The most profound joy has more of gravity than gayety in it. [ Montague ]

The best philosophy to employ toward the world is to alloy the sarcasm of gayety with the indulgence of contempt. [ Chamfort ]

Gayety is to good-humor as perfumes to vegetable fragrance: the one overpowers weak spirits; the other recreates and revives them. [ Dr. Johnson ]

Good-humor is a state between gayety and unconcern, - the act or emanation of a mind at leisure to regard the gratification of another. [ Dr. Johnson ]

With the world, do not resort to injuries, but only to irony and gayety: injury revolts, while irony makes one reflect, and gayety disarms. [ Voltaire ]

Mirth is a Proteus, changing its shape and manner with the thousand diversities of individual character, from the most superfluous gayety to the deepest, most earnest humor. [ E. P. Whipple ]