Wisdom Quotes

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

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.

Your law may be perfect, your knowledge of human affairs may be such as to enable you to apply it with wisdom and skill, and yet without individual acquaintance with men, their haunts and habits, the pursuit of the profession becomes difficult, slow, and expensive.

It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.

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.

To think the world therefore a general Bedlam, or place of madmen, and oneself a physician, is the most necessary point of present wisdom: an important imagination, and the way to happiness.

He dares to be a fool, and that is the first step in the direction of wisdom.

Kisses are a better fate than wisdom.

Now it is time to turn to an older wisdom that, while respecting material comfort and security as a basic right of all, also recognises that many of the most valuable things in life cannot be measured.

Women always excel men in that sort of wisdom which comes from experience. To be a woman is in itself a terrible experience.

Many spiritual teachers - in Buddhism, in Islam - have talked about first-hand experience of the world as an important part of the path to wisdom, to enlightenment.

Silence and reserve will give anyone a reputation for wisdom.

Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another.

It is wisdom in prosperity, when all is as thou wouldn't have it, to fear and suspect the worst.

The sum of wisdom is that time is never lost that is devoted to work.

The beginning of wisdom is to desire it.

There are three faithful friends - an old wife, an old dog, and ready money.

Along with success comes a reputation for wisdom.

Who knows for what we live, and struggle, and die? Wise men write many books, in words too hard to understand. But this, the purpose of our lives, the end of all our struggle, is beyond all human wisdom.

True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing.

War involves in its progress such a train of unforeseen circumstances that no human wisdom can calculate the end; it has but one thing certain, and that is to increase taxes.

Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences.

This is the highest wisdom that I own; freedom and life are earned by those alone who conquer them each day anew.

The clouds may drop down titles and estates, and wealth may seek us, but wisdom must be sought.

Preconceived notions are the locks on the door to wisdom.

It is the nature of the wise to resist pleasures, but the foolish to be a slave to them.

Not engaging in ignorance is wisdom.

In order to have wisdom we must have ignorance.

Nobody can give you wiser advice than yourself.

God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.