On the search for some of the best quotes of all time? “Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say.
Author David Pratt has collected some of their quotes into a new book, The 1,000 Wisest Things Ever Said.
Here is a selection of memorable words
Achievement
“Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force, never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
Winston Churchill – Literature, 1953
“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
Theodore Roosevelt – Peace, 1906
“Saints, it has been said, are sinners who go on trying. So free men and women are the oppressed who go on trying and who in the process make themselves fit to bear the responsibilities and uphold the disciplines which will maintain a free society.”
Aung San Suu Kyi – Peace, 1991
Beliefs
“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple, learn how to handle them and pretty soon you have a dozen.”
John Steinbeck – Literature, 1962
“I am astonished at the ease with which uninformed persons come to a settled, a passionate opinion when they have so little grounds for judgment.”
William Golding – Literature, 1983
“I believe in God – in spite of God! I believe in mankind – in spite of mankind! I believe in the future – in spite of the past!”
Elie Wiesel – Peace, 1986
“Not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted counts.”
Albert Einstein – Physics, 1921
Wisdom
“Think like a wise man but express yourself like the common people.”
William Butler Yeats – Literature, 1923
Time, Life and Death
“Life is perhaps best regarded as a bad dream between two awakenings.”
Eugene O’Neill – Literature, 1936
“When I cease to be indignant I will have begun my old age.”
André Gide – Literature, 1947
“I think we may take it, gentlemen, that the evening light is much the same for all men. When the shadows lengthen one contrasts what one had intended to do in the beginning with what one has accomplished.”
Rudyard Kipling – Literature, 1907
“I used to think getting old was about vanity – but it’s actually about losing people you love. Getting wrinkles is trivial.”
Eugene O’Neill – Literature, 1936
“The newspapers at one time said that I was dead but after carefully examining the evidence I came to the conclusion that this statement was false.”
Bertrand Russell – Literature, 1950
Human Qualities
“The coward makes himself cowardly. The hero makes himself heroic.”
Jean-Paul Sartre – Literature, 1964
“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”
Martin Luther King – Peace, 1964
“When a stupid man is doing something he is ashamed of he always declares that it is his duty.”
George Bernard Shaw – Literature, 1925
“A man does not have to be an angel in order to be a saint.”
Albert Schweitzer – Peace, 1952
“The main advantage of being famous is that when you bore people at dinner parties they think it is their fault.”
Henry Kissinger – Peace, 1973
“During my lifetime I have dedicated my life to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all people live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to see realised. But my lord, if it needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
Nelson Mandela – Peace, 1993
“Between grief and nothing, I will take grief.”
William Faulkner – Literature, 1949
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”
Desmond Tutu – Peace, 1984
Emotions
“Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.”
Ernest Hemingway – Literature, 1954
Men and Women
“Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes. There’s just too much fraternising with the enemy.”
Henry Kissinger – Peace, 1973
“Hell is other people.”
Jean-Paul Sartre – Literature, 1964
Politics
“Governments never learn. Only people learn.”
Milton Friedman – Economics, 1976
“Ninety per cent of politicians give the other 10 per cent a bad name.”
Henry Kissinger – Peace, 1973
“What is a rebel? A man who says no.”
Albert Camus – Literature, 1957
“You’ll never have a quiet world until you knock the patriotism out of the human race.”
George Bernard Shaw – Literature, 1925
“No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin or his background or his religion.”
Nelson Mandela – Peace, 1993
“Building democracy as an imposition from abroad is a form of imperialism.”
Lech Walesa – Peace, 1983
Medicine and Health
“A good gulp of hot whisky at bedtime – it’s not very scientific but it helps.”
Alexander Fleming – Medicine, 1945 (on the treatment of the common cold)
“When I was younger I made it a rule never to take a strong drink before lunch. Now my rule is never to do so before breakfast.”
Winston Churchill – Literature, 1953
War
“If the dead could speak there would be no more war.”
Heinrich Böll – Literature, 1972
“When the rich make war it is the poor who die.”
Jean-Paul Sartre – Literature,1964
“We must learn to live together as brothers or we shall perish together as fools.”
Martin Luther King – Peace, 1964
“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the faces of the children whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God himself. Never.”
Elie Wiesel – Peace, 1986
On Winning A Nobel Prize
“Oh, no, I was afraid of that! I’d better go and hide.”
Torsten Wiesel – Medicine, 1981
To order a copy of The 1,000 Wisest Things Ever Said, by David Pratt (The Robson Press, £9.99), send a cheque or PO made payable to Express Bookshop to Wisest Things Offer, PO Box 200, Falmouth TR11 4WJ or telephone 0871 988 8367 or online at express bookshop.com.
UK delivery is free. Calls cost 10p per minute from UK landlines.
Words of wisdom from the world's wisest thinkers are timeless, But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. If you want happiness for a life time — help someone else.
