Voltaire Quote by Nancy Mitford
““They could not help loving anything that made them laugh. The Lisbon earthquake was “embarrassing to the physicists and humiliating to theologians” (Barbier). It robbed Voltaire of his optimism. In the huge waves which engulfed the town, in the chasms which opened underneath it, in volcanic flames which raged for days in the outskirts, some 50,000 people perished. But to the courtiers of Louis XV it was an enormous joke. M. de Baschi, Madame de Pompadour’s brother-in-law, was French Ambassador there at the time. He saw the Spanish Ambassador killed by the arms of Spain, which toppled onto his head from the portico of his embassy; Baschi then dashed into the house and rescued his colleague’s little boy whom he took, with his own family, to the country. When he got back to Versailles he kept the whole Court in roars of laughter for a week with his account of it all. “Have you heard Baschi on the earthquake?””
About This Quote
Source Book: Love in the Time of Cholera, 2000
The quote sat how tragedy can be turned into humor by those detached from its suffering, highlighting human capacity to find levity even in disaster.
In simple terms: People can laugh at tragedy when they are far from its pain.
Key Takeaway
Recognize when humor masks deeper insensitivity.
Themes
humor
tragedy
detachment
court life
historical perspective
Mood
ironic
critical
reflective
Type
satire
anecdotal
historical
When to use this quote
- court gossip
- historical storytelling
- media commentary
- personal anecdote
Key Concepts
cognitive dissonance
social coping
political satire
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you use humor to cope with distress?
- When does laughter become disrespectful?
A Different Perspective
Humor may trivialize suffering and alienate victims.
