Wisdom Quotes

It is not length of life, but depth of life.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.

Francis Bacon

The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.

Emerson

Nine tenths of wisdom is being wise in time.

Theodore Roosevelt

All human wisdom is contained in these two words, Wait and Hope.

Alexandre Dumas

There is no short cut, no patent tramroad, to wisdom. After all the centuries of invention, the soul’s path lies through the thorny wilderness which must still be trodden in solitude, with bleeding feet, with sobs for help, as it was trodden by them of old.

George Eliot

The truest greatness lies in being kind, the truest wisdom in a happy mind.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

The most certain sign of wisdom is continual cheerfulness; her state is like the things above the moon, always clear and serene.

Michel de Montaigne

We learn wisdom from failure much more than success. We often discover what we will do, by finding out what we wont do.

Samuel Smiles

The only wisdom we can hope to acquire is the wisdom of humility.

T S Eliot

Perfect wisdom has four parts: Wisdom, the principle of doing things aright. Justice, the principle of doing things equally in public and private. Fortitude, the principle of not fleeing danger, but meeting it. Temperance, the principle of subduing desires and living moderately.

Plato

Wisdom is the daughter of experience.

Leonardo Da Vinci

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

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

Wisdom is understanding when to ask questions.

Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson

There is a wisdom of the Head, and...there is a wisdom of the Heart.

Charles Dickens

Wisdom is a treasure, the key whereof is never lost.

Edward Counsel

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

Doug Larson

Like water in the desert is wisdom to the soul.

Edward Counsel

Necessity teaches wisdom, while prosperity makes fools.

Wellins Calcott

Wisdom grows in quiet places.

Austin O'Malley

Wisdom is sold in the desolate market where none come to buy,

And in the withered fields where the farmer ploughs for bread in vain.

William Blake

To understand the actual world as it is, not as we should wish it to be, is the beginning of wisdom.

Bertrand Russell

Wisdom is the perception of the unimportance of the things we call great, and of the importance of the things we call small.

Charles Edward Jerningham

Wisdom is mostly the fruit of experience.

Edward Counsel

The knowledge and experience which produce wisdom can only become a man's individual possession and property by his own free action; and it is as futile to expect these without laborious, painstaking effort, as it is to hope to gather a harvest where the seed has not been sown.

Samuel Smiles

When people grow wise in one direction, they are sure to make it easier for themselves to grow wise in other directions as well.

Isaac Asimov

A man's wisdom is his best friend; folly, his worst enemy.

Sir William Temple

Wisdom is the wealth of emotional intelligence.

Sajid Khan

The Doors of Wisdom are never shut.

Benjamin Franklin

Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.

Alfred Tennyson

Better to be wise by the misfortunes of others than by your own.

Aesop

Wisdom is the only thing which can relieve us from the sway of the passions and the fear of danger, and which can teach us to bear the injuries of fortune itself with moderation, and which shows us all the ways which lead to tranquility and peace.

Cicero

Wisdom is a right understanding, a faculty of discerning good from evil, what is to be chosen and what rejected; a judgment grounded upon the true value of things, and not the common opinion of them.

Wellins Calcott

Be wise before the storm.

Edward Counsel

Wisdom consists in being able to distinguish among dangers and make a choice of the least harmful.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Wisdom is a safe ship; and we may trust ourselves to it in all weathers.

Edward Counsel

In much wisdom is much grief.

Ecclesiastes 1:18

The sun of the mind, and the life of the heart is Wisdom.

She is pure and full of light, crowning grey hairs with lustre,

And kindling the eye of youth with a fire not its own.

Martin Farquhar Tupper

Second thoughts are ever wiser.

Euripides

Wisdom consists, not in seeing what is directly before us, but in discerning those things which may come to pass.

Terence

Wisdom adorneth riches and casteth a shadow over poverty.

Socrates

The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.

William James

It is wisdom to think upon anything before we execute it.

Plautus

Who knows whence he comes, where he is, and whither he tends, he, and he alone, is wise.

Johann Caspar Lavater

What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Wisdom is wisdom, wherever found.

G David Nordley

There are few who would need advisers, if they were only accustomed to appeal to themselves in their calmest, holiest moments. If, when embarrassed with doubt as to any course of action, they would turn aside from the immediate tumult of the world, and from the vain speaking of those who "darken counsel by words without knowledge;" and would then commune with their hearts alone, at night, the heavens their silent counsellors, they would act not always in accordance with the wise men of this world, but with that wisdom which bringeth peace.

Arthur Helps

Wisdom is oftimes nearer when we stoop

Than when we soar.

William Wordsworth

A wise man heedeth all things, and in his own eyes is a fool.

Martin Farquhar Tupper

The wise may find in trifles light as atoms in the air, some useful lesson to enrich the mind.

John Godfrey Saxe

Wisdom is using your knowledge to see opportunities, risks, challenges and the things that you need to do.

John Brennan

Wisdom is the never-failing granary of thought.

Edward Counsel

Wisdom is not learning merely; it is learning with ability and disposition to use it.

E P Day

Wisdom is a palace, of which only the vestibule has yet been entered.

Eliza Cook

Wisdom is at all times the least burdensome traveling pack.

William Camden

Wisdom is the olive that springeth from a heart, bloometh on the tongue, and beareth fruit in the actions.

Grymestone

Wisdom is first and foremost needed to discern when to speak, and when not to.

Rene Camilleri

If you are wise, all men will be your friends and kindred, for you will be useful.

Plato

Wisdom shines opposed to its contrary.

Chaucer

'Tis held that sorrow makes us wise.

Alfred Tennyson

It's surprising how much wisdom every man possesses -- if not for his own affairs, then for the affairs of others.

Evan Esar

Wisdom makes but a slow defense against trouble, though at last a sure one.

Oliver Goldsmith

It is true that wisdom has wealth in the one hand and pleasure in the other, that her ways are ways of pleasantness, her paths are paths of peace; but she will never come to one who follows her for the sake of the wealth in the one hand or the pleasure in the other.

Lyman Abbott

If we chose always to be wise we should rarely need to be virtuous.

Jean-Jacques Rousseu

Wise men are happy with trifles, but nothing pleases fools.

Wisdom is to live in the present, plan for the future and profit from the past.

If man were wise, he would gauge the true worth of anything by its usefulness and appropriateness to his life.

Montaigne

Science is organised knowledge. Wisdom is organised life.

Kant

The wise do not put a wrong construction on everything.

All the gold on the earth is not enough to exchange for virtue.

Plato

Wisdom is a quality, not an accumulation.

James Pierce

Wisdom lies in correctly discerning where we are free to mould reality according to our wishes and where we must accept the unalterable with tranquillity.

Alain de Botton

Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it.

David Star Jordan

Learned we may be with another man’s learning: we can only be wise with wisdom of our own.

Michel de Montaigne

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

James 1:5

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

James 3:17

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

Proverbs 3:13-18

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

Proverbs 12:15

It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.

Proverbs 10:23

The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

Proverbs 18:15

Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

Proverbs 19:20

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.

Colossians 3:16

Wisdom is better than strength.

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Proverbs 4:7

But wisdom is justified of all her children.

Luke 7:35

Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

Proverbs 24:3

A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

Proverbs 24:5

With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.

Job 12:12

He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.

Proverbs 17:27