I pay very little regard...to what any young person says on the subject of marriage. If they profess a disinclination for it, I only set it down that they have not yet seen the right person.
Jane AustenRead
The wisest and the best of men, nay, the wisest and best of their actions, may be rendered ridiculous by a person whose first object in life is a joke.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Even the most intelligent people and their serious actions can be made to seem foolish by someone who prioritizes humor.
This quote by Jane Austen highlights the power of humor and jest in life. It suggests that no matter how wise or well-intentioned a person or their actions may be, they can be undermined or ridiculed by the lightheartedness of a jokester, emphasizing the sometimes absurd contrast between seriousness and humor in human interactions.
Themes
HumorWisdomActionsJokeRidiculous
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared in a speech about the importance of balancing seriousness and humor in life.
More from Jane Austen
All quotes βNobody could catch cold by the sea; nobody wanted appetite by the sea; nobody wanted spirits; nobody wanted strength. Sea air was healing, softening, relaxing - fortifying and bracing - seemingly just as was wanted - sometimes one, sometimes the other. If the sea breeze failed, the seabath was the certain corrective; and where bathing disagreed, the sea air alone was evidently designed by nature for the cure.
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He certainly is very agreeable, and I give you leave to like him. You have liked many a stupider person.
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A person who is knowingly bent on bad behavior, gets upset when better behavior is expected of them.
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You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever.
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She hoped to be wise and reasonable in time; but alas! Alas! She must confess to herself that she was not wise yet.
Jane AustenRead
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