--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The philosopher Sir James Mackintosh had…" description: "\"“The philosopher Sir James Mackintosh had said that the powers of a man's mind were proportionate to the quantity of coffee he drank, and Voltaire had ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/phil-ford-86404_coffee_the-philosopher-sir-james-mackintosh-had_1775323.jpg" --- # The philosopher Sir James Mackintosh had said that the… ![“The philosopher Sir James Mackintosh had said that the powers of a man's mind were proportionate to the quantity of coffee he drank, and Voltaire had knocked back fifty cups of it a day, so Ianto reckoned there had to be something in it. And saving Cardiff from the kinds of things that came…” quote by Phil Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/phil-ford-86404_coffee_the-philosopher-sir-james-mackintosh-had_1775323.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/phil-ford-86404_coffee_the-philosopher-sir-james-mackintosh-had_1775323.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/phil-ford-86404_coffee_the-philosopher-sir-james-mackintosh-had_1775323.jpg) > ““The philosopher Sir James Mackintosh had said that the powers of a man's mind were proportionate to the quantity of coffee he drank, and Voltaire had knocked back fifty cups of it a day, so Ianto reckoned there had to be something in it. And saving Cardiff from the kinds of things that came through the Rift called for quick, inspired thinking, so Ianto took it upon himself to make sure the coffee was good. Ianto Jones, saving the world with a dark roast.”” [Phil Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Coffee is humor as a catalyst for mental sharpness and heroic action in crisis situations. **In simple terms:** Coffee fuels quick thinking for heroes. Key Takeaway Use coffee wisely to boost focus. Themes caffeine heroism quick thinking Mood energetic focused Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - emergency response - creative problem solving - night shift work Key Concepts motivation resourcefulness Questions to Reflect On - How does caffeine affect your decision making? - When is coffee essential for performance? A Different Perspective Excessive caffeine can cause jitteriness and burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffee/) [Coffee Drank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffee-drank-1814538/) [Drank Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drank-voltaire-1814535/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Ianto Took](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ianto-took-1814537/) [Mackintosh Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mackintosh-said-1814539/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Thinking Ianto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-ianto-1814536/) [Torchwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torchwood-192879/) ## Related quotes > [The powers of a man's mind are directly proportional to the quantity of coffee he drank.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mackintosh/the-powers-of-a-man-s-mind-are-directly-proportional-to-the-quantity/) [James Mackintosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mackintosh/) > [You know, every year 'Torchwood' has become something a little different than it was before. It's still sci-fi, but it doesn't just deal with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barrowman/you-know-every-year-torchwood-has-become-something-a-little-different/) [John Barrowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barrowman/) > [“I put ten sugar cubes in my coffee. I drank it through my tongue, and my blood sang like the Archangel Gabriel as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/i-put-ten-sugar-cubes-in-my-coffee-i-drank-it-through-my-tongue-and/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [“She poured me a cup of coffee and I drank it standing by the back door, looking out of the back garden. I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippa-gregory/she-poured-me-a-cup-of-coffee-and-i-drank-it-standing-by-the-back/) [Philippa Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippa-gregory/) > [I had a great time doing 'Torchwood,' I really did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burn-gorman/i-had-a-great-time-doing-torchwood-i-really-did/) [Burn Gorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burn-gorman/) > [“Her love was like cigarette smoke stirred into coffee. I drank it so fast it made me cough, but she’s not offering a refill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/her-love-was-like-cigarette-smoke-stirred-into-coffee-i-drank-it-so/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“you feel that you’ve wasted your years and yourself it didn’t work for me either but isn’t there always one good thing to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/you-feel-that-you-ve-wasted-your-years-and-yourself-it-didn-t-work/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Have you seen a blowfish driving a sports car?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-cooper/have-you-seen-a-blowfish-driving-a-sports-car/) [Gwen Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-cooper/) > [“Have you never seen something so mad, so extraordinary, that just for one second you think that there might be more out there?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-tregenna/have-you-never-seen-something-so-mad-so-extraordinary-that-just-for/) [Catherine Tregenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-tregenna/) > [“Morning,” Derrick called as Janelle stepped off the bus. Janelle turned. “Oh ... umm ... hi.” She shook her head. “Were you waiting for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-desousa/morning-derrick-called-as-janelle-stepped-off-the-bus-janelle-turned/) [Carmen DeSousa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-desousa/) > [I know in Britain with 'Doctor Who' all the classic actors, and the people who you'd really want to, work on the show. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burn-gorman/i-know-in-britain-with-doctor-who-all-the-classic-actors-and-the/) [Burn Gorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burn-gorman/) > [“Mobiles, land lines, tin cans with tiny bits of string, everything absolutely everything no phones phones all broken. Hello any one there NO cuz…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-david-lloyd/mobiles-land-lines-tin-cans-with-tiny-bits-of-string-everything/) [Gareth David-Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gareth-david-lloyd/) > [but isn't there always one good thing to look back on? think of how many cups of coffee we drank together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/but-isn-t-there-always-one-good-thing-to-look-back-on-think-of-how/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I'm afraid the 'Doctor Who' door is probably closed because of me being in 'Torchwood.