Doubt is the origin of wisdom. Augustine of Hippo Click to tweet
The truest wisdom is a resolute determination. Napoleon Bonaparte Click to tweet
Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life. Immanuel Kant Click to tweet
Foolishness is a twin sister of wisdom. Witold Gombrowicz Click to tweet
Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it. Albert Einstein Click to tweet
Wisdom is the power to put our time and our knowledge to the proper use. Thomas J. Watson Click to tweet
It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor. Seneca Click to tweet
A wise man never loses anything, if he has himself. Michel de Montaigne Click to tweet
Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom. Francis Bacon Click to tweet
Discipline is wisdom and vice versa. M. Scott Peck Click to tweet
See also: Buddha quotes, Rumi quotes, Einstein quotes
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The fool wonders, the wise man asks. Benjamin Disraeli
Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change. Confucius
Where there is shouting, there is no true knowledge. Leonardo da Vinci
Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. Benjamin Franklin
Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens. Jimi Hendrix Click to tweet
To attain knowledge, add things everyday. To attain wisdom, remove things every day. Lao Tzu
Wisdom is nothing but a preparation of the soul, a capacity, a secret art of thinking, feeling and breathing thoughts of unity at every moment of life. Hermann Hesse
We can know only that we know nothing. And that is the highest degree of human wisdom. Leo Tolstoy
There is only a finger’s difference between a wise man and a fool. Diogenes
Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end. Leonard Nimoy Click to tweet
What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness? Jean-Jacques Rousseau Click to tweet
Everything comes in time to him who knows how to wait. Leo Tolstoy
A lot of wisdom is just realizing the long-term consequences of your actions. The longer term you’re willing to look, the wiser you’re going to seem to everybody around you. Naval Ravikant
A fool is known by his speech; and a wise man by silence. Pythagoras
A weak reaction is to rush things. A strong reaction is to go slow and steady. Maxime Lagacé
Never say no twice if you mean it. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us. Marcel Proust
Wisdom ceases to be wisdom when it becomes too proud to weep, too grave to laugh, and too selfish to seek other than itself. Kahlil Gibran
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children. Kahlil Gibran
A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit. David Elton Trueblood
The motto of chivalry is also the motto of wisdom; to serve all, but love only one. Honore De Balzac
He gossips habitually; he lacks the common wisdom to keep still that deadly enemy of man, his own tongue. Mark Twain
Memory is not wisdom; idiots can by rote repeat volumes. Yet what is wisdom without memory? Martin Farquhar Tupper
Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment. Lao Tzu
The most certain sign of wisdom is cheerfulness. Michel de Montaigne
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. Will Rogers
Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. Thomas Jefferson Click to tweet
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. Socrates
Wisdom and deep intelligence require an honest appreciation of mystery. Thomas Moore (This is one of my favorite wisdom quote. Leave a reply here and let me know what’s yours!)
See also: the quotes we use the most
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Wisdom is knowing when you can’t be wise. Paul Engle Click to tweet
Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences. Norman Cousins
Wisdom is the knowledge of good and evil, not the strength to choose between the two. John Cheever
The two powers which in my opinion constitute a wise man are those of bearing and forbearing. Epictetus
Wisdom is not finally tested in the schools. Wisdom cannot be passed from one having it to another not having it. Wisdom is of the soul, is not susceptible of proof, is its own proof. Walt Whitman
Wisdom and understanding can only become the possession of individual men by travelling the old road of observation, attention, perseverance, and industry. Samuel Smiles
Wisdom is keeping a sense of fallibility of all our views and opinions. Gerald Brenan
Much wisdom often goes with fewest words. Sophocles Click to tweet
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He that composes himself is wiser than he that composes a book. Benjamin Franklin Click to tweet
Stronger by weakness, wiser men become. Edmund Waller
Be there a will, and wisdom finds a way. George Crabbe
Reality – Dreams = Animal Being. Reality + Dreams = A Heart-Ache (usually called Idealism). Reality + Humor = Realism (also called Conservatism). Dreams – Humor = Fanaticism. Dreams + Humor = Fantasy. Reality + Dreams + Humor = Wisdom. Lin Yutang
Do now what your future you will thank you for. Maxime Lagacé
Fast thinking looks cool but it’s deep thinking that makes all the difference. And deep thinking is always slow thinking. The Ancient Sage
Who then is free? The wise man who can command himself. Horace
He who would begun has half done. Dare to be wise; begin. Horace Click to tweet
Man is wise and constantly in quest of more wisdom; but the ultimate wisdom, which deals with beginnings, remains locked in a seed. There it lies, the simplest fact of the universe and at the same time the one which calls forth faith rather than reason. Hal Borland
Self-knowledge is the beginning of wisdom, which is the ending of fear. Jiddu Krishnamurti
Do what you will, withdraw to the mountains, sit in a forest, you cannot live in isolation. You can live only in relationship, and as long as relationship is not understood, there can be no right action. Right action comes in understanding relationship, which reveals the process of oneself. Self-knowledge is the beginning of wisdom, it is a field of affection, warmth, and love, therefore a field rich with flowers. Jiddu Krishnamurti
First of all, to understand truth you must stand alone, entirely and wholly alone. No Master, no teacher, no guru, no system, no self-discipline will ever lift for you the veil which conceals wisdom. Wisdom is the understanding of enduring values and the living of those values. No one can lead you to wisdom. Jiddu Krishnamurti
Our concern in meditation is to know oneself, not only superficially, but the whole content of the inner, hidden consciousness. Without knowing all that and being free of its conditioning, you cannot possibly go beyond the mind’s limits. That is why the thought process must cease, and for this cessation there must be knowledge of oneself. Therefore meditation is the beginning of wisdom, which is the understanding of one’s own mind and heart. Jiddu Krishnamurti
Men who know themselves are no longer fools. They stand on the threshold of the door of wisdom. Havelock Ellis
Wisdom consists not so much in knowing what to do in the ultimate as knowing what to do next. Herbert Hoover
If you have the guts to keep making mistakes, your wisdom and intelligence leap forward with huge momentum. Holly Near
The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. James Allen
One part of wisdom is knowing what you don’t need anymore and letting it go. Jane Fonda
Seek wisdom along with knowledge. Knowledge is words. Wisdom is silent. Knowledge is understanding what is seen. Wisdom is knowing what is not seen. Without knowledge, one could not play the violin. Without wisdom, one could not play the music. Thibaut
We’re all going to change. Otherwise, it’s boring. Alicia Keys
Pain and foolishness lead to great bliss and complete knowledge, for Eternal Wisdom created nothing under the sun in vain. Kahlil Gibran
The gateways to wisdom and learning are always open, and more and more I am choosing to walk through them. Barriers, blocks, obstacles, and problems are personal teachers giving me the opportunity to move out of the past and into the Totality of Possibilities. Louise L. Hay
True wisdom is remembering that in the end, no matter what, everything will be fine. Maxime Lagacé
Follow your instincts. That’s where true wisdom manifests itself. Oprah Winfrey
Turn your wounds into wisdom. Oprah Winfrey
Every journey that is successful has culs-de-sac and speed bumps. I carry a wisdom gene through my life through the good, the bad, and the ugly. Peter Guber
Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech. Plutarch
There is a universal, intelligent, life force that exists within everyone and everything. It resides within each one of use as a deep wisdom, an inner knowing. We can access this wonderful source of knowledge and wisdom through our intuition, an inner sense that tells us what feels right and true for us at any given moment. Shakti Gawain
Seek your own reality, that is what a wise man should do. Sri Sathya Sai Baba Click to tweet
If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise. William Blake
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One liners, short thoughts of wisdom and captions for your bio, social status, self-talk, motto, mantra, signs, posters, wallpapers, backgrounds, tattoos, SMS, Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc.
