--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Facetiousness is allowable when it is the…" description: "\"Facetiousness is allowable when it is the most proper instrument of exposing things apparently base and vile to due contempt.\" — Isaac Barrow" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e69/isaac-barrow-13537_contempt_facetiousness-is-allowable-when-it-is-th_2733131.jpg" --- # Facetiousness is allowable when it is the most proper… ![“Facetiousness is allowable when it is the most proper instrument of exposing things apparently base and vile to due contempt.” quote by Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e69/isaac-barrow-13537_contempt_facetiousness-is-allowable-when-it-is-th_2733131.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e69/isaac-barrow-13537_contempt_facetiousness-is-allowable-when-it-is-th_2733131.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e69/isaac-barrow-13537_contempt_facetiousness-is-allowable-when-it-is-th_2733131.jpg) > “Facetiousness is allowable when it is the most proper instrument of exposing things apparently base and vile to due contempt.” [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Facetiousness is permissible when it effectively reveals base or vile things to contempt. **In simple terms:** Humor can be a tool to expose moral corruption. Key Takeaway Use wit to critique injustice. Themes humor critique ethics Mood witty critical Type literary advice When to use this quote - political satire - literary criticism - public discourse Key Concepts satire exposure social commentary Questions to Reflect On - When is satire appropriate? - How does humor affect perception of vice? A Different Perspective Humor may trivialize serious issues if misused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contempt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contempt/) ## Related quotes > [“No man, ever indulged more freely or happily in that playful facetiousness which gratifies all without wounding any.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-man-ever-indulged-more-freely-or-happily-in-that-playful/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ I have nothing but contempt and anger for those who betray the trust by exposing the name of \[CIA\] sources. They are, in my… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/i-have-nothing-but-contempt-and-anger-for-those-who-betray-the-trust/) [George H. W. 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Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/) ## More by Isaac Barrow > [No adversity is in kind or degree peculiar to us; but if we survey the conditions of other men (of our brethren everywhere, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/no-adversity-is-in-kind-or-degree-peculiar-to-us-but-if-we-survey-the/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) > [An accomplished mathematician, i.e. a most wretched orator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/an-accomplished-mathematician-i-e-a-most-wretched-orator/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) > [We may be as good as we please, if we please to be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/we-may-be-as-good-as-we-please-if-we-please-to-be-good/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) > [If we desire to live securely, comfortably, and quietly, that by all honest means we should endeavor to purchase the good will of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/if-we-desire-to-live-securely-comfortably-and-quietly-that-by-all/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) > [He that loveth a book will never want a faithful friend, a wholesome counsellor, a cheerful companion, an effectual comforter. By study, by reading,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/he-that-loveth-a-book-will-never-want-a-faithful-friend-a-wholesome/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) > [Chance never writ a legible book; chance never built a fair house; chance never drew a neat picture; it never did any of these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/chance-never-writ-a-legible-book-chance-never-built-a-fair-house/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) > [The proper work of man, the grand drift of human life, is to follow reason, that noble spark kindled in us from heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/the-proper-work-of-man-the-grand-drift-of-human-life-is-to-follow/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) > [Nothing hath wrought more prejudice to religion, or brought more disparagement upon truth, than boisterous and unseasonable zeal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/nothing-hath-wrought-more-prejudice-to-religion-or-brought-more/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) > [Upright simplicity is the deepest wisdom, and perverse craft the merest shallowness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/upright-simplicity-is-the-deepest-wisdom-and-perverse-craft-the/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) > [Every ear is tickled with the sweet music of applause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/every-ear-is-tickled-with-the-sweet-music-of-applause/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) > [The fruits of the earth do not more obviously require labor and cultivation to prepare them for our use and subsistence, than our faculties…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/the-fruits-of-the-earth-do-not-more-obviously-require-labor-and/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) > [It is commonly said that revenge is sweet, but to a calm and considerate mind, patience and forgiveness are sweeter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/it-is-commonly-said-that-revenge-is-sweet-but-to-a-calm-and/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) > [Because Mathematicians frequently make use of Time, they ought to have a distinct idea of the meaning of that Word, otherwise they are Quacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/because-mathematicians-frequently-make-use-of-time-they-ought-to-have/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) > [We should allow others' excellences, to preserve a modest opinion of