Quotes About Wisdom

The goddess Fortune is mad, blind, and stupid, some philosophers maintain. They declare that she stands upon a revolving globe of stone; whither Chance impels this stone, thither, they say, does Fortune fall. She is blind, they repeat, for that she fails wholly to perceive whereto she attaches herself. Moreover they declare that she is mad because she is cruel, uncertain, and inconstant; stupid because she knows not how to tell worthy from unworthy.

Ut conclave sine libris ita corpus sine anima

Nobody can give you wiser advice than yourself.

Age nunc, refer animum, sis, ad veritatem, [...].

they follow nature as the most perfect guide to a good life. Now

Breve tempus ætatis satis est longum ad bene honesteque vivendum

If you have a garden in your library, nothing will fail

for in history there is nothing more pleasing than clear and brilliant brevity.

For friendship is nothing else than an accord in all things, human and divine, conjoined with mutual goodwill and affection, and I am inclined to think that, with the exception of wisdom, no better thing has been given to man by the immortal gods.

Fieri autem potest ut recte quis sentiat et id, quod sentit, polite eloqui non possit; sed mandare quemquam litteris cogitationes suas, qui eas nec disponere nec illustrare possit nec delectatione aliqua adlicere lectorem, hominis est intemperanter abutentis et otio et litteris.

As I gazed rather intently at the earth my grandfather said: How long will your thoughts continue to dwell upon the earth?

Wenn du einen Garten und eine Bibliothek hast, wird Dir an nichts fehlen.

he grew old learning many a fresh lesson every day.

Zoals de dwaasheid nooit tevreden is, zelfs niet als haar wensen worden vervuld, zo is de wijsheid steeds tevreden met wat voorhanden is, en heeft nooit onvrede met zichzelf.

Elephanto beluarum nulla prudentior: at figura quae vastior? De bestiis loquor: quid, inter ipsos homines nonne et simillimis formis dispares mores et moribus simillimis figura dissimilis? (1.97 De Natura Deorum)

Dac? ai o gr?din? ?i o bibliotec?, ai tot ce-?i trebuie.

it is by no means surprising that though we are first commended to Wisdom by the primary natural instincts, afterwards Wisdom itself becomes dearer to us than are the instincts from which we came to her.

A wise man's life is all one preparation for death.

Nimium boni est, cui nihil est mali.

Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you.

I pick up favorite quotations, and store them in my mind as ready armor, offensive or defensive, amid the struggle of this turbulent existence.

Don't let a fool kiss you, or a kiss fool you.

what may be the oldest analogy ever recorded, from around 1350 B.C., the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaton was said to have observed: As the moon retains her nature, though darkness spread itself before her face as a curtain, so the Soul remains perfect even in the bosom of the fool.

To be ignorant of one's ignorance is the malady of the ignorant.