Knowledge shrinks as wisdom grows. Alfred North Whitehead Click to tweet
Memory is the mother of all wisdom. Aeschylus
Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers. Alfred Lord Tennyson
One principle eliminates a thousand decisions. Johnny Uzan
Don’t even try to become, just be. (Submitted by the Wisdom Quotes Community)
Wisdom begins at the end. Daniel Webster
Wise it is to comprehend the whole. Edward Young
Wisdom comes by disillusionment. George Santayana
Wisdom never lies. Homer
Wisdom sails with wind and time. John Florio
Wisdom has never made a bigot, but learning has. Josh Billings
Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another. Juvenal
The wisest of the wise may err. Aeschylus Click to tweet
Knowledge is marvelous, but wisdom is even better. Kay Redfield Jamison
Pain is the doorway to wisdom and to truth. Keith Miller
No man was ever wise by chance. Seneca
It is wiser to find out than to suppose. Mark Twain
Wisdom is knowledge which has become a part of one’s being. Orison Swett Marden
Kindness is wisdom. Philip James Bailey
Cunning… is but the low mimic of wisdom. Plato
Not by age but by capacity is wisdom acquired. Plautus
Wisdom begins in wonder. Socrates
The beginning of wisdom is to desire it. Solomon Ibn Gabirol
Wisdom outweighs any wealth. Sophocles Click to tweet
The wise are those who know the Self. Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Caution is the eldest child of wisdom. Victor Hugo
Great wisdom is generous; petty wisdom is contentious. Zhuangzi
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The sum of human wisdom is not contained in any one language, and no single language is capable of expressing all forms and degrees of human comprehension. Ezra Pound
As one grows older, one becomes wiser and more foolish. Francois de La Rochefoucauld Click to tweet
More helpful than all wisdom is one draught of simple human pity that will not forsake us. George Eliot
Wisdom is the oneness of mind that guides and permeated all things. Heraclitus
Because in the school of the Spirit man learns wisdom through humility, knowledge by forgetting, how to speak by silence, how to live by dying. Johannes Tauler
True wisdom listens more, talks less and can get along with all types of people. Kiana Tom Click to tweet
Always keep your mind as bright and clear as the vast sky, the great ocean, and the highest peak, empty of all thoughts. Always keep your body filled with light and heat. Fill yourself with the power of wisdom and enlightenment. Morihei Ueshiba
It is the province of knowledge to speak, and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen. Oliver Wendell Holmes
Wisdom is the abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future. Oliver Wendell Holmes
A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom. Robert Frost
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It is a profitable thing, if one is wise, to seem foolish. Aeschylus Click to tweet
The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself a fool. Anatole France
Mixing one’s wines may be a mistake, but old and new wisdom mix admirably. Bertolt Brecht
Back of every mistaken venture and defeat is the laughter of wisdom, if you listen. Carl Sandburg Click to tweet
Silence is foolish if we are wise, but wise if we are foolish. Charles Caleb Colton
Wise kings generally have wise counselors; and he must be a wise man himself who is capable of distinguishing one. Diogenes
Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you’d have preferred to talk. Doug Larson
It is human nature to think wisely and act foolishly. Anatole France
If a million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing. Anatole France
The ‘wisdom of the crowds’ is the most ridiculous statement I’ve heard in my life. Crowds are dumb. Drew Curtis
Kisses are a better fate than wisdom. E. E. Cummings
Who in their infinite wisdom decreed that Little League uniforms be white? Certainly not a mother. Erma Bombeck
I am thinking of taking a fifth wife. Why not? Solomon had a thousand wives and he is a synonym for wisdom. John Barrymore
In seeking wisdom thou art wise; in imagining that thou hast attained it – thou art a fool. Lord Chesterfield
It is not white hair that engenders wisdom. Menander
He was a wise man who invented beer. Plato
I tweet, therefore my entire life has shrunk to 140 character chunks of instant event and predigested gnomic wisdom. And swearing. Neil Gaiman (On Twitter)
Gray hairs are signs of wisdom if you hold your tongue, speak and they are but hairs, as in the young. Rabindranath Tagore
To keep your secret is wisdom; but to expect others to keep it is folly. Samuel Johnson
If suffering brings wisdom, I would wish to be less wise. William Butler Yeats Click to tweet
Look wise, say nothing, and grunt. Speech was given to conceal thought. William Osler
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I prefer the folly of enthusiasm to the indifference of wisdom. Anatole France Click to tweet
The most important lesson of New Labour is this: Every time we made progress we did it by challenging the conventional wisdom. Ed Miliband
Sometimes one likes foolish people for their folly, better than wise people for their wisdom. Elizabeth Gaskell
All human wisdom works and has worries and grief as reward. Johann Georg Hamann
Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. Ludwig van Beethoven Click to tweet
Learning and wisdom are superfluities, the surface glitter merely, but it is the heart that is the seat of all power. Swami Sivananda
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I would rather be a man of paradoxes than a man of prejudices. Jean-Jacques Rousseau Click to tweet
To be sane in a world of madman is in itself madness. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Wisdom comes from experience. Experience is often a result of lack of wisdom. Terry Pratchett
The wise man belongs to all countries, for the home of a great soul is the whole world. Democritus
If you succeed in judging yourself rightly, then you are indeed a man of true wisdom. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Cleverness is like a lens with a very sharp focus. Wisdom is more like a wide-angle lens. Edward de Bono
For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Before you react, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you criticize, wait. Before you quit, try. Ernest Hemingway
The animal acts and does not reflect. The indecisive man reflects and does not act. The average man reflects after he acts. The wise man reflects before he acts. The Stoic Emperor
Just as a fire is covered by smoke and a mirror is obscured by dust, just as the embryo rests deep within the womb, wisdom is hidden by selfish desire. Bhagavad Gita
Out of compassion I destroy the darkness of their ignorance. From within them I light the lamp of wisdom and dispel all darkness from their lives. Bhagavad Gita
It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err. Mahatma Gandhi
The clouds may drop down titles and estates, and wealth may seek us, but wisdom must be sought. Edward Young
The first point of wisdom is to discern that which is false; the second, to know that which is true. Lactantius
We will be known forever by the tracks we leave. Dakota (Native American saying)
Has fortune dealt you some bad cards. Then let wisdom make you a good gamester. Francis Quarles
We give advice, but we cannot give the wisdom to profit by it. Francois de La Rochefoucauld
The function of wisdom is to discriminate between good and evil. Marcus Tullius Cicero
All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. J.R.R. Tolkien
Genius unrefined resembles a flash of lightning, but wisdom is like the sun. Franz Grillparzer Click to tweet
Talent is like the marksman who hits a target which others cannot reach; genius is like the marksman who hits a target… which others cannot even see. Arthur Schopenhauer
Contemplation and wisdom are highest achievements and man is not totally at home with them. Gabriel Marcel
Real wisdom is not the knowledge of everything, but the knowledge of which things in life are necessary, which are less necessary, and which are completely unnecessary to know. Leo Tolstoy
What we call wisdom is the result of all the wisdom of past ages. Our best institutions are like young trees growing upon the roots of the old trunks that have crumbled away. Henry Ward Beecher
It’s wisdom to recognize necessity, when all other courses have been weighed, though as folly it may appear to those who cling to false hope. J. R. R. Tolkien
We can be knowledgeable with other men’s knowledge but we cannot be wise with other men’s wisdom. Michel de Montaigne
The small wisdom is like water in a glass: clear, transparent, pure. The great wisdom is like the water in the sea: dark, mysterious, impenetrable. Rabindranath Tagore
We can’t really digest food unless there’s hunger. So we can’t really assimilate spiritual wisdom unless we feel the need for it. Radhanath Swami
Innocence dwells with wisdom, but never with ignorance. William Blake
If you have the insight of non-self, if you have the insight of impermanence, you should make that insight into a concentration that you keep alive throughout the day. Then what you say, what you think, and what you do will then be in the light of that wisdom and you will avoid making mistakes and creating suffering. Thich Nhat Hanh
Counsel woven into the fabric of real life is wisdom. Walter Benjamin
It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf. Walter Lippmann
Wisdom is the knowledge of good and evil, not the strength to choose between the two. John Cheever
The end of wisdom is to dream high enough to lose the dream in the seeking of it. William Faulkner
In the vain laughter of folly wisdom hears half its applause. George Eliot
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Who is wise in love, love most, say least. Alfred Lord Tennyson Click to tweet
Life is about execution rather than purpose. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Knowledge comes from learning. Wisdom comes from living. Anthony Douglas Wiliams
There’s a beauty to wisdom and experience that cannot be faked. It’s impossible to be mature without having lived. Amy Grant
In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration. Ansel Adams
Wise people, even though all laws were abolished, would still lead the same life. Aristophanes
A loving heart is the truest wisdom. Charles Dickens
Putting is like wisdom – partly a natural gift and partly the accumulation of experience. Arnold Palmer
You can’t be wise and in love at the same time. Bob Dylan
Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance. Francis of Assisi Click to tweet
There is a wisdom of the head, and a wisdom of the heart. Charles Dickens
If we have built on the fragile cornerstones of human wisdom, pride, and conditional love, things may look good for a while, but a weak foundation causes collapse when storms hit. Charles Stanley
Wisdom acquisition is a moral duty. It’s not something you do just to advance in life. Wisdom acquisition is a moral duty. As a corollary to that proposition which is very important, it means that you are hooked for lifetime learning. And without lifetime learning, you people are not going to do very well. You are not going to get very far in life based on what you already know. You’re going to advance in life by what you learn after you leave here. Charlie Munger
The good and the wise lead quiet lives. Euripides
It is necessary to take what is common as our guide; however, though this logic is universal, the many live as if each individual has his own private wisdom. Heraclitus
Though wisdom is common, yet the many live as if they had a wisdom of their own. Heraclitus
Without wisdom, the future has no meaning, no valuable purpose. Herbie Hancock
Wisdom is that apprehension of heavenly things to which the spirit rises through love. Honore De Balzac
The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom. Isaac Asimov
Learning sleeps and snores in libraries, but wisdom is everywhere, wide awake, on tiptoe. Josh Billings
Wisdom stands at the turn in the road and calls upon us publicly, but we consider it false and despise its adherents. Kahlil Gibran
Wisdom does not show itself so much in precept as in life – in a firmness of mind and mastery of appetite. It teaches us to do as well as talk; and to make our actions and words all of a color. Seneca
The sublimity of wisdom is to do those things living, which are to be desired when dying. Norman Douglas
Love is the wisdom of the fool and the folly of the wise. Samuel Johnson
Practical wisdom is only to be learned in the school of experience. Precepts and instruction are useful so far as they go, but, without the discipline of real life, they remain of the nature of theory only. Samuel Smiles
The experience gathered from books, though often valuable, is but the nature of learning; whereas the experience gained from actual life is one of the nature of wisdom. Samuel Smiles
