Quotes About Wisdom

He held my hand and told me a story about when he was six and threw a rock at a kid's head who was bullying his brother, and how after that no one had bothered either of them again. 'You have to stick up for yourself,' he told me. 'But it's bad to throw rocks,' I said. 'I know. You're smarter than me. You'll find something better than rocks.

Metti chiunque, anche uno scemo, davanti a una finestra, e