Quotes About Wisdom

It's very hard to explain—part of me had enough indoctrination to believe I was not a mother. They make that very clear: "You're not a mother. You are too young. You are a bad person. You got pregnant and you aren't married. You are not entitled to this baby. You're gonna give this baby a chance in life." Part of me accepted that wisdom, but then there was the other part of me that had feelings that I wasn't supposed to have. So

Don't do it, I said. Please? I mean, I understand that you want revenge, but two wrongs don't make a right. I didn't mean to sound like a teacher; the words just popped out.

avoid trouble

He's ninety-two years old," Mr. Willet whispered to Min and Flora. "And my hearing is as sharp as ever," he said, and everyone laughed.

The paradox is that we can become wiser and more compassionate and live more fulfilling lives by refusing to be who we have tended to be in the past. But we also must relax. Accept things as they are in the present, as we thrive to change ourselves.

Being wisely selfish and being selfless can amount to very much the same thing. There are centuries of anecdotal testimony on this point—and, as we will see, the scientific study of the mind has begun to bear it out. There is now little question that how one uses one's attention, moment to moment, largely determines what kind of person one becomes. Our minds—and lives—are largely shaped by how we use them.

which recounts the sayings and actions of the Prophet.

Given the magnitude of the real problems that confront us—terrorism, nuclear proliferation, the spread of infectious disease, failing infrastructure, lack of adequate funds for education and health care, etc.—our war on sin is so outrageously unwise as to almost defy rational comment.

These data are unequivocal: we are building a civilization of ignorance.

If your best friend were to ask how she could live a better life, you would probably find many useful things to say, and yet you might not live that way yourself. On one level, wisdom is nothing more profound than an ability to follow one's own advice.

Leaving aside the metaphysics, mythology, and sectarian dogma, what contemplatives throughout history have discovered is that there is an alternative to being continuously spellbound by the conversation we are having with ourselves; there is an alternative to simply identifying with the next thought that pops into consciousness. And glimpsing this alternative dispels the conventional illusion of the self.

The paradox is that we can become wiser and more compassionate and live more fulfilling lives by refusing to be who we have tended to be in the past. But we must also relax, accepting things as they are in the present, as we strive to change ourselves.

From the perspective of faith, it is better to ape the behaviour of one's ancestors than to find creative ways to uncover new truths in the present.

Bertrand Russell

On one level, wisdom is nothing more profound than an ability to follow one's own advice. However, there are deeper insights to be had about the nature of our minds. Unfortunately, they have been discussed entirely in the context of religion and, therefore, have been shrouded in fallacy and superstition for all of human history.

Saint Augustine

I'm finding that the older I get, it's not that I learn new things, it's more like I find out how much of what I know is common knowledge.

Resolve to know the laws of nature. Follow them in all circumstances; let them shape you; be guided by their perfect wisdom. —Epictetus, Greek philosopher

The two greatest men who ever lived—Jesus and Socrates—were both hoboes." It

The soul discerns what is true, independent of any tradition, institution, or book. Our religions are storehouses of secondhand insights, useful for inspiration but harmful when substituted for firsthand communion with the divine soul.  To the religiously devout, this may seem like a dangerous, revolutionary idea. But really, the truth of the soul is the oldest of revelations.

Socrates—were

With any teacher or book, take what resonates with you and leave the rest. Your own mind is your greatest teacher. Trust it.

Knowledge squared is wisdom, and wisdom squared is virtue.

Diamonds are obtained by mining under the earth. Dig deep within your soul, and you'll gain new riches of understanding, wisdom, and power. —James Allen