Joseph Joubert

Politeness is the flower of humanity.

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.

He who has imagination without learning, has wings but no feet.

Imagination is the eye of the soul.

We must respect the past and mistrust the present if we wish to provide for the safety of the future.

The direction of the mind is more important than its progress.

It is easy to understand God as long as you don't try to explain him.

Children need models rather than critics.

Justice is the truth in action.

Kindness is loving people more than they deserve.

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.

Love and fear. Everything the father of a family says must inspire one or the other.

Who ever has no fixed opinions has no constant feelings.

Genius begins great works, labor alone finishes them.

Innocence is always unsuspicious.

All are born to observe order but few are born to establish it.

Logic works metaphysics contemplates.

A part of kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve.

There was a time when the world acted on books, now books act on the world.

Words like glass obscure when they do not aid vision.