Wisdom Quotes

"One of the greatest pieces of economic wisdom is to know what you do not know."

"The word philosophy sounds high-minded, but it simply means the love of wisdom. If you love something, you don't just read about it; you hug it, you mess with it, you play with it, you argue with it."

"The seat of knowledge is in the head; of wisdom, in the heart. We are sure to judge wrong, if we do not feel right."

"Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable."

"Focus on the mind and the soul. Read. Study. Enrol in a course of lectures. Pray. Become a member of a religious congregation. Study the Bible or other ancient works of wisdom."

"Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk."

"A closed mouth catches no flies."

"The virtue of justice consists in moderation, as regulated by wisdom."

"Excellence, then, is a state concerned with choice, lying in a mean, relative to us, this being determined by reason and in the way in which the man of practical wisdom would determine it."

"I actually don't think that I'm that much smarter than anybody else. It's just that I frequently just seem to know what to do, and I think that's wisdom."

"Wisdom ceases to be wisdom when it becomes too proud to weep, too grave to laugh, and too selfish to seek other than itself."

"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future."

"Enraging liberals is simply one of the more enjoyable side effects of my wisdom."

"The way you see people is the way you treat them, and the way you treat them is what they become."

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment."

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen."

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."

"Back of every mistaken venture and defeat is the laughter of wisdom, if you listen."

"You know, many people have said that I'm on the edge and I'm maverick for some of the big operations that I've done. I'm not at all. I pray; I ask God to give me wisdom, 'Should I do it?', guidance in terms of how to do it, who to consult with. All those kind of things are incredibly important."

"In the frank expression of conflicting opinions lies the greatest promise of wisdom in governmental action."

"If you wish to reach the highest, begin at the lowest."

"Look twice before you leap."

"We are wiser than we know."

"In seeking wisdom thou art wise; in imagining that thou hast attained it - thou art a fool."

"I believe that we are solely responsible for our choices, and we have to accept the consequences of every deed, word, and thought throughout our lifetime."

"It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things."

"Wisdom stands at the turn in the road and calls upon us publicly, but we consider it false and despise its adherents."

"Strong characters are brought out by change of situation, and gentle ones by permanence."

"The extreme limit of wisdom, that's what the public calls madness."

"Rightly defined philosophy is simply the love of wisdom."

"They would need to be already wise, in order to love wisdom."

"When an opponent comes forward, move in and greet him; if he wants to pull back, send him on his way."

"Let deeds match words."

"Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences."

"There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy."

"Many sophisticated, intelligent people lack wisdom and common sense."

"Few people have the wisdom to prefer the criticism that would do them good, to the praise that deceives them."

"Wisdom outweighs any wealth."

"In the vain laughter of folly wisdom hears half its applause."

"Of prosperity mortals can never have enough."

"If you were to offer a thirsty man all wisdom, you would not please him more than if you gave him a drink."

"Mixing one's wines may be a mistake, but old and new wisdom mix admirably."

"If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."

"Wisdom alone is true ambition's aim, wisdom is the source of virtue and of fame; obtained with labour, for mankind employed, and then, when most you share it, best enjoyed."

"A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right."

"Those who govern, having much business on their hands, do not generally like to take the trouble of considering and carrying into execution new projects. The best public measures are therefore seldom adopted from previous wisdom, but forced by the occasion."

"Appearances are often deceiving."

"A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow."

"Wise kings generally have wise counselors; and he must be a wise man himself who is capable of distinguishing one."

"The soul's joy lies in doing."