– Finding something “true” is one thing.
– Acting on it ‘fairly, justly, and consistently’ is something else.
– ‘That’ is justice according to this quote.
🧭 Possible interpretations:
1. Moral:
– You know what is right, and you act accordingly.
– For example: not just saying that everyone is equal, but actually treating people equally.
2. Legal:
– The judiciary ought not only to know the rules, but also to put ’truth and fairness’ into practice. 3. Philosophical:
– Justice is not a theory, but ‘embodied truth’.
– The quote therefore establishes a strong link between:
– truth
– morality
– action
Author:
👤 Joseph Joubert (1754–1824) was:
– a French writer and moralist,
– known for his ‘aphorisms, thoughts, and maxims’,
– closely related to the tradition of short, sharp philosophical statements.
He published little during his lifetime; many of his thoughts became known ‘posthumously’.
🏛️ Origin of the quote:
The well-known French formulation is:
> “La justice est la vérité en action.”
– This formulation is generally attributed to Joseph Joubert.
– It also fits his style well in terms of content: short, moral-philosophical, and aphoristic. – ‘The exact primary source citation’ (which notebook, which edition, or which posthumous collection) is less frequently provided directly on popular citation sites.
You won’t find poetry anywhere if you don’t bring it with you.
It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.
The statement reverses an intuitive expectation: we think that the ‘result’ (the solution) is the only thing that counts. But Joubert argues that the ‘process’ — the conversation, the joint exploration — is more valuable than the solution itself.
A solution reached without consultation lacks support, may solve the wrong problem, damages relationships, and fails to provide insight. A discussion without a solution, on the other hand, is never wasted effort: it increases understanding, maps out perspectives, and lays the foundation for better decisions later.
The idea aligns closely with the Socratic tradition:
The conversation itself has value, regardless of the outcome. The statement is particularly relevant in management, politics, education, and science — wherever support and understanding are at least as important as the answer.
Origin:
The quote comes from the “Pensées” (Thoughts) by Joseph Joubert, a collection of aphorisms and notes that he kept throughout his life but never published. After his death, his widow entrusted the notes to the writer Chateaubriand, who published a selection in 1838 under the title “Recueil des pensées de M. Joubert”.
Author: Joseph Joubert (1754–1824) was a French moralist and essayist, belonging to the tradition of the great French moralists such as La Rochefoucauld and Pascal. Throughout his life, he filled letters and notebooks with thoughts on human existence and literature in a concise, aphoristic style — but published nothing during his lifetime. The statement fits perfectly with who he was: someone who valued the exploration of ideas over the recording of conclusions.
To teach is to learn twice.
The saying “Teaching is learning twice” means that you understand and remember a subject better when you explain it to others.
Why?
– 📚 You must ‘properly organize’ the learning material
– 🧠 You notice where your own knowledge is still ‘unclear’
– 🗣️ By explaining something, you ‘deepen’ your understanding
– 🔁 Repetition and wording strengthen learning
In short:
‘whoever teaches, also learns again – and often more deeply than before.’
🏛️ Origin:
A well-known French quote:
> “Enseigner, c’est apprendre deux fois.”
That literally means:
> “Teaching is learning twice.”
The saying comes from the tradition of pedagogical and philosophical statements about learning and teaching.
👤 Author:
The statement is ‘attributed to’:
Joseph Joubert (1754–1824)
– 🇫🇷 French moralist and essayist
– Known for short, wise statements about education, thinking and literature
⚠️ Small nuance:
As with many famous quotes:
– the wording is often used in different languages and variants
– it is not always possible to determine with absolute certainty the exact form in which Joubert himself wrote it down
But in reference works and collections of quotations this saying is quite commonly attributed to Joubert.
A part of kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve.
This quote means that ’true kindness’ consists not only of being nice to people who “deserve” it, but also of:
– ‘showing leniency’ towards someone’s faults
– being ‘forgiving’
– seeing people ‘as more than their shortcomings’
– giving love, understanding, or goodwill, even when someone is imperfect
In short:
👉 ‘Kindness is not only a reward for good behavior, but also a conscious choice to be humane and generous.’
👤 Author:
This quote is ‘usually attributed to Joseph Joubert’ (1754–1824), a French essayist and moralist. – Name: Joseph Joubert
– Nationality: French 🇫🇷
– Known for: short, sharp moral and philosophical aphorisms
🏛️ Origin:
The idea likely comes from the work of Joseph Joubert, more specifically from his ‘aphorisms and notes’, which were published after his death. Important:
– The best-known English version reads:
> “Kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve.”
