--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Levity is often less foolish and gravity…" description: "\"Levity is often less foolish and gravity less wise than each of them appears.\" — Charles Caleb Colton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/charles-caleb-colton-270_foolish_levity-is-often-less-foolish-and-gravity_2591990.png" --- # Levity is often less foolish and gravity less wise than… ![“Levity is often less foolish and gravity less wise than each of them appears.” quote by Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/charles-caleb-colton-270_foolish_levity-is-often-less-foolish-and-gravity_2591990.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/charles-caleb-colton-270_foolish_levity-is-often-less-foolish-and-gravity_2591990.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/charles-caleb-colton-270_foolish_levity-is-often-less-foolish-and-gravity_2591990.png) > “Levity is often less foolish and gravity less wise than each of them appears.” [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Levity and gravity each have limits; excess in either can mislead, so balance humor and seriousness. **In simple terms:** Balance humor with seriousness. Key Takeaway Cultivate measured perspective. Themes philosophy balance humor Mood thoughtful balanced Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - public speaking - writing - leadership training Key Concepts wisdom human nature social critique Questions to Reflect On - When is humor appropriate? - How do you gauge seriousness? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Foolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolish/) [Foolish Gravity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolish-gravity-1869125/) [Gravity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gravity/) [Gravity Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gravity-wise-1869126/) [Levity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levity/) [Levity Foolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levity-foolish-1869124/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) [Wise Appears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-appears-1869127/) ## Related quotes > [Our design, not respecting arts, but philosophy, and our subject, not manual, but natural powers, we consider chiefly those things which relate to gravity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/our-design-not-respecting-arts-but-philosophy-and-our-subject-not/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [Reply to wit with gravity, and to gravity with wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/reply-to-wit-with-gravity-and-to-gravity-with-wit/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Of all the preaching in the world, I hate that preaching which tends to make the hearers laugh, or to move their minds with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/of-all-the-preaching-in-the-world-i-hate-that-preaching-which-tends/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Without the protection of surliness and levity, all children would be crushed by the past—the past of others, loaded onto their shoulders. Selfishness is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/without-the-protection-of-surliness-and-levity-all-children-would-be/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Let him be great, and love shall follow him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/let-him-be-great-and-love-shall-follow-him/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Dickinson is my hero because she was a joker, because she would never explain, because as a poet she confronted pain, dread and death,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/dickinson-is-my-hero-because-she-was-a-joker-because-she-would-never/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [If brevity is the soul of wit then brevity and levity are the whole of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-r-burch/if-brevity-is-the-soul-of-wit-then-brevity-and-levity-are-the-whole/) [Michael R. Burch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-r-burch/) > [“Religious people are not fun... So, Jesus shows up and kids run around Him, want to be with Him. You know why? He's fun...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-driscoll/religious-people-are-not-fun-so-jesus-shows-up-and-kids-run-around/) [Mark Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-driscoll/) > [Ultimately, we as a band just write what we write. Some of it's very serious, and even in the serious songs, there's sometimes an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-robertson/ultimately-we-as-a-band-just-write-what-we-write-some-of-it-s-very/) [Ed Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-robertson/) > [That which is usually called dotage is not the weak point of all old men, but only of such as are distinguished by their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/that-which-is-usually-called-dotage-is-not-the-weak-point-of-all-old/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The old idea that the joke was not good enough for the company has been superseded by the new aristocratic idea that the company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-old-idea-that-the-joke-was-not-good-enough-for-the-company-has/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Moderate strength is shown in violence, supreme strength is shown in levity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/moderate-strength-is-shown-in-violence-supreme-strength-is-shown-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I follow a more easy, and, in my opinion, a wiser course, namely--to inveigh against the levity of the female sex, their fickleness, their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/i-follow-a-more-easy-and-in-my-opinion-a-wiser-course-namely-to/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [“I never thought I would see you armed." I was trying for levity. It worked like a lead balloon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-jensen/i-never-thought-i-would-see-you-armed-i-was-trying-for-levity-it/) [Melissa Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-jensen/) > [In my experience sometimes the darker the material that you're doing, the more necessary it is to have some sort of levity around. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-stahl/in-my-experience-sometimes-the-darker-the-material-that-you-re-doing/) [Nick Stahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-stahl/) ## More by Charles Caleb Colton > [Villainy that is vigilant will be an overmatch for virtue, if she slumber at her post.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/villainy-that-is-vigilant-will-be-an-overmatch-for-virtue-if-she/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [A beautiful woman, if poor, should use double circumspection; for her beauty will tempt others, her poverty herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/a-beautiful-woman-if-poor-should-use-double-circumspection-for-her/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Were the life of man prolonged, he would become such a proficient in villainy, that it would become necessary again to drown or to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/were-the-life-of-man-prolonged-he-would-become-such-a-proficient-in/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [To dare to live alone is the rarest courage; since there are many who had rather meet their bitterest enemy in the field, than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/to-dare-to-live-alone-is-the-rarest-courage-since-there-are-many-who/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [It is doubtful whether mankind are most indebted to those who like Bacon and Butler dig the gold from the mine of literature, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/it-is-doubtful-whether-mankind-are-most-indebted-to-those-who-like/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Be very slow to believe that you are wiser than all others; it is a fatal but common error. Where one has been saved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/be-very-slow-to-believe-that-you-are-wiser-than-all-others-it-is-a/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [None are so fond of secrets as those who do not mean to keep