A witty saying proves nothing – Voltaire

A witty saying proves nothing: A funny, clever Voltaire quote that talks about actions vs words. I think we all meet some wonderfully clever people, but it’s only the actions that lead us to results. It is closely similar to the quote – It is not enough to have a great mind, Rene Descartes.

A witty saying proves nothing meaning

I’ll compare the people with witty statements as armchair experts. Unfortunately, sometimes we attribute a lot of importance to intelligence rather than work. This reminds me of a couple of powerful quotes. Perhaps the most compelling reference is in the startup world that says – a good idea doesn’t necessarily mean a great business. It is also similar to the quote – actions speak louder than words.

A witty statement proves nothing- it only provides a perspective or a thought process. But a person making the witty statement might not be aware of the nitty gritty affecting a situation. A smart statement alone doesn’t mean that it is valid. I think the most important value in this statement is identifying and critically analysing the meaning of these statements.

Saying means nothing until you do

Actions speak louder than words – ultimately we are all measured by our results. If we focus on only saying the right things – we end up overpromising. But if we can’t deliver everything that we promise, we end up with a label of a liar. It is often worse to bounce back from a label this strong. Instead, you are better off promising less and doing more to keep the trust of people around you.

Don’t Promise More Than You Can Deliver – Lou Holtz

Who said A witty saying proves nothing?

Voltaire. François-Marie Arouet (21 November 1694 – 30 May 1778) was a French writer, historian, and philosopher. He is most popularly known by his pen name, M. de Voltaire. He was famous for his wit, criticism and criticism of some of the practices at that time. Voltaire was an advocate of freedom of speech, religion, and separation of church and state. Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltaire