The wise ones fashioned speech with their thought, sifting it as grain is sifted through a sieve.

Ignorant people see life as either existence or non-existence, but wise men see it beyond both existence and non-existence to something that transcends them both; this is an observation of the Middle Way.

The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief.

Is there anyone so wise as to learn by the experience of others?

I don’t like to talk much with people who always agree with me. It is amusing to coquette with an echo for a little while, but one soon tires of it.

One might say that our words are a movie screen that reveals what we have been thinking and the attitudes we have.

Jesters do often prove prophets.

Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers.

Some people talk in their sleep. Lecturers talk while other people sleep.

When one has finished building one’s house, one suddenly realizes that in the process one has learned something that one really needed to know in the worst way – before one began.

I’m the most recognized and loved man that ever lived cuz there weren’t no satellites when Jesus and Moses were around, so people far away in the villages didn’t know about them.

When I look upon seamen, men of science and philosophers, man is the wisest of all beings; when I look upon priests and prophets nothing is as contemptible as man.

As a single withered tree, if set aflame, causes a whole forest to burn, so does a rascal son destroy a whole family.

Me is a common sense man. That mean when me explain things, me explain it in a very simple way; that mean if I explain it to a baby, the baby will understand too, you know.

Don’t get older just to get wiser. If you get older, you will be wiser, I believe that – if you dare. But get older because it’s fun!

I’m sure I’ve changed my mind about something. Inevitably, when we grow up – as we get more experience and wiser. Well, I’ve changed my mind about some food that I didn’t like when I was young.

You can always tell an old soldier by the inside of his holsters and cartridge boxes. The young ones carry pistols and cartridges; the old ones, grub.

Coffee is a language in itself.

Silence is safer than speech.

Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.

The finest language is mostly made up of simple unimposing words.

The real truths of life are never entirely new to you or to anybody because there is a level deep down within you where you already know all the things, all those spiritual truths that you read or hear, and then recognize them. I say ‚recognize‘ because you’re not… it’s not new.

No man can taste the fruits of autumn while he is delighting his scent with the flowers of spring.

I’ve had moments when I’ve thought about somebody, picked up the phone to call them and they are on the line already, and I think that maybe there’s some vibration, some connection.

A man watches his pear tree day after day, impatient for the ripening of the fruit. Let him attempt to force the process, and he may spoil both fruit and tree. But let him patiently wait, and the ripe pear at length falls into his lap.

To use the same words is not a sufficient guarantee of understanding; one must use the same words for the same genus of inward experience; ultimately one must have one’s experiences in common.

Knowledge is power.

I maintain that, if everyone knew what others said about him, there would not be four friends in the world.

What old people say you cannot do, you try and find that you can. Old deeds for old people, and new deeds for new.

We are wiser than we know.

I’m always relieved when someone is delivering a eulogy and I realize I’m listening to it.

Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing.

The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.

Before we acquire great power we must acquire wisdom to use it well.

A prudent question is one-half of wisdom.

There is no darkness but ignorance.

No question is so difficult to answer as that to which the answer is obvious.

One can survive everything, nowadays, except death, and live down everything except a good reputation.

Never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel.

Men do not learn much from the lessons of history and that is the most important of all the lessons of history.

My grandfather was smart and had a whole lot of pride. He didn’t speak a terrible amount, but you could tell there was a ton on his mind – like a quiet acceptance of how life had turned out.

I think one of the basic reasons men make good friends is that they can make up their minds quickly.

There is one way to have a short but exciting conversation with me, and that is to move too slow.

I’ll think I have a few wonderful friends and all of a sudden, ooh, here it comes. They do a lot of things. They talk about you to the press, to their friends, tell stories, and you know, it’s disappointing.

Never pray for justice, because you might get some.

What makes you a SEAL, what makes you a SEAL is being a good tactician on the battle field, understanding how to shoot, move, and communicate, knowing small unit maneuver warfare. That’s what makes a good SEAL, and so that is the course of instruction that I taught, was getting SEAL platoons ready for deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

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.

I’m sure most parents read to their children to explain what certain things mean. So books are a good way to convey a message to anybody. Everybody reads.

You hear doom and gloom about the Internet ruining young people’s command of English – that’s nonsense.

We know accurately only when we know little, with knowledge doubt increases.

Character is higher than intellect. A great soul will be strong to live as well as think.

A word to the wise is infuriating.

It’s a rather rude gesture, but at least it’s clear what you mean.

Children are a wonderful gift. They have an extraordinary capacity to see into the heart of things and to expose sham and humbug for what they are.

I can promise you that when I go to Sacramento, I will pump up Sacramento.

There are some people, you know, they think the way to be a big man is to shout and stomp and raise hell-and then nothing ever really happens. I’m not like that I never shoot blanks.

He who does not trust enough, Will not be trusted.

By gnawing through a dike, even a rat may drown a nation.

I think that a man should not live beyond the age when he begins to deteriorate, when the flame that lighted the brightest moment of his life has weakened.

Wisdom consists not so much in knowing what to do in the ultimate as knowing what to do next.