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burn-gorman/i-m-afraid-the-doctor-who-door-is-probably-closed-because-of-me-being/) [Burn Gorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burn-gorman/) ## More by Phil Ford > [“He could feel sweat trickling down his back. It was a sensation he hadn't felt in a long time. A gut-gnawing fear that started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ford/he-could-feel-sweat-trickling-down-his-back-it-was-a-sensation-he/) [Phil Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ford/) > [“Hope was what kept the world going. Hope that one day you would find somebody you could love and trust, hope that you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ford/hope-was-what-kept-the-world-going-hope-that-one-day-you-would-find/) [Phil Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ford/) [Explore all 3 Phil Ford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ford/) ## More Coffee quotes > [I would drink gallons of coffee a day. Even now, off caffeine, I talk faster than anyone you've ever met. I finally recognized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-englander/i-would-drink-gallons-of-coffee-a-day-even-now-off-caffeine-i-talk/) [Nathan Englander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-englander/) > [I had developed a relationship with one of the anti-abortion sidewalk counselors who stood in front of my facility. We talked regularly through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-johnson/i-had-developed-a-relationship-with-one-of-the-anti-abortion-sidewalk/) [Abby Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-johnson/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [I like to sit down, relax, have a cup of coffee on the terrace and read a book. I like to travel the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-vos/i-like-to-sit-down-relax-have-a-cup-of-coffee-on-the-terrace-and-read/) [Marianne Vos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-vos/) > [White Coffee Really Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anwar-saicha/white-coffee-really-helps/) [Anwar Saicha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anwar-saicha/) > [“The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/the-whole-purpose-of-places-like-starbucks-is-for-people-with-no/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [If you think of people as making decisions actively, every time we think about the cup of coffee, we say, "How much will I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-think-of-people-as-making-decisions-actively-every-time-we/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Coffee and tobacco are complete repose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/coffee-and-tobacco-are-complete-repose/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Life is like coffee, the darker it gets, the more it energizes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ankita-singhal/life-is-like-coffee-the-darker-it-gets-the-more-it-energizes/) [Ankita Singhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ankita-singhal/) > [I spend a lot of time loathing the sentences that I put down on the page. Once I'm past that phase, it doesn't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/i-spend-a-lot-of-time-loathing-the-sentences-that-i-put-down-on-the/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [If Japanese tea 'stands,' it acquires a coarse bitterness and an unwholesome astringency. Milk and sugar are not used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-bird/if-japanese-tea-stands-it-acquires-a-coarse-bitterness-and-an/) [Isabella Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-bird/) > [...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 don't typically drink coffee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cavallari/i-don-t-typically-drink-coffee/) [Kristin Cavallari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cavallari/) > [I put hibiscus flower in every cup of tea I have. It's sweet, sexy, and cleansing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-batali/i-put-hibiscus-flower-in-every-cup-of-tea-i-have-it-s-sweet-sexy-and/) [Mario Batali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-batali/) > [“That is why I love Starbucks. It doesn't matter how much money you have or what social world you're from, chances are you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyra-davis/that-is-why-i-love-starbucks-it-doesn-t-matter-how-much-money-you/) [Kyra Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyra-davis/) [Browse all 3,625 Coffee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffee/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The philosopher Sir James Mackintosh had said that the powers of a man's mind were proportionate to the quantity of coffee he drank, and Voltaire had knocked back fifty cups of it a day, so Ianto reckoned there had to be something in it. And saving Cardiff from the kinds of things that came through the Rift called for quick, inspired thinking, so Ianto took it upon himself to make sure the coffee was good. Ianto Jones, saving the world with a dark roast.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Phil Ford" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ford/the-philosopher-sir-james-mackintosh-had-said-that-the-powers-of-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Coffee" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ford/the-philosopher-sir-james-mackintosh-had-said-that-the-powers-of-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/phil-ford-86404_coffee_the-philosopher-sir-james-mackintosh-had_1775323.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/phil-ford-86404_coffee_the-philosopher-sir-james-mackintosh-had_1775323.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/phil-ford-86404_coffee_the-philosopher-sir-james-mackintosh-had_1775323.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The philosopher Sir James Mackintosh had said that the powers of a man's mind were proportionate to the…” — Phil Ford", "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": "Phil Ford", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ford/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The philosopher Sir James Mackintosh had...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ford/the-philosopher-sir-james-mackintosh-had-said-that-the-powers-of-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ford/the-philosopher-sir-james-mackintosh-had-said-that-the-powers-of-a/#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 } } ] } ```