--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A wit should be no more sincere than a…" description: "\"A wit should be no more sincere than a woman constant.\" — William Congreve" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a2/william-congreve-5161_constant_a-wit-should-be-no-more-sincere-than-a-w_2711698.png" --- # A wit should be no more sincere than a woman constant. ![“A wit should be no more sincere than a woman constant.” quote by William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a2/william-congreve-5161_constant_a-wit-should-be-no-more-sincere-than-a-w_2711698.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a2/william-congreve-5161_constant_a-wit-should-be-no-more-sincere-than-a-w_2711698.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a2/william-congreve-5161_constant_a-wit-should-be-no-more-sincere-than-a-w_2711698.png) > “A wit should be no more sincere than a woman constant.” [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A witty person should be as sincere as a constant woman. **In simple terms:** Wit should match sincere constancy. Key Takeaway Balance wit with genuine sincerity. Themes wit sincerity gender roles Mood witty thoughtful Type literary dramatic When to use this quote - dialogue writing - character development - performance critique Key Concepts literary satire social norms Questions to Reflect On - How does sincerity affect humor? - Can wit be both sharp and sincere? A Different Perspective Sincerity may be undervalued in comedic contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Constant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constant/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Sincere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sincere/) [Wit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wit/) [Wit Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wit-woman-1414700/) [Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman/) [Woman Constant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman-constant-1414701/) ## Related quotes > [A wit should no more be sincere, than a woman constant; one argues a decay of parts, as to other of beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/a-wit-should-no-more-be-sincere-than-a-woman-constant-one-argues-a/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [Wit and woman are two frail things, and both the frailer by concurring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-overbury/wit-and-woman-are-two-frail-things-and-both-the-frailer-by-concurring/) [Thomas Overbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-overbury/) > [I am a fool, I know it; and yet, Heaven help me, I'm poor enough to be a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/i-am-a-fool-i-know-it-and-yet-heaven-help-me-i-m-poor-enough-to-be-a/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [I don't know Beyoncé, but I have the impression that she's sincere, that she really is a feminist and wanted to put the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-don-t-know-beyonc-but-i-have-the-impression-that-she-s-sincere-that/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [My belief is that the various religious traditions have great potential to increase compassion, the sense of caring for one another, and the spirit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/my-belief-is-that-the-various-religious-traditions-have-great/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [We have a thriving subculture of 'independent' American movies that makes an impact on America as a whole roughly equivalent to that of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/we-have-a-thriving-subculture-of-independent-american-movies-that/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) > [That humanity and sincerity which dispose men to resist injustice and tyranny render them unfit to cope with the cunning and power of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-humanity-and-sincerity-which-dispose-men-to-resist-injustice-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Daily simple, sincere, and mighty prayers lift our lives to a higher spiritual altitude. In our prayers we praise God, give thanks to Him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/daily-simple-sincere-and-mighty-prayers-lift-our-lives-to-a-higher/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [Rahul Gandhi himself doesn't have any vision or the political acumen to be able to differentiate between sycophancy and sincere advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-agnihotri/rahul-gandhi-himself-doesn-t-have-any-vision-or-the-political-acumen/) [Vivek Agnihotri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-agnihotri/) > [Hillary Clinton truly is sincere, but she has to connect more with the American people in terms of what she believes in and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/hillary-clinton-truly-is-sincere-but-she-has-to-connect-more-with-the/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [The only justice is to follow the sincere intuition of the soul, angry or gentle. Anger is just, and pity is just, but judgement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-justice-is-to-follow-the-sincere-intuition-of-the-soul-angry/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The sincere alone can recognize sincerity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/the-sincere-alone-can-recognize-sincerity/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [In ancient times, those who wished to illuminate the world with virtue first brought order to their nations. Wishing to order well their nations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-ancient-times-those-who-wished-to-illuminate-the-world-with-virtue/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Some of the folks on both sides might be sincere, but it does seem as if it is only the opposition that cares about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/some-of-the-folks-on-both-sides-might-be-sincere-but-it-does-seem-as/) [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) > [Vow to be valiant. Resolve to be radiant. Determine to be dynamic. Strive to be sincere. Aspire to be attuned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-arthur-ward/vow-to-be-valiant-resolve-to-be-radiant-determine-to-be-dynamic/) [William Arthur Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-arthur-ward/) ## More by William Congreve > [Mr Witwould: "Pray, madam, do you pin up your hair with all your letters? I find I must keep copies." Mrs Millamant: "Only with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/mr-witwould-pray-madam-do-you-pin-up-your-hair-with-all-your-letters/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [He who closes his ears to the views of others shows little confidence in the integrity of his own views.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/he-who-closes-his-ears-to-the-views-of-others-shows-little-confidence/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [Uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life. Security is an insipid thing, through the overtaking and possessing of a wish discovers the folly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/uncertainty-and-expectation-are-the-joys-of-life-security-is-an/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [“One no more owes one's beauty to a lover than one's wit to an echo”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/one-no-more-owes-one-s-beauty-to-a-lover-than-one-s-wit-to-an-echo/) [william congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [I confess freely to you, I could never look long upon a monkey, without very mortifying reflections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/i-confess-freely-to-you-i-could-never-look-long-upon-a-monkey-without/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [Marriage is honourable, as you say; and if so, wherefore should Cuckoldom be a Discredit, being deriv'd from so honourable a Root?