Accord Quote by Joseph Addison
“Women were formed to temper Mankind, and sooth them into Tenderness and Compassion; not to set an Edge upon their Minds, and blowup in them those Passions which are too apt to rise of their own Accord.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Spectator, 1711
Women are intended to soften men’s harshness, fostering kindness rather than inflaming volatile passions.
In simple terms: Women temper men’s harshness.
Key Takeaway
Encourage compassion.
Themes
gender roles
compassion
temperament
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- marriage
- family dynamics
- leadership training
Key Concepts
social philosophy
human nature
Questions to Reflect On
- How can both genders cultivate mutual tenderness?
- What societal structures support balanced temperaments?
A Different Perspective
Modern gender views may differ.
![“Whenever I allow anything but tenderness and compassion to dictate my response to life--be it self-righteous anger, moralizing, defensiveness, the pressing need to change others...I am alienated from my true self. My identity as Abba's child [a child of God] becomes ambiguous, tentative and confused” quote by Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dbb/brennan-manning-959_ambiguous_whenever-i-allow-anything-but-tenderness_2805528.jpg)
![“Would a soul continually eye His everlasting tenderness and compassion...[then] it could not bear an hour's absence from Him; whereas now, perhaps, it cannot watch with him one hour.” quote by John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/419/john-owen-1415_absence_would-a-soul-continually-eye-his-everlas_907410.jpg)
