A word to the wise is infuriating.

Wisdom I know is social. She seeks her fellows. But Beauty is jealous, and illy bears the presence of a rival.

He who seeks does not find, but he who does not seek will be found.

Most people get a fair amount of fun out of their lives, but on balance life is suffering, and only the very young or the very foolish imagine otherwise.

I would fain grow old learning many things.

People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.

Both old and young alike ought to seek wisdom: the former in order that, as age comes over him, he may be young in good things because of the grace of what has been, and the latter in order that, while he is young, he may at the same time be old, because he has no fear of the things which are to come.

Truthful words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not truthful. Good words are not persuasive; persuasive words are not good.

Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes.

Early on, when I was quite young and going from job to job, I was foolish enough to sometimes speak to my fellow workers: ‚Hey, the boss can come in here at any moment and lay all of us off, just like that, don’t you realize that?‘ They would just look at me. I was posing something that they didn’t want to enter their minds.

You will find as you grow older that courage is the rarest of all qualities to be found in public life.

In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.

Wisdom is found only in truth.

What we become depends on what we read after all of the professors have finished with us. The greatest university of all is a collection of books.

People do not wish to appear foolish; to avoid the appearance of foolishness, they are willing to remain actually fools.

A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for.

Our fatigue is often caused not by work, but by worry, frustration and resentment.

Without stirring abroad, One can know the whole world; Without looking out of the window One can see the way of heaven. The further one goes The less one knows.

The person who doesn’t scatter the morning dew will not comb gray hairs.

Some old men, continually praise the time of their youth. In fact, you would almost think that there were no fools in their days, but unluckily they themselves are left as an example.

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

Here is the rule to remember in the future, When anything tempts you to be bitter: not, ‚This is a misfortune‘ but ‚To bear this worthily is good fortune.‘

The figure a poem makes. It begins in delight and ends in wisdom… in a clarification of life – not necessarily a great clarification, such as sects and cults are founded on, but in a momentary stay against confusion.

Be smarter than other people, just don’t tell them so.

All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason.

I am not young enough to know everything.

There are three methods to gaining wisdom. The first is reflection, which is the highest. The second is limitation, which is the easiest. The third is experience, which is the bitterest.

As a matter of self-preservation, a man needs good friends or ardent enemies, for the former instruct him and the latter take him to task.

He who looks the higher is the more highly distinguished, and turning over the great book of nature (which is the proper object of philosophy) is the way to elevate one’s gaze.

And I love that even in the toughest moments, when we’re all sweating it – when we’re worried that the bill won’t pass, and it seems like all is lost – Barack never lets himself get distracted by the chatter and the noise. Just like his grandmother, he just keeps getting up and moving forward… with patience and wisdom, and courage and grace.

Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.

Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.

Entire ignorance is not so terrible or extreme an evil, and is far from being the greatest of all; too much cleverness and too much learning, accompanied with ill bringing-up, are far more fatal.

A wise man will make haste to forgive, because he knows the true value of time, and will not suffer it to pass away in unnecessary pain.

Everything deep is also simple and can be reproduced simply as long as its reference to the whole truth is maintained. But what matters is not what is witty but what is true.

By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond the winning.

Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person.

He that speaks much, is much mistaken.

The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.

One science only will one genius fit; so vast is art, so narrow human wit.

He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator.

All difficult things have their origin in that which is easy, and great things in that which is small.

Plato is dear to me, but dearer still is truth.

There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.

There is a time to take counsel of your fears, and there is a time to never listen to any fear.

We dance round in a ring and suppose, but the secret sits in the middle and knows.

Falsehood is a perennial spring.

Frustration is a sign I am acting independently. The more you try your own way, the tighter the doors will stay closed.

Neither should a ship rely on one small anchor, nor should life rest on a single hope.

I used to read five psalms every day – that teaches me how to get along with God. Then I read a chapter of Proverbs every day and that teaches me how to get along with my fellow man.

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

Remember this, folks – I am a Hillbilly, and I don’t always Bet the same way I talk. Good advice is one thing, but smart gambling is quite another.

Rashness belongs to youth; prudence to old age.

You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you mad.

If a man could have half of his wishes, he would double his troubles.

To get a hold on boys you must be their friend.

I grow daily to honour facts more and more, and theory less and less. A fact, it seems to me, is a great thing; a sentence printed, if not by God, then at least by the Devil.

Men are wise in proportion, not to their experience, but to their capacity for experience.

It is dangerous to be sincere unless you are also stupid.

Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power; religion gives man wisdom which is control.