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The truest greatness lies in being kind, the truest wisdom in a happy mind. Ella Wheeler Wilcox Click to tweet
It is the nature of the wise to resist pleasures, but the foolish to be a slave to them. Epictetus
There is this difference between happiness and wisdom: he that thinks himself the happiest man, really is so; but he that thinks himself the wisest, is generally the greatest fool. Charles Caleb Colton
The weak have remedies, the wise have joys; superior wisdom is superior bliss. Edward Young
No matter how thin you slice it, there will always be two sides. Baruch Spinoza
He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. Epictetus
It is impossible to live a pleasant life without living wisely and well and justly. And it is impossible to live wisely and well and justly without living a pleasant life. Epicurus
The final wisdom of life requires not the annulment of incongruity but the achievement of serenity within and above it. Reinhold Niebuhr
Be happy. It’s one way of being wise. Sidonie Gabrielle Colette
There is no happiness where there is no wisdom. Sophocles
The wise are cheerful and content with their lot in life. Sri Sathya Sai Baba Click to tweet
We humans have lost the wisdom of genuinely resting and relaxing. We worry too much. We don’t allow our bodies to heal, and we don’t allow our minds and hearts to heal. Thich Nhat Hanh
I’m not wise, but the beginning of wisdom is there; it’s like relaxing into – and an acceptance of – things. Tina Turner
Let us be silent, content in our little corner, meek and gentle like them. That is the wisdom of life. W. Somerset Maugham
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Nothing is more simple than greatness; indeed, to be simple is to be great. Ralph Waldo Emerson Click to tweet
Complexity is enemy of execution. Tony Robbins
People don’t need more stuff, they need more wisdom. Maxime Lagacé
The most complicated skill is to be simple. Dejan Stojanovic
The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions. Confucius
Simplicity will stand out, while complexity will get lost in the crowd. Kevin Barnett
Fools ignore complexity. Geniuses remove it. Alan Perlis
Possessions, outward success, publicity, luxury – to me these have always been contemptible. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best for both the body and the mind. Albert Einstein
Nature is pleased with simplicity. And nature is no dummy. Isaac Newton Click to tweet
It is always the simple that produces the marvelous. Amelia Barr
Simplicity is ultimately a matter of focus. Ann Voskamp
To be satisfied with a little, is the greatest wisdom; and he that increaseth his riches, increaseth his cares; but a contented mind is a hidden treasure, and trouble findeth it not. Akhenaton
Truth is ever to be found in the simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things. Isaac Newton
I do believe in simplicity. It is astonishing as well as sad, how many trivial affairs even the wisest thinks he must attend to in a day; how singular an affair he thinks he must omit. When the mathematician would solve a difficult problem, he first frees the equation of all incumbrances, and reduces it to its simplest terms. So simplify the problem of life, distinguish the necessary and the real. Probe the earth to see where your main roots run. Henry David Thoreau
Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity, and I may say innocence, with Nature herself. Henry David Thoreau
As you simplify your life, the laws of the Universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness. Henry David Thoreau
Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials. Lin Yutang
In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Or, rather, let us be more simple and less vain. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
The greatest ideas are the simplest. William Golding
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To light one candle to God and another to the Devil is the principle of wisdom. Jose Bergamin Click to tweet
Earthly wisdom is doing what comes naturally. Godly wisdom is doing what the Holy Spirit compels us to do. Charles Stanley
Science investigates religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power religion gives man wisdom which is control. Martin Luther King Jr
If we believe in a God at all, we must surely ascribe to him perfection of wisdom and perfection of goodness; we are then forced to conceive of Him – however strange it may sound to those who believe, not only without seeing but also without thinking – as without will, because He must always necessarily pursue the course which is wisest and best. Annie Besant
The Divine wisdom has given us prayer, not as a means whereby to obtain the good things of earth, but as a means whereby we learn to do without them; not as a means whereby we escape evil, but as a means whereby we become strong to meet it. Frederick William Robertson
God the Father, the supreme Architect, had already built this cosmic home we behold, the most sacred temple of His godhead, by the laws of His mysterious wisdom. Giovanni Pico della Mirandola
The marvel of the Bhagavad-Gita is its truly beautiful revelation of life’s wisdom which enables philosophy to blossom into religion. Hermann Hesse
There is no such thing as human wisdom; all is the providence of God. John Adams
This fear of the Lord is indeed the beginning of wisdom. This consciousness of sin is the straight pathway to heaven. Joseph Barber Lightfoot
As you walk in God’s divine wisdom, you will surely begin to see a greater measure of victory and good success in your life. Joseph Prince
The best way to obtain truth and wisdom is not to ask from books, but to go to God in prayer, and obtain divine teaching. Joseph Smith Jr
The just man loves God for nothing, neither for this nor for that, and if God gave him wisdom or anything else he had to give, except himself, the just man would not look at it, nor would it be to his taste; for he wants nothing, seeks nothing, and has no reason for doing anything. Meister Eckhart
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Reinhold Niebuhr
Your task is to build a better world, God said. I answered, How? This world is such a large, vast place, and there’s nothing I can do that seems to matter. But God in all His wisdom said, just build a better you.
