quotations about wisdom
Second thoughts are ever wiser.
EURIPIDES
Hippolytus
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, wisdom is the "Capacity of judging rightly in matters relating to life and conduct" and "sound judgement". My goodness, think if wisdom were a modern concept, regularly practiced, how much less shocking news we would have every day! If only celebrities didn't make such silly displays of themselves on late-night television shows; if tourists didn't insist on taking naked selfies on sacred mountains; if Justin Bieber could only behave like a sensible young man; if politicians were once again filled with serious integrity. Then our lives would not be spinning out of control with nonsense. What if Donald Trump had the wisdom to keep his mouth shut? What if scientists realize that just because they can create robot soldiers doesn't mean they should?
DOROTHY TURCOTTE
"The world in 2016 could use a little more wisdom", Niagara This Week, January 12, 2016
True wisdom is not found in yes-or-no answers, but in the open mind of not-knowing.
MELVIN MCLEOD
"Benefit, Not Benefits", Lion's Roar, April 3, 2017
The mouse is wise, but the cat is wiser.
TYCHO BRAHE
attributed, Day's Collacon
Gaining wisdom is a wonderful thing. Giving it back is better.
MIKE BELL
"Canadian jazz great Bob Erlendson set to celebrate his 85th in style with Ironwood show", Calgary Herald, January 16, 2016
Full oft we see
Cold wisdom waiting on superfluous folly.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
All's Well That Ends Well
A wise man who cultivates wisdom may sometimes drown in it.
EIJI YOSHIKAWA
Taiko
Wisdom is the first and mother of all stocks for the market maker.
JIMANZE EGO-ALOWES
"Is the leadership question Nigeria's gold card?", The Sun, February 4, 2016
In youth men are apt to write more wisely than they really know or feel; and the remainder of life may be not idly spent in realizing and convincing themselves of the wisdom which they uttered long ago.
NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE
preface, The Snow-Image
Be wisely worldly, but not worldly wise.
FRANCIS QUARLES
Emblems: Divine and Moral
Wisdom is a palace, of which only the vestibule has yet been entered.
ELIZA COOK
Diamond Dust
Wisdom consists, not in seeing what is directly before us, but in discerning those things which may come to pass.
TERENCE
attributed, Day's Collacon
Wisdom is the olive that springeth from a heart, bloometh on the tongue, and beareth fruit in the actions.
GRYMESTONE
attributed, Day's Collacon
Wisdom adorneth riches and casteth a shadow over poverty.
SOCRATES
attributed, Day's Collacon
Unless, we value wisdom, we are bound to suffer many things that we were never meant to suffer.
KILTON MOYO
"Teaching our children wisdom", NewsDay, March 30, 2017
There is no folly like the folly of the wise.
JACQUELINE CAREY
Kushiel's Dart
Now, if wisdom is God, who made all things, as is attested by the divine authority and truth, then the philosopher is a lover of God.
ST. AUGUSTINE
The City of God
Learning discernment is a lifelong project, and wisdom is hard-won.
JEANIE MILEY
"Learning discernment is a lifelong project", San Angelo Standard-Times, January 29, 2016
Crime is the entertainment of the fool; so is wisdom for the man of sense.
BIBLE
Proverbs 10:23
The beginning of wisdom is the knowledge of folly.
NORMAN MACDONALD
Maxims and Moral Reflections