Full Idea
A thought is a thing as real as a cannon ball.
Gist of Idea
A thought is as real as a cannon ball
Source
Joseph Joubert (Notebooks [1800], 1801)
Book Reference
Joubert,Joseph: 'Notebooks', ed/tr. Auster,Paul [nyrb 2005], p.74
A Reaction
Nice. The realisation of a thought can strike someone as if they have been assaulted, and hearing some remarks can be as bad as being stabbed. That is quite apart from political consequences. Joubert is good on the physicality of thinking.