Quotes About Wisdom

Politeness is good nature regulated by good sense.

The first requirement of a statesman is that he be dull. This is not always easy to achieve.

Whin a man gets to be my age, he ducks political meetin's, an' reads th' papers an' weighs th' ividence an' th' argymints - pro-argymints an' con-argymints, an' makes up his mind ca'mly, an' votes th' Dimmycratic Ticket.

The art of statesmanship is to foresee the inevitable and to expedite its occurrence.

A ginooine statesman should be on his guard, if he must hev beliefs, not to b'lieve 'em too hard.

Macdonald's Law: Never write a letter if you can help it, and never destroy one.

Honest statesmanship is the wise employment of individual meannesses for the public good.

He is happy that knoweth not himself to be otherwise.

Be advised that all flatterers live at the expense of those who listen to them.

As the Greek said, "Many men know how to flatter, few men know how to praise."

The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayer-less religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.

Incense is prayer That drives no bargain. Child, learn from incense How best to pray.

God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

I know not by what methods rare, But this I know: God answers prayer. I know not if the blessing sought Will come in just the guise I thought. I leave my prayer to Him alone Whose will is wiser than my own.

God alone fully understands what each one of us needs; we make mistakes continually and pray for things which would be harmful to us if we received them. Afterwards we see our mistakes and realize that God is good and wise in not giving us these things, even though we plead ever so earnestly for them.

I have taught you, my dear flock, for above thirty years how to live; and I will show you in a very short time how to die.

Sermons in stones and good in every thing.

A fox should not be of the jury at a goose's trial.

The greatest and most important problems of life are all in a certain sense insoluble. They can never be solved, but only outgrown.

Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. Those who cannot remember the past are content to repeat it.

Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought.

Statistics are no substitute for judgement.

I shall always consider the best guesser the best prophet.

The first years of man must make provision for the last.