them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/none-are-so-fond-of-secrets-as-those-who-do-not-mean-to-keep-them/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Mental pleasures never cloy; unlike those of the body, they are increased by reputation, approved by reflection, and strengthened by enjoyment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/mental-pleasures-never-cloy-unlike-those-of-the-body-they-are/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Ignorance lies at the bottom of all human knowledge, and the deeper we penetrate, the nearer we arrive unto it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/ignorance-lies-at-the-bottom-of-all-human-knowledge-and-the-deeper-we/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Heroism, self-denial, and magnanimity, in all instances where they do not spring from a principle of religion, are but splendid altars on which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/heroism-self-denial-and-magnanimity-in-all-instances-where-they-do/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [We ought not to be over-anxious to encourage innovation in cases of doubtful improvement, for an old system must ever have two advantages over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/we-ought-not-to-be-over-anxious-to-encourage-innovation-in-cases-of/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [We owe almost all our knowledge not to those who have agreed, but to those who have differed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/we-owe-almost-all-our-knowledge-not-to-those-who-have-agreed-but-to/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Metaphysicians have been learning their lessons for the last four thousand years, and it is high time that they should now begin to teach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/metaphysicians-have-been-learning-their-lessons-for-the-last-four/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Faith and works are necessary to our spiritual life as Christians, as soul and body are to our natural life as men; for faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/faith-and-works-are-necessary-to-our-spiritual-life-as-christians-as/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [When all moves equally (says Pascal), nothing seems to move as in a vessel under sail; and when all run by common consent into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/when-all-moves-equally-says-pascal-nothing-seems-to-move-as-in-a/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) [Explore all 778 Charles Caleb Colton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) ## More Foolish quotes > [...it isn't foolish or wicked to enjoy. Wickedness is hurting people on purpose. I love what you are and who you are and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/it-isn-t-foolish-or-wicked-to-enjoy-wickedness-is-hurting-people-on/) [John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/) > [I was so foolish to ever leave your side, Searching for what was right before my eyes. It was me who didn't realize, 'til…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmine-sullivan/i-was-so-foolish-to-ever-leave-your-side-searching-for-what-was-right/) [Jazmine Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmine-sullivan/) > [Regrets are just a way for the foolish and the guilty to pass the time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gensoumaden-saiyuki/regrets-are-just-a-way-for-the-foolish-and-the-guilty-to-pass-the-time/) [Gensoumaden Saiyuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gensoumaden-saiyuki/) > [The goal of the Creator is for each entity to make a conscious choice to again seek Oneness, out of our own free will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wilcock/the-goal-of-the-creator-is-for-each-entity-to-make-a-conscious-choice/) [David Wilcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wilcock/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Virtue is as little to be acquired by learning as genius; nay, the idea is barren, and is only to be employed as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/virtue-is-as-little-to-be-acquired-by-learning-as-genius-nay-the-idea/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [Right, and you point out something important which is that people who don’t want to pay, people who are pirates, don’t get bothered by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/right-and-you-point-out-something-important-which-is-that-people-who/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [As nature made every man with a nose and eyes of his own, she gave him a character of his own, too; and yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/as-nature-made-every-man-with-a-nose-and-eyes-of-his-own-she-gave-him/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Foolish tongues talke by the dozen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/foolish-tongues-talke-by-the-dozen/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [I have my good days and my bad days, but I don't have as much energy as I used to back when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mccaffrey/i-have-my-good-days-and-my-bad-days-but-i-don-t-have-as-much-energy/) [Anne McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mccaffrey/) > [“I wish he were better at hailing taxis than I am; on the other hand, I realize that expectation is culturally conditioned, utterly foolish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/i-wish-he-were-better-at-hailing-taxis-than-i-am-on-the-other-hand-i/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [Acknowledging foolishness is a very powerful and important experience. We could almost say that being willing to be a fool is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/acknowledging-foolishness-is-a-very-powerful-and-important-experience/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [Go then if you must, but remember, no matter how foolish your deeds, those who love you will love you still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/go-then-if-you-must-but-remember-no-matter-how-foolish-your-deeds/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [You know what they say, 'You have to work at wisdom; you have to take pains to be reasonable, but to be foolish, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-colet/you-know-what-they-say-you-have-to-work-at-wisdom-you-have-to-take/) [Louise Colet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-colet/) > [Am I foolish and insignificant or am I great? I gave all the individuals in the world cause to kneel down in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-myung-moon/am-i-foolish-and-insignificant-or-am-i-great-i-gave-all-the/) [Sun Myung Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-myung-moon/) [Browse all 1,867 Foolish quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolish/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Levity is often less foolish and gravity less wise than each of them appears.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Caleb Colton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/levity-is-often-less-foolish-and-gravity-less-wise-than-each-of-them/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Foolish" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/levity-is-often-less-foolish-and-gravity-less-wise-than-each-of-them/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/charles-caleb-colton-270_foolish_levity-is-often-less-foolish-and-gravity_2591990.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/charles-caleb-colton-270_foolish_levity-is-often-less-foolish-and-gravity_2591990.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/charles-caleb-colton-270_foolish_levity-is-often-less-foolish-and-gravity_2591990.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Levity is often less foolish and gravity less wise than each of them appears.” — Charles Caleb Colton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charles Caleb Colton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Levity is often less foolish and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/levity-is-often-less-foolish-and-gravity-less-wise-than-each-of-them/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/levity-is-often-less-foolish-and-gravity-less-wise-than-each-of-them/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```