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/marriage-is-honourable-as-you-say-and-if-so-wherefore-should/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [A wit should no more be sincere, than a woman constant; one argues a decay of parts, as to other of beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/a-wit-should-no-more-be-sincere-than-a-woman-constant-one-argues-a/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [They are at the end of the gallery; retired to their tea and scandal, according to their ancient custom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/they-are-at-the-end-of-the-gallery-retired-to-their-tea-and-scandal/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [There is in true Beauty, as in Courage, somewhat which narrow Souls cannot dare to admire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/there-is-in-true-beauty-as-in-courage-somewhat-which-narrow-souls/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [I am a fool, I know it; and yet, Heaven help me, I'm poor enough to be a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/i-am-a-fool-i-know-it-and-yet-heaven-help-me-i-m-poor-enough-to-be-a/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [There is nothing more unbecoming a man of quality than to laugh ... 'tis such a vulgar expression of the passion!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/there-is-nothing-more-unbecoming-a-man-of-quality-than-to-laugh-tis/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [Honor is a public enemy, and conscience a domestic, and he that would secure his pleasure, must pay a tribute to one and go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/honor-is-a-public-enemy-and-conscience-a-domestic-and-he-that-would/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [“True, 'tis an unhappy circumstance of life that love should ever die before us, and that the man so often should outlive the lover.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/true-tis-an-unhappy-circumstance-of-life-that-love-should-ever-die/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [Believe it, Men have ever been the same, And all the Golden Age is but a Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/believe-it-men-have-ever-been-the-same-and-all-the-golden-age-is-but/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [She likes herself, yet others hates, For that which in herself she prizes; And while she laughs at them, forgets She is the thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/she-likes-herself-yet-others-hates-for-that-which-in-herself-she/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) [Explore all 103 William Congreve quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) ## More Constant quotes > [Because after you've crossed some lines, you just keep crossing them. And there's no escaping from constant escape. Distracting ourselves. Avoiding confrontation. Getting past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/because-after-you-ve-crossed-some-lines-you-just-keep-crossing-them/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [This is, for an accomplished Latino, an accomplished African American, an accomplished anyone who disproves stereotypes, it's a constant battle in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/this-is-for-an-accomplished-latino-an-accomplished-african-american/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [Me mum used to always have the radio on - even now she has it on in every room. Me girlfriend sort of blames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/me-mum-used-to-always-have-the-radio-on-even-now-she-has-it-on-in/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [The Only cure for nihilism is for liberal democratic societies - their electorates, their judiciary, and their political leadership- to insist that force is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-only-cure-for-nihilism-is-for-liberal-democratic-societies-their/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [The invention of gunpowder and the constant improvement of firearms are enough in themselves to show that the advance of civilization has done nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-invention-of-gunpowder-and-the-constant-improvement-of-firearms/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [As I grow through love, so grows my joy, ever more present, ever more constant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/as-i-grow-through-love-so-grows-my-joy-ever-more-present-ever-more/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Life and death are illusions. We are in a constant state of transformation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/life-and-death-are-illusions-we-are-in-a-constant-state-of/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [People don't need sudden revelations. They get what they need when they need it, thought by thought by thought. It's a constant thing when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/people-don-t-need-sudden-revelations-they-get-what-they-need-when/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [Fishing is a constant reminder of the democracy of life, of humility, and of human frailty. The forces of nature discriminate for no man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/fishing-is-a-constant-reminder-of-the-democracy-of-life-of-humility/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [It's a constant man-ego-check going on in the streets, in this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/it-s-a-constant-man-ego-check-going-on-in-the-streets-in-this-world/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [Research is an organized method of trying to find out what you are going to do after you cannot do what you are doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kettering/research-is-an-organized-method-of-trying-to-find-out-what-you-are/) [Charles Kettering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kettering/) > [I believe it's true that there's good and evil in everyone and it's a constant struggle to have your better angels prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/i-believe-it-s-true-that-there-s-good-and-evil-in-everyone-and-it-s-a/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) > [You're a constant student, as a musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-bell/you-re-a-constant-student-as-a-musician/) [Joshua Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-bell/) > [Intimacy requires an ability to both merge and be separate, to come together and be apart, like oscillating on a giant swing from oneness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-sophia-kasl/intimacy-requires-an-ability-to-both-merge-and-be-separate-to-come/) [Charlotte Sophia Kasl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-sophia-kasl/) [Browse all 3,025 Constant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constant/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A wit should be no more sincere than a woman constant.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Congreve" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/a-wit-should-be-no-more-sincere-than-a-woman-constant/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Constant" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/a-wit-should-be-no-more-sincere-than-a-woman-constant/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a2/william-congreve-5161_constant_a-wit-should-be-no-more-sincere-than-a-w_2711698.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a2/william-congreve-5161_constant_a-wit-should-be-no-more-sincere-than-a-w_2711698.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a2/william-congreve-5161_constant_a-wit-should-be-no-more-sincere-than-a-w_2711698.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A wit should be no more sincere than a woman constant.” — William Congreve", "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": "William Congreve", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A wit should be no more...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/a-wit-should-be-no-more-sincere-than-a-woman-constant/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/a-wit-should-be-no-more-sincere-than-a-woman-constant/#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 } } ] } ```