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Joseph Addison

Joseph Addison Quotes

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Famous Joseph Addison Quotes

“Hypocrisy itself does great honor, or rather justice, to religion, and tacitly acknowledges it to be an ornament to human nature. The hypocrite would not be at so much pains to put on the appearance of virtue, if he did not know it was the most proper and effectual means to gain the love and esteem of mankind.”

IfsKnowsHumansMeanDoePainJusticeVirtueMankindHuman NatureHonorGainsAppearanceEsteemAcknowledgeHypocrisyHypocriteOrnaments
Book:The spectator
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“Though there is a benevolence due to all mankind, none can question but a superior degree of it is to be paid to a father, a wife, or child. In the same manner, though our love should reach to the whole species, a greater proportion of it should exert itself towards that community in which Providence has placed us. This is our proper sphere of action, the province allotted us for the exercise of our civil virtues, and in which alone we have opportunities of expressing our goodwill to mankind.”

ShouldChildrenWholeActionFatherOpportunityCommunityVirtueGreaterWifeMankindExerciseDegreesPaidSpeciesDuesSuperiorsProportionSpheresProvidenceOur LoveBenevolenceGoodwillProvinces
Book:Essays Moral and Humorous: Also Essays on Imagination and Taste
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“When I read the epitaphs of the beautiful, every inordinate desire goes out; when I meet with the grief of parents upon a tombstone, my heart melts with compassion; when I see the tomb of the parents themselves, I consider the vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow: when I see kings lying by those who deposed them, when I consider rival wits placed side by side, or the holy men that divided the world with their contests and disputes, I reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the little competitions, factions, and debates of mankind.”

MenWorldHeartLittlesBeautifulLyingDesireParentSidesGriefCompassionMankindKingsMy HeartSorrowHolyCompetitionWitDebateVanityGrievingDividedContestsDisputesRivalsTombsFactionsAstonishmentEpitaphTombstoneHoly ManHeart Melt
Book:The Spectator: With a Biographical and Critical Preface, and Explanatory Notes ...
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“Nature seems to have taken a particular care to disseminate her blessings among the different regions of the world, with an eye to their mutual intercourse and traffic among mankind, that the nations of the several parts of the globe might have a kind of dependence upon one another and be united together by their common interest.”

WorldKindDifferentSeemsMightEyeCareTogetherNationsInterestUnitedCommonTakenMankindParticularBlessingRegionsMutualCommerceGlobesTrafficDependenceIntercourseCommon Interests
Book:The Works of Joseph Addison: The Spectator, no. 1-314
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“There are no more useful members in a commonwealth than merchants. They knit mankind together in a mutual intercourse of good offices, distribute the gifts of Nature, find work for the poor, and wealth to the rich, and magnificence to the great.”

TogetherWealthPoorRichMankindMembersOfficeMutualCommerceIntercourseMerchantsCommonwealthMagnificenceGood Office
Book:The works of Joseph Addison: including the whole contents of Bp. Hurd's edition, with letters and other pieces not found in any previous collection; and Macaulay's essay on his life and works
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“There is a kind of grandeur and respect which the meanest and most insignificant part of mankind endeavor to procure in the little circle of their friends and acquaintance. The poorest mechanic, nay, the man who lives upon common alms, gets him his set of admirers, and delights in that superiority which he enjoys over those who are in some respects beneath him. This ambition, which is natural to the soul of man, might, methinks, receive a very happy turn; and, if it were rightly directed, contribute as much to a person's advantage, as it generally does to his uneasiness and disquiet.”

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Book:The spectator
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“In the common run of mankind, for one that is wise and good you find ten of a contrary character.”

CharacterWisdomRunningCommonWiseMankindTenContrary
Book:Works, including the whole contents of Bp. Hurd's edition: withletters and other pieces not found in any previous collection; and Macaulay's essay on his life and works
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“Women were formed to temper Mankind, and sooth them into Tenderness and Compassion; not to set an Edge upon their Minds, and blowup in them those Passions which are too apt to rise of their own Accord.”

MindPassionWomenCompassionMankindEdgesSexismTemperTendernessAccord
Book:Remarks on several parts of Italy , &c in the years 1701, 1702, 1703. The Tatler. By Isaac Bickerstaffe, esq. The Spectator, no.1-89
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“Prejudice and self-sufficiency naturally proceed from inexperience of the world, and ignorance of mankind.”

WorldSelfMankindIgnorancePrejudiceSelf SufficiencySufficiencyInexperienceIgnorance And Prejudice
Book:The works of Joseph Addison: including the whole contents of Bp. Hurd's edition, with letters and other pieces not found in any previous collection; and Macaulay's essay on his life and works
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“It is impossible for us, who live in the latter ages of the world, to make observations in criticism, morality, or in any art or science, which have not been touched upon by others. We have little else left us but to represent the common sense of mankind in more strong, more beautiful, or more uncommon lights.”

WorldLittlesArtLightAgeBeautifulScienceLeftStrongCommonImpossibleMankindMoralityCriticismCommon SenseObservationTouchedLatterUncommon
Book:The spectator
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“The Gods in bounty work up storms about us, that give mankind occasion to exert their hidden strength, and throw our into practice virtues that shun the day, and lie concealed in the smooth seasons and the calms of life.”

LifeGivingLyingPracticeVirtueMankindSeasonsCalmStormOccasionsSmoothConcealedBountyHidden Strength
Book:The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison: Poems on several occasions. Poemata. Dialogues upon the usefulness of ancient medals, especially in relation to the Latin and Greek poets. Remarks on several parts of Italy, in the years 1701, 1702, 1703
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“It is a celebrated thought of Socrates, that if all the misfortunes of mankind were cast into a public stock, in order to be equally distributed among the whole species, those who now think themselves the most unhappy would prefer the share they are already possessed of, before that which would fall to them by such a division. [as they realise their problems could be worse!]”

IfsThinkingWholeProblemOrderFallShareMankindGratitudeSpeciesCastsUnhappyDivisionMisfortunesRealisingPossessed
Book:The spectator
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