The harder you ask for something, and work for it, the better your chances of getting it. The question is, are you working hard and asking for it? Maxime Lagacé
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A man may learn wisdom even from a foe. Aristophanes Click to tweet
The wisdom of the wise and the experience of the ages are perpetuated by quotations. Benjamin Disraeli
The doors of wisdom are never shut. Benjamin Franklin
Learning happens at the edge of your ability. Endurance builds at the edge of your stamina. Breakthrough comes at the edge of your patience. Anything worthwhile is found on the edge. Johnny Uzan
Uncertainty is the root of all progress and all growth. We cannot learn anything without first not knowing something. Mark Manson
The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. John Powell
The young man knows the rules but the old man knows the exceptions. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr
The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is a knowledge of our own ignorance. Benjamin Franklin Click to tweet
Wisdom is knowing what to do next; Skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it. David Starr Jordan
Passive acceptance of the teacher’s wisdom is easy to most boys and girls. It involves no effort of independent thought, and seems rational because the teacher knows more than his pupils; it is moreover the way to win the favour of the teacher unless he is a very exceptional man. Yet the habit of passive acceptance is a disastrous one in later life. It causes man to seek and to accept a leader, and to accept as a leader whoever is established in that position. Bertrand Russell
Not engaging in ignorance is wisdom. Bodhidharma
Wisdom is not words written in some book. Wisdom is a costly acquisition. It comes from personally paying the price for one’s actions. It is iterated learning from years of experience. The Ancient Sage
Wisdom is achieved by keeping an open mind and a closed mouth. Ignorance is exposed by having an open mouth and a closed mind. Jim Stovall
The stupidity of people comes from having an answer for everything. The wisdom of the novel comes from having a question for everything. Milan Kundera
There is no knowledge, no light, no wisdom that you are in possession of, but what you have received it from some source. Brigham Young
Much of the wisdom of one age, is the folly of the next. Charles Simmons
Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. Charles Spurgeon
There is as much wisdom in listening as there is in speaking – and that goes for all relationships, not just romantic ones. Daniel Dae Kim
No one ever found wisdom without also being a fool. Erica Jong
A prudent question is one-half of wisdom. Francis Bacon
The hunger for facile wisdom is the root of all false philosophy. George Santayana
Books are the ever burning lamps of accumulated wisdom. George William Curtis
The art of knowing is knowing what to ignore. James Altucher
Abundance of knowledge does not teach men to be wise. Heraclitus Click to tweet
You can practice to attain knowledge, but you can’t practice to attain wisdom. Herbie Hancock
Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, be fortified by it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it. Hermann Hesse
Wisdom is not wisdom when it is derived from books alone. Horace
When you’re used to being prepared to reject conventional wisdom, it leaves you open to learn more. Mayim Bialik
An educator is not merely a giver of information; he is one who points the way to wisdom, to truth. Truth is far more important than the teacher. The search for truth is religion, and truth is of no country, of no creed, it is not to be found in any temple, church or mosque. Without the search for truth, society soon decays. Jiddu Krishnamurti
The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind. Kahlil Gibran
Sciences may be learned by rote, but wisdom not. Laurence Sterne
If I don’t have wisdom, I can teach you only ignorance. Leo Buscaglia
There are many things of which a wise man might wish to be ignorant. Ralph Waldo Emerson
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If you don’t understand yourself you don’t understand anybody else. Nikki Giovanni Click to tweet
The virtue of justice consists in moderation, as regulated by wisdom. Aristotle
A monarchy conducted with infinite wisdom and infinite benevolence is the most perfect of all possible governments. Ezra Stiles
Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance. H. L. Mencken
I learned some valuable lessons about the legislative process, the importance of bipartisan cooperation and the wisdom of taking small steps to get a big job done. Hillary Clinton
Government is a contrivance of human wisdom to provide for human wants. People have the right to expect that these wants will be provided for by this wisdom. Jimmy Carter
History is filled with tragic examples of wars that result from diplomatic impasse. Whether in our local communities or in international relations, the skillful use of our communicative capacities to negotiate and resolve differences is the first evidence of human wisdom. Daisaku Ikeda
The wisdom and experience of older people is a resource of inestimable worth. Recognizing and treasuring the contributions of older people is essential to the long-term flourishing of any society. Daisaku Ikeda
What if, for starters, instead of constantly trying to prove how much smarter we are than others, we look for the intelligence in what others do. Neil Strauss
We learned in World War II that no single nation holds a monopoly on wisdom, morality or right to power, but that we must fight for the weak and promote democracy. Joe Baca
I look forward to a great future for America – a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose. John F. Kennedy
In the frank expression of conflicting opinions lies the greatest promise of wisdom in governmental action. Louis D. Brandeis
I hope our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us, that the less we use our power the greater it will be. Thomas JeffersonClick to tweet
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All human wisdom is summed up in two words; wait and hope. Alexandre Dumas Click to tweet
To wisdom belongs the intellectual apprehension of things eternal; to knowledge, the rational apprehension of things temporal. Augustine of Hippo
Both in thought and in feeling, even though time be real, to realise the unimportance of time is the gate of wisdom. Bertrand Russell
Every man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day; wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit. Elbert Hubbard
The wisdom acquired with the passage of time is a useless gift unless you share it. Esther Williams
Patience is the companion of wisdom. Augustine of Hippo
Wisdom too often never comes, and so one ought not to reject it merely because it comes late. Felix Frankfurter
Wisdom not only gets, but once got, retains. Francis Quarles
Morality comes with the sad wisdom of age, when the sense of curiosity has withered. Graham Greene
The older I grow the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom. H. L. Mencken
A man begins cutting his wisdom teeth the first time he bites off more than he can chew. Herb Caen Click to tweet
To know how to grow old is the master work of wisdom, and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living. Herman Melville
No wise man ever wished to be younger. Jonathan Swift
Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived. Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Star Trek)
At sixty, I know little more about wisdom than I did at thirty, but I know a great deal more about folly. Mason Cooley
The wisdom of age: don’t stop walking. Mason Cooley
Time ripens all things; no man is born wise. Miguel de Cervantes
Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in time. Theodore Roosevelt
The hours of folly are measured by the clock; but of wisdom, no clock can measure. William Blake
The wise man does not grow old, but ripens. Victor Hugo
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Action should culminate in wisdom. Bhagavad Gita Click to tweet
Better be wise by the misfortunes of others than by your own. Aesop
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln
Wisdom comes only through suffering. Aeschylus
He who learns must suffer, and, even in our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God. Aeschylus
When you have success, be extra wary. When you are angry, take no action. When you are fearful, know you are going to exaggerate the dangers you face. Robert Greene
Advice for nearly everything: start slowly and maintain traction. Michael
The biggest challenge after success is shutting up about it. Criss Jami
If you want to change the fruits, you will first have to change the roots. If you want to change the visible, you must first change the invisible. T. Harv Ecker
True wisdom is less presuming than folly. The wise man doubteth often, and changeth his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubteth not; he knoweth all things but his own ignorance. Akhenaton
Experience is the only prophecy of wise men. Alphonse de Lamartine
Without courage, wisdom bears no fruit. Baltasar Gracian
Only in recent history has “working hard” signaled pride rather than shame for lack of talent, finesse and, mostly, sprezzatura. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Give me a lever long enough, and a place to stand, and I will move the earth. Archimedes
Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. Bertrand Russell
Strength and wisdom are not opposing values. Bill Clinton
Even when you have doubts, take that step. Take chances. Mistakes are never a failure – they can be turned into wisdom. Cat Cora
Doubt is the vestibule through which all must pass before they can enter into the temple of wisdom. Charles Caleb Colton
I don’t think you can come into your wisdom until you have made mistakes on your own skin and felt them in reality of your own life. Elizabeth Gilbert
If I am fool, it is, at least, a doubting one; and I envy no one the certainty of his self-approved wisdom. George Byron