our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/we-should-allow-others-excellences-to-preserve-a-modest-opinion-of/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) > [Wherefore for the public interest and benefit of human society it is requisite that the highest obligations possible should be laid upon the consciences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/wherefore-for-the-public-interest-and-benefit-of-human-society-it-is/) [Isaac Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) [Explore all 50 Isaac Barrow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/) ## More Contempt quotes > [Too much familiarity breeds contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/too-much-familiarity-breeds-contempt/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [The contempt for law and the contempt for the human consequences of lawbreaking go from the bottom to the top of American society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-contempt-for-law-and-the-contempt-for-the-human-consequences-of/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Our security depends on having good relationships with our allies. Donald Trump mainly shows contempt for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wolfowitz/our-security-depends-on-having-good-relationships-with-our-allies/) [Paul Wolfowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wolfowitz/) > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [There is no real elevation of mind in a contempt of little things; it is, on the contrary, from too narrow views that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/there-is-no-real-elevation-of-mind-in-a-contempt-of-little-things-it/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [Boasting and bravado may exist in the breast even of the coward, if he is successful through a mere lucky hit; but a just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/boasting-and-bravado-may-exist-in-the-breast-even-of-the-coward-if-he/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [Somebody once told me that if you laugh at a George Bush joke, or you send an email cartoon to your friends that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/somebody-once-told-me-that-if-you-laugh-at-a-george-bush-joke-or-you/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [Unless a man gives himself entirely to the Cross, in a spirit of humility and self-abasement; unless he casts himself down to be trampled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-the-evangelist/unless-a-man-gives-himself-entirely-to-the-cross-in-a-spirit-of/) [Mark the Evangelist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-the-evangelist/) > [Much of the same sort of degraded and filthy talk can still be heard among the orc-minded; dreary and repetitive with hatred and contempt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/much-of-the-same-sort-of-degraded-and-filthy-talk-can-still-be-heard/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [Contempt for an assailant is best shown by bravery in action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/contempt-for-an-assailant-is-best-shown-by-bravery-in-action/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [Statuettes of drunken sailors, velvet pictures of island maidens, plastic seashell lamps made in Taiwan. What contempt the people who think up souvenirs have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-johnson/statuettes-of-drunken-sailors-velvet-pictures-of-island-maidens/) [Diane Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-johnson/) > [Every person of any rank in the left, from voter on up to cabinet member to elected official in the Democrat Party, has contempt.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/every-person-of-any-rank-in-the-left-from-voter-on-up-to-cabinet/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Those with a gift for action, for their part, often express contempt for those whose gifts are more reflective. Men of action like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/those-with-a-gift-for-action-for-their-part-often-express-contempt/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [“opprobrious term, employed to impose contempt upon”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jabari-asim/opprobrious-term-employed-to-impose-contempt-upon/) [Jabari Asim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jabari-asim/) > [Heterosexual intercourse is the pure, formalized expression of contempt for women's bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-dworkin/heterosexual-intercourse-is-the-pure-formalized-expression-of/) [Andrea Dworkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-dworkin/) [Browse all 1,034 Contempt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contempt/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Facetiousness is allowable when it is the most proper instrument of exposing things apparently base and vile to due contempt.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Isaac Barrow" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/facetiousness-is-allowable-when-it-is-the-most-proper-instrument-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Contempt" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/facetiousness-is-allowable-when-it-is-the-most-proper-instrument-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e69/isaac-barrow-13537_contempt_facetiousness-is-allowable-when-it-is-th_2733131.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e69/isaac-barrow-13537_contempt_facetiousness-is-allowable-when-it-is-th_2733131.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e69/isaac-barrow-13537_contempt_facetiousness-is-allowable-when-it-is-th_2733131.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Facetiousness is allowable when it is the most proper instrument of exposing things apparently base and vile…” — Isaac Barrow", "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": "Isaac Barrow", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-barrow/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Facetiousness is allowable when it is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/facetiousness-is-allowable-when-it-is-the-most-proper-instrument-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-barrow/facetiousness-is-allowable-when-it-is-the-most-proper-instrument-of/#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 } } ] } ```