– Therefore, the precise wording may differ by language or edition
Probable origin:
– from Joubert’s ‘Pensées’ / posthumous notes
– published posthumously in the 19th century
🌍 Possible original formulation:
Various versions circulate, but the idea is usually linked to a French formulation to this effect:
> “La bonté consiste à aimer les gens plus qu’ils ne méritent.”
Note: the ‘exact original formulation’ cannot always be found identically in all sources, as Joubert’s work has often been handed down in collections and translations.
Never cut what you can untie.
When you go in search of honey you must expect to be stung by bees.
– People often find it difficult to ‘really face themselves’.
– The path to self-knowledge, inner truth and authenticity is often:
– uncomfortable 😖
– confrontational 🪞
– lonely 🚶
– full of doubt ❓
– Many people prefer to follow:
– expectations of others
– social rules
– safe habits
In short:
👉 ‘The most difficult path for a person is often the path to their own true self.’
✍️ Free interpretation
Hesse probably means that:
– self-discovery is not romantic or easy;
– anyone who really wants to become themselves must let go of old certainties;
– inner growth often begins with crisis, confusion or alienation.
This fits very well with Hesse’s work, in which themes such as:
– identity
– spiritual growth
– individuality
– inner struggle
keep coming back.
✅ Auteur: Hermann Hesse.
– The quote is generally attributed to him.
🗂️ Origin:
– The original German version reads approximately:
> “Nichts auf der Welt ist dem Menschen more souther, als den Weg zu gehen, die zu sich selbst führt.”
– This quote comes from “Demian” (1919), a well-known novel by Hermann Hesse.
The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress.
– A “discussion” should not be used to “crush the other person” or to “be right at all costs”;
– Rather, it should allow each person to:
– better understand a subject,
– correct their mistakes,
– advance the discussion,
– progress together.
💡 In other words,
The true purpose of an exchange of ideas is not to win a verbal battle, but to “seek the truth” or to “improve oneself intellectually and morally.”
👤 Author: This quote is generally attributed to Joseph Joubert. About him:
– Full name: Joseph Joubert
– Dates: 1754–1824
– Nationality: French 🇫🇷
– Profession: moralist, essayist, thinker
Joubert is best known for his “carnets / pensées / correspondance” and philosophical reflections on the mind, morality, education, and literature. 🏛️ Origin:
The phrase is known in English as:
> “The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress.”
⚠️ Important note:
– The French version quoted today is often a translation or a reformulation.
– As with many ancient quotations, the exact wording can vary depending on the edition and collection.
📚 Likely Source: This thought is linked to posthumous collections of his notes and maxims, notably:
– « Pensées de Joseph Joubert »
– or editions of his « carnets / pensées / correspondance »
🧠 Philosophical Idea Behind the Quote:
This sentence defends a noble vision of dialogue:
– listen before responding 👂
– seek to understand rather than dominate
– admit that we can learn from others
– make discussion a tool for progress
It therefore opposes:
– ego clashes,
– sterile polemics,
– the need to triumph at all costs.
✍️ Simple Rephrasing:
– ‘A discussion is not meant to win, but to move forward.’
– ‘The goal of a debate is not to defeat the other, but to progress together.’
He who has imagination without learning has wings but no feet.
Innocence is always unsuspicious.
Children need role models more than critics.
The direction of our mind is more important than its progress.
💡 Summary: Joseph Joubert reminds us that it is not enough to simply move forward; we must also ensure that we are heading in the right direction. A good mental attitude is the foundation for everything that follows.
Words, like glass, obscure when they do not aid vision.
Politeness is the flower of humanity.
This statement means that “politeness” is one of the most beautiful and refined expressions of being human.
– “Politeness” goes beyond mere manners.
– It also refers to:
– 🤝 respect for others
– 💬 friendliness in social interaction
– 💡 social civilization
– ❤️ attention to the feelings of others
The metaphor “the flower” suggests something beautiful, gentle, and valuable:
just as a flower adorns the plant, so politeness adorns humanity.
🧠 In other words:
> ‘Politeness reveals the best in humanity.’
Or even simpler:
– Without politeness, living together can become strained.
