Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, Sensus Communis: An Essay on the Freedom of Wit and Humour (1709), Part 1, Sec. 5, incorrectly attributing it to Gorgias via Aristotle.
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Humour is the only test of gravity, and gravity of humour. For a subject which would not bear raillery is suspicious; and a jest which would not bear a serious examination is certainly false wit.
— Aristotle
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Humour is the only test of gravity, and gravity of humour. For a subject which would not bear raillery is suspicious; and a jest which would not bear a serious examination is certainly false wit." in the context of "Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, Sensus Communis: An Essay on the Freedom of Wit and Humour (1709), Part 1, Sec. 5, incorrectly attributing it to Gorgias via Aristotle." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Aristotle" (Misattributed)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 24, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Aristotle
Aristotle, a student of Plato, revolutionized Western thought through his systematic approach to logic, ethics, and natural sciences. His emphasis on empirical observation and deductive reasoning laid the foundation for scientific inquiry and profoundly shaped philosophy for centuries to come.
About Aristotle
Aristotle, a student of Plato, revolutionized Western thought through his systematic approach to logic, ethics, and natural sciences. His emphasis on empirical observation and deductive reasoning laid the foundation for scientific inquiry and profoundly shaped philosophy for centuries to come.
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