How prone to doubt, how cautious are the wise. Homer
Death never takes the wise man by surprise, he is always ready to go. Jean de La Fontaine
He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom. J. R. R. Tolkien
Experience comprises illusions lost, rather than wisdom gained. Joseph Roux
Where fear is present, wisdom cannot be. Lactantius
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The most important aspect of my personality as far as determining my success goes; has been my questioning conventional wisdom, doubting experts and questioning authority. While that can be painful in your relationships with your parents and teachers, it’s enormously useful in life. Larry Ellison
In life, all good things come hard, but wisdom is the hardest to come by. Lucille Ball
We become wiser by adversity; prosperity destroys our appreciation of the right. Seneca
To make no mistakes is not in the power of man; but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future. Plutarch
Wisdom thoroughly learned, will never be forgotten. Pythagoras
A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men. Roald Dahl Click to tweet
It is costly wisdom that is bought by experience. Roger Ascham
All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes. Winston Churchill
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Truth builds trust. Marilyn Suttle Click to tweet
A wise person decides slowly but abides by these decisions. Arthur Ashe
Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great. John D. Rockefeller
Wisdom comes from experience, experience can be accelerated through short iterations. Naval Ravikant
If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary. Jim Rohn
If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. Malcolm X
If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Frederick Douglass
It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. Herman Melville Click to tweet
If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time. Steve Jobs
You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you’re not passionate enough from the start, you’ll never stick it out. Steve Jobs
In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity. Sun Tzu
Done is better than perfect. Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook)
Persistence. Perfection. Patience. Power. Prioritize your passion. It keeps you sane. Criss Jami
To build a great company, which is a CEO’s job, sometimes you have to stand up against conventional wisdom. Carly Fiorina
Ignore the conventional wisdom. If everybody else is doing it one way, there’s a good chance you can find your niche by going in exactly the opposite direction. Sam Walton (Wal-Mart)
The older I get the more wisdom I find in the ancient rule of taking first things first. A process which often reduces the most complex human problem to a manageable proportion. Dwight D. Eisenhower
We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom. The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices wisely. E. O. Wilson
The wisest men follow their own direction. Euripides
Few people have the wisdom to prefer the criticism that would do them good, to the praise that deceives them. Francois de La Rochefoucauld
We have been doing things that are contrary; the things that people tell us won’t work from the beginning. In fact, the only way to get ahead is to find errors in conventional wisdom. Larry Ellison (Oracle)
Thinking well to be wise: planning well, wiser: doing well wisest and best of all. Malcolm Forbes
The wise man is he who knows the relative value of things. Dean Inge
If you command wisely, you’ll be obeyed cheerfully. Thomas Fuller
See also: Steve Jobs quotes
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Not he who has much is rich, but he who gives much. Erich Fromm Click to tweet
That man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest. Henry David Thoreau
Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune. Jim Rohn
Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. Franklin D. Roosevelt
He who loses money, loses much; He who loses a friend, loses much more; He who loses faith, loses all. Eleanor Roosevelt
Wealth is the ability to fully experience life. Henry David Thoreau
The wisdom of man never yet contrived a system of taxation that would operate with perfect equality. Andrew Jackson
Frugality includes all the other virtues. Cicero
Don’t gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold. Bob Marley
Don’t tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value. Joe Biden
Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants. Epictetus Click to tweet
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Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth. Albert Einstein Click to tweet
If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself. Albert Einstein
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. Albert Einstein
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Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all. Aristotle Click to tweet
The whole is more than the sum of its parts. Aristotle
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. Aristotle
The wise man does not expose himself needlessly to danger, since there are few things for which he cares sufficiently; but he is willing, in great crises, to give even his life – knowing that under certain conditions it is not worthwhile to live. Aristotle
The aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain. Aristotle
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To the wise, life is a problem; to the fool, a solution. Marcus Aurelius Click to tweet
You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. Marcus Aurelius
Death smiles at us all, but all a man can do is smile back. Marcus Aurelius
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A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer. Bruce Lee Click to tweet
In order to control myself I must first accept myself by going with and not against my nature. Bruce Lee
I cannot teach you, only help you to explore yourself, nothing more. Bruce Lee
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Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. Buddha Click to tweet
The mind is everything. What you think you become. Buddha
Meditation brings wisdom; lack of mediation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom. Buddha
They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom. Confucius Click to tweet
By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. Confucius
Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men. Confucius
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By desiring little, a poor man makes himself rich. Democritus Click to tweet
Everything existing in the universe is the fruit of chance and necessity. Democritus
Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul. Democritus
Men find happiness neither by means of the body nor through possessions, but through uprightness and wisdom. Democritus
Believe not everything, but only what is proven: the former is foolish, the latter the act of a sensible man. Fools are shaped by the gifts of chance, but those who understand these things, by the gifts of wisdom. Democritus
Medicine heals diseases of the body, wisdom frees the soul from passions. Democritus
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The summit of happiness is reached when a person is ready to be what he is. Desiderius Erasmus Click to tweet
The most disadvantageous peace is better than the most just war. Desiderius Erasmus
Prevention is better than cure. Desiderius Erasmus
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He who overreaches will, in his overreaching, lose what he possesses, betray what he has now. Euripides Click to tweet
Cleverness is not wisdom. Euripides
Experience, travel. These are an education in themselves. Euripides
Along with success comes a reputation for wisdom. Euripides
Knowledge is not wisdom: cleverness is not, not without awareness of our death, not without recalling just how brief our flare is. Euripides
Some wisdom you must learn from one who’s wise. Euripides
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To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering. Friedrich Nietzsche Click to tweet
There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy. Friedrich Nietzsche
That which does not kill us makes us stronger. Friedrich Nietzsche
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You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself. Galileo Galilei Click to tweet
Mathematics is the language with which God has written the universe. Galileo Galilei
All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them. Galileo Galilei
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Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves. Henry David Thoreau Click to tweet
It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things. Henry David Thoreau
Cultivate the habit of early rising. It is unwise to keep the head long on a level with the feet. Henry David Thoreau
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As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Click to tweet
Wisdom is found only in truth. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This is the highest wisdom that I own; freedom and life are earned by those alone who conquer them each day anew. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Ignorant men raise questions that wise men answered a thousand years ago. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. King Solomon Click to tweet
A fool is wise in his eyes. King Solomon
Who is the wise man? He who sees what’s going to be born. King Solomon
Start with God – the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning. King Solomon
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Wisdom need not always be verbose. In fact, some of the wisest, most memorable quotes by famous people are pretty darn short, yet they pack a lot of meaning in their punch. Keeping it short works well probably because of K.I.S.S.: "Keep it simple, stupid."
