How planning too much hurts the project (+ 8 other insights)

Introduction. Joseph Joubert, an 18th century Frenchman, published nothing during his life. His widow released his notebooks after his death as Pensées (Thoughts). The world finally recognized his aphoristic genius. Some selected insights on life, unfinished thoughts, and more👇

On speed vs direction: "The direction of the mind is more important than its progress." It is better to go fast on the right road than to go slow, but it's worst to go fast on the wrong road.

It is hard to judge the material world without a spiritual reference point: "We comprehend the earth only when we have known heaven. Without the spiritual world the material world is a disheartening enigma."

Ideas and emotions are tied. Intellectual turmoil means emotional turmoil: "Without fixed ideas, no fixed feelings. Whoever has no constant opinions has no constant emotions."

Too much planning hurts the project: "To draw up in advance an exact and detailed plan is to deprive our minds of the pleasures of the encounter and the novelty that comes from executing the work."

Different emotions have different physical sensations: "Pride swells the brain. Vanity carries with it smoke, minds. Hatred tightens the heart. Love warms the lungs. Admiration stops the heart. We breathe through desire. Sadness is inaction."

Life can't be paused until you discover its true meaning: "To seek the truth. But, as you are seeking and as you are waiting, what will you do, what will you think, what will you practice, what rules will you follow?"

Finished vs Unfinished thoughts: "To finish one's thought! It is a long process, it is rare. It gives intense pleasure. Because every finished thought easily enters the mind. They don't have the same need to be beautiful in order to please. It is enough for them to be finished."

On filled heads: "Few minds are spacious; few even have an empty place in them or can offer some vacant point. Almost all are filled by some knowledge that blocks them up. What a torture to talk to filled heads, that allow nothing from the outside to enter them."