Joseph Addison Quotes About Talent

Quotes about: Talent

• A just and reasonable modesty does not only recommend eloquence, but sets off every great talent which a man can be possessed of.

  Joseph Addison

  Humility, Pride, Men

  Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steele (1826). “The Spectator: With Notes, and a General Index”, p.301

• The talent of turning men into ridicule, and exposing to laughter those one converses with, is the qualification of little ungenerous tempers.

  Joseph Addison

  Laughter, Men, Littles

  Joseph Addison (1856). “The works of ... Joseph Addison, with notes by R. Hurd”, p.147

• One would wonder to hear skeptical men disputing for the reason of animals, and telling us it is only our pride and prejudices that will not allow them the use of that faculty. Reason shows itself in all occurrences of life; whereas the brute makes no discovery of such a talent, but in what immediately regards his own preservation, or the continuance of his species. Animals in their generation are wiser than the sons of men; but their wisdom is confined to a few particulars, and lies in a very narrow compass. Take a brute out of his instinct, and you find him wholly deprived of understanding.

  Joseph Addison

  Lying, Pride, Son

  Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steel (1858). “The Spectator”, p.169

• Tis not my talent to conceal my thoughts, Or carry smiles and sunshine in my face, When discontent sits heavy at my heart.

  Joseph Addison

  Heart, Sunshine, Faces

  Joseph Addison (1808). “Cato. A Tragedy. London 1808”, p.17

• There is no talent so pernicious as eloquence to those who have it under command.

  Joseph Addison

  Talent, Command, Eloquence

  Joseph Addison (1854). “The Works of [the Right Honourable] Joseph Addison: The Spectator, no. 483-600. The Guardian. The lover. The present state of the war. The late trial and cenviction of Count Tariff. The Whig-examiner. The Freeholder, no. 1-30”, p.485

• The discreet man finds out the talents of those he converses with, and knows how to apply them to proper uses. Accordingly, if we look into particular communities and divisions of men, we may observe that it is the discreet man, not the witty, nor the learned, nor the brave, who guides the conversation, and gives measures to the society.

  Joseph Addison

  Witty, Men, Giving

  Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steele (1853). “The Spectator”, p.130

• Though a man has all other perfections, and wants discretion, he will be of no great consequence in the world; but if he has this single talent in perfection, and but a common share of others, he may do what he pleases in his station of life.

  Joseph Addison

  Men, Perfection, World

  Joseph Addison (1837). “The Works of Joseph Addison: The Spectator, no. 1-314”, p.329

• Complaisance, though in itself it be scarce reckoned in the number of moral virtues, is that which gives a lustre to every talent a man can be possessed of. It was Plato's advice to an unpolished writer that he should sacrifice to the graces. In the same manner I would advise every man of learning, who would not appear in the world a mere scholar or philosopher, to make himself master of the social virtue which I have here mentioned.

  Joseph Addison

  Plato, Sacrifice, Men

  Sir Richard Steele, Joseph Addison (1829). “The Tatler and the Guardian: Complete in One Volume, with Notes, and a General Index”

• Reason shows itself in all occurrences of life; whereas the brute makes no discovery of such a talent, but in what immediately regards his own preservation or the continuance of his species.

  Joseph Addison

  Discovery, Talent, Reason

  Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steel (1840). “Selections from the Spectator: Embracing the Most Interesting Papers by Addison, Steel, and Others”, p.52

• A man with great talents, but void of discretion, is like Polyphemus in the fable, strong and blind, endued with an irresistible force, which for want of sight is of no use to him.

  Joseph Addison

  Strong, Men, Sight

  Joseph Addison, Sir Richard Steele (1853). “The Spectator”, p.130

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