George Bernard Shaw: "Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."
Mother Teresa: "If you judge people, you have no time to love them."
Lucille Ball: "Love yourself first, and everything else falls into place."
Stephen Colbert: "Dreams can change. If we’d all stuck with our first dream, the world would be overrun with cowboys and princesses."
Oprah Winfrey: "Failure is another stepping-stone to greatness."
Stephen Hawking: "Be curious."
Mother Teresa: "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one."
Michelle Obama: "Success isn't about how much money you make. It's about the difference you make in people's lives."
Wayne Gretzky: "You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take."
Gabrielle Giffords: "Be bold, be courageous, be your best."
Madeleine Albright: "Real leadership...comes from realizing that the time has come to move beyond waiting to doing."
Babe Ruth: "Don't let the fear of striking out hold you back."
Seneca: "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."
Anna Quindlen: "Don’t ever confuse the two: your life and your work. The second is only part of the first."
Thomas Jefferson: "He who knows best knows how little he knows."
Dolly Parton: "If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."
Francis David: "We need not think alike to love alike."
John Quincy Adams: "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader."
Maya Angelou: "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
Malcolm X: "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything."
Hillary Clinton: "Every moment wasted looking back keeps us from moving forward."
Thomas A. Edison: "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."
Katie Couric: "You can't please everyone, and you can't make everyone like you."
Jon Bon Jovi: "Miracles happen every day. Change your perception of what a miracle is and you'll see them all around you."
Eleanor Roosevelt: "Do one thing every day that scares you."
Tina Fey: "There are no mistakes, only opportunities."
Francis Bacon: "A prudent question is one half of wisdom."
Sheryl Sandberg: "If you're offered a seat on a rocket ship, don't ask what seat! Just get on."
Eleanor Roosevelt: "Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
Florence Nightingale: "I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse."
Edwin Land: "Creativity is the sudden cessation of stupidity."
Maya Angelou: "You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have."
Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching: "When I let go of who I am, I become what I might be."
Rosa Parks: "When one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear."
Henry Ford: "Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right."
Gloria Steinem: "Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning."
Christopher Reeve: "Once you choose hope, anything's possible."
Kate Winslet: "Life is short, and it is here to be lived."
Mahatma Gandhi: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
Alice Walker: "The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any."
Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching: "Great acts are made up of small deeds."
Amelia Earhart: "The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity."
Ellen DeGeneres: "Sometimes you can't see yourself clearly until you see yourself through the eyes of others."
Walt Disney: "All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them."
Part 4. The Greatest Wisdom Quotes From The Wisest People Who Ever Lived. Go to table of content.
Let me guess…
You often drag yourself to work and feel like everyday is the same.
Perhaps it feels like your life is on autopilot.
At moments you might even feel like your life is not very meaningful and you miss a clear sense of purpose.
Am I right?
Well, sometimes all you need are a few inspiring wise words that will give you a new perspective on life.
There are a lot of words of wisdom out there and many of them are good, but not life changing.
Here they are…
1. “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”– Albert Einstein
2. Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes.” – Sigmund Freud
3. “In seeking happiness for others, you will find it in yourself.” – Unknown
4. “Love is a verb. Love – the feeling – is a fruit of love, the verb.” – Stephen Covey
5. “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” – Viktor Frankl
6. “He who fears he will suffer, already suffers because he fears.” – Michel De Montaigne
7. “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill
8. “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Gandhi
9. “When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.” – Helen Keller
10.“Challenges is what makes life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” – Joshua J. Marine
11. “If you want happiness for an hour – take a nap. If you want happiness for a day – go fishing. If you want happiness for a year – inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a life time – help someone else.” – Chinese proverb
12. “Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.” – Viktor Frankl
13. “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes
14. “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius
15. “Many people are passionate, but because of their limiting beliefs about who they are and what they can do, they never take actions that could make their dream a reality” – Anthony Robins
16. “True success is overcoming the fear of being unsuccessful.” – Paul Sweeney
17. “The only way that we can live is if we grow. The only way we can grow is if we change. The only way we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we are exposed is if we throw ourselves into the open.” – C. Joybell
18. “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.” – Mary Engelbreit
19. “A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” – George Bernhard Shaw
20. “Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.” – Henry van Dyke
21. “I would rather die a meaningful death than to live a meaningless life.” – Corazon Aquino
22. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” – Reinhold Niebuhr
23. “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” – Stephen Covey
24. “We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.” – Mother Theresa
25. “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.” – Bil Keane
26. “Falling in love is not a choice. To stay in love is.” – Unknown
27. “The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” – Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
28. “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” – Albert Einstein
29. “Happiness is like a butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it eludes you. But if you turn your attention to other things, it comes and sits softly on your shoulder.” – Henry David Thoreau
Do you feel inspired and a little bit wiser?
That’s great!
It’s all too easy though to read these inspiring words and then forget all about them.
So, I challenge you to read them again and then ask yourself what you can do differently in your life from now on to experience more happiness, success and fulfillment.
It might take a little bit of effort from your side, but you’ll reap the rewards for sure.
You can compare it to reading a book about losing weight. Just reading the book won’t make you loose weight. You actually have to get up and do something!
Are you ready to accept the challenge?
About the author:Bas Blikman is the writer and founder of Upfrontblogger.com; A website that gives honest and simple advice for starting a blog that will actually make you money His advice is also great if you want to start your own self improvement blog. You can follow him on Pinterest or visit his website for more information“
the 20 wisest quotes of all time. Wisdom is something that comes from experience. Humans experience things differently from each other, they.
