WIST Quotations

Franklin, Benjamin -- Poor Richard (1744 ed.)

Dave — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 16:08:17 +0000

If you’d be belov’d, make yourself amiable.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American statesman, scientist, philosopher, aphorist
Poor Richard (1744 ed.)
(Source)

Pratchett, Terry -- Discworld No. 15, Men at Arms (1993)

Dave — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 23:56:25 +0000

Carrot often struck people as simple. And he was.
Where people went wrong was thinking that simple meant the same thing as stupid.

Terry Pratchett (1948-2015) English author
Discworld No. 15, Men at Arms (1993)
(Source)

Billings, Josh -- Everybody’s Friend, Or; Josh Billing’s Encyclopedia and Proverbial Philosophy of Wit and Humor, ch. 281 “Variety: Bred and Butter” (1874)

Dave — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 16:48:26 +0000

Cheerfullness makes the plainest features butiful, the severest winter agreeable; it elevates the lowly, and adds a charm tew grateness, all its own.

[Cheerfulness makes the plainest features beautiful, the severest winter agreeable; it elevates the lowly, and adds a charm to greatness.]

Josh Billings (1818-1885) American humorist, aphorist [pseud. of Henry Wheeler Shaw]
Everybody’s Friend, Or; Josh Billing’s Encyclopedia and Proverbial Philosophy of Wit and Humor, ch. 281 “Variety: Bred and Butter” (1874)
(Source)

Chesterfield (Lord) -- Letter to his son, #298, enclosed maxims (15 Jan 1758)

Dave — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 23:59:37 +0000

A cheerful, easy countenance and behavior are very useful: they make fools think you a good-natured man, and they make designing men think you an undesigning one.

Lord Chesterfield (1694-1773) English statesman, wit [Philip Dormer Stanhope]
Letter to his son, #298, enclosed maxims (15 Jan 1758)
(Source)

Labeled as letter #297 in the linked source, but #298 in the volume I am using as reference, which does not include the maxims.

Bovee, Christian Nestell -- Intuitions and Summaries of Thought (1862)

Dave — Sat, 30 Jul 2016 17:56:30 +0000

The cheerful live longest in life, and after it, in our regards.

Christian Nestell Bovee (1820-1904) American epigrammatist, writer, publisher
Intuitions and Summaries of Thought (1862)

Addison, Joseph -- Essay (1710-07-01), The Tatler, No. 192

Dave — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 13:44:09 +0000

A cheerful temper, joined with innocence, will make beauty attractive, knowledge delightful, and wit good-natured.

Joseph Addison (1672-1719) English essayist, poet, statesman
Essay (1710-07-01), The Tatler, No. 192
(Source)

Addison, Joseph -- Essay (1712-02-06), The Spectator, No. 306

Dave — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 14:09:53 +0000

Good nature will always supply the absence of beauty; but beauty cannot supply the absence of good nature.

Joseph Addison (1672-1719) English essayist, poet, statesman
Essay (1712-02-06), The Spectator, No. 306
(Source)

Addison, Joseph -- Essay (1711-09-13), The Spectator, No. 169

Dave — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:21:27 +0000

Good-nature is more agreeable in conversation than wit, and gives a certain air to the countenance which is more amiable than beauty. It shows virtue in the fairest light, takes off in some measure from the deformity of vice, and makes even folly and impertinence supportable.

Joseph Addison (1672-1719) English essayist, poet, statesman
Essay (1711-09-13), The Spectator, No. 169
(Source)