Quotes About Wisdom

And women, though most helpless in doing good deeds, Are of every evil the cleverest of contrivers.

Überstrahlst du solche, die sich hochgelehrt im Geist bedünken, bist du rings ein Ärgernis. (Medeia)

Teiresias: Yes well, what is it they say, you're as young as you feel? Kadmos: We must get to the mountain. Should we call a cab? Teiresias: That doesn't sound very Dionysian. Kadmos: Good point. Let's walk.

Wisdom lies in clarity.

Dream not thou that force is power; Nor, if thou hast a thought, and that thought sour And sick, oh, dream not thought is wisdom!

but whoever exercises the art of divination, is a fool; if indeed he chance to show disagreeable things, he is rendered hateful to those to whom he may prophesy; but speaking falsely to his employers from motives of pity, he is unjust as touching the Gods.—Phœbus alone should speak in oracles to men, who fears nobody.

CRE. There is nobleness in thee; but there is some degree of folly.

Give me up to the Argives instead of them, O king, and so neither run any risk yourself, and let the children be saved for me; I must not love my own life, let it go; and above all, Eurystheus would like taking me, the ally of Hercules, to insult me; for he is a froward man; and the wise should pray to have enmity with a wise man, not with an ignorant disposition, for in that case one, even if unfortunate, may meet with much respect.

Brother, I would thy wit were like thy spear! But Nature wills not one man should be wise In all things; each must seek his separate prize. And thine is battle pure. There comes this word

Tis wise to do good work, but also wise To pay the worker. Aye, and fair reward Makes twofold pleasure, though the work be hard.

Cadmus: Shall we alone of all the city dance in Bacchus' honor? Teiresias: Yea, for we alone are wise, the rest are mad.

A prudent scepticism is the most profitable quality a man can have.

Cualquiera que le diga palabras sabias a un ignorante parecerá que no está en su sano juicio (Las Bacantes, 409 aC)

but one thing ye do not know, nor yet have investigated, to teach those to be wise who have no intellect! HIPP. A clever sophist this you speak of, who is able to compel those who have no wisdom to be rightly wise. But (for thou art arguing too refinedly on no suitable occasion) I fear, O father, lest thy tongue be talking at random through thy woes.

But I am unadorned with phrase to speak to the multitude, but to speak to my equals and to a few, more expert: but this also has consistency in it; for those, who are of no account among the wise, are more fitted to speak before the rabble.

Surely I am in many things different from many mortals, for in my judgment, whatever man being unjust, is deeply skilled in argument, merits the severest punishment. For vaunting that with his tongue he can well gloze over injustice, he dares to work deceit, but he is not over-wise.

The bold are helpless without cleverness.

anger joined with thine age, is not wisdom.

but it is impossible to avoid what is fated; no one can repel it by wisdom, but he who is hasty without purpose will always have trouble;

ETEO. Having chosen them for boldness, or prudence in judgment? CRE. For both; for one without the other availeth nothing.

Had I succeeded, I'd be called wise: our wisdom depends on our success.

but by his present fortune he proclaims clearly to all mortals to learn not to envy him who seems prosperous, till one sees him dead, as fortune is but for the day.

The men of old times had little sense;/If you called them fools you wouldn't be far wrong./They invented songs, and all the sweetness of music,/To perform at feasts, banquets, and celebrations;/But no one thought of using/Songs and stringed instruments/To banish the bitterness and pain of life.

A fool will think you are an idiot if you talk sense to him.