– With politeness, human contact becomes more pleasant and dignified. Origin:
The statement is usually attributed to the French moralist and essayist:
✍️ Author: Joseph Joubert 1754–1824, Nationality: 🇫🇷 French
The original thought likely comes from his moral and philosophical notes, in which he often formulated short, wise aphorisms. A well-known French form is:
> “La politesse est la fleur de l’humanité.”
⚠️ Small nuance:
With this type of quote, the ‘exact source’ is sometimes difficult to establish, because statements by Joubert were often published later from his notes and collected works.
However, the ‘common attribution’ is indeed to Joseph Joubert.
Space is to place what eternity is to time.
The aphorism:
> “Space is to place as eternity is to time.”
expresses an ‘analogy’ between two pairs:
– ‘space ↔ place’
– ‘eternity ↔ time’
Core idea:
– “Space” is the encompassing, abstract whole.
– “Place” is a specific, concrete positioning within that space.
– “Eternity” is not simply “a great deal of time”, but something conceived above or outside of time.
– “Time” is the successive, measurable duration in which we live.
Simply put:
– A “place” is to “space” what a moment or duration in time is to something greater.
– Just as “time” is a limited, human experience, so “place” is a bounded determination within “space”. Philosophical implication: The saying distinguishes:
– the ‘absolute’ from the ‘determined’
– the ‘comprehensive’ from the ‘localized’
– the ‘supratemporal’ from the ’temporal’
👉 In other words: “space is more than place, just as eternity is more than time”.
📚 Origin:
The thought is usually associated with Joseph Joubert and his posthumously published notes.
– Joubert wrote in French.
– Many of his aphorisms have been preserved in his ‘notebooks’.
– These were published after his death, especially in the tradition of the “Pensées”.
Important nuance:
– The English formulation:
> “Space is to place as eternity is to time”
is a well-known form of transmission.
– The ‘precise French formulation’ has not always been generally quoted in exactly that fixed form. – Therefore, it is safer to say:
– the ’thought’ stems from Joubert’s notebooks’ “Pensées” tradition,
– the ‘well-known quotation form’ may be a later editorial or translated formulation.
👤 Author: Joseph Joubert ✅
– Joseph Joubert (1754–1824) was a French moralist and aphorist.
– The statement fits his style well:
– short
– metaphysical
– suggestive
– aphoristic
Source-critical formulation:
It is most careful to write:
> ‘This aphorism is generally attributed to Joseph Joubert and has been handed down via his posthumously published notebooks, known as the “Pensées”‘.
That is more accurate than pretending that there exists a single universally identical, directly verifiable French “canonical” text.
Make what is vice in others a quality in you.
Freedom is a tyrant, controlled by its whims.
Those who never take back an opinion love themselves more than the truth.
The punishment for bad princes is to be thought worse than they are.
Error agitates; truth rests.
A dream is half a reality.
Friendship is a drought-resistant plant.
We always lose the friendship of those who lose our esteem.
Be gentle and forgiving to everyone; don’t be gentle and forgiving to yourself.
There is no freedom unless a strong and powerful will ensures the established order.
Everything a father says to his family should inspire either love or fear.
The phrase places a strong emphasis on the ‘word of the father’: it must never be neutral or innocuous. Every word he addresses to his family must produce one of two effects:
– “Love” — when he encourages, protects, and shows tenderness;
– “Fear” — not raw fear, but “respect mingled with deference,” which Joubert carefully distinguishes from terror.
The central idea is that paternal authority lies in the “quality and weight of the word.” A father whose words inspire neither—that is, whose remarks fall on deaf ears—has lost his moral role within the family. Words must “touch,” either through warmth or through seriousness.
This is a very classical conception, rooted in the French moralistic tradition and in a hierarchical vision of the family inherited in part from Antiquity (the Roman ‘pater familias’). Joubert does not advocate brutality: the fear he describes is that of a child who would not want to disappoint a beloved father, not that of a subject facing a tyrant.
Author and source: The quote is from Joseph Joubert, taken from his “Thoughts” (full title: “Thoughts on the Family and the Home”), published in 1838.
Joubert (1754–1824) was a French moralist and essayist, the author of an entirely posthumous body of work: he published nothing during his lifetime. After his death, his widow commissioned Chateaubriand to gather his scattered notes, notebooks, and loose sheets to create a collection of “Thoughts” (“Pensees”).
Context within the work:
In the “Thoughts,” the quotation is part of a broader reflection on domestic authority and family ties. It is followed by maxims in the same vein: “Severity makes parents more tender. We love those from whom we are feared with a respectful fear.”
