It is requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use

The words of Thomas Aquinas, “It is requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use, from time to time, of playful deeds and jokes,” rise with a gentleness that is rare among the solemn voices of the philosophers. Known as one of the greatest theologians of the Middle Ages, Aquinas was a man who spent his life plumbing the mysteries of God and reason. Yet in this quote, he acknowledges something profoundly human: that even the most disciplined and lofty mind requires rest, laughter, and the relief of play. Wisdom is not constant severity; it is balance.

The origin of this teaching lies in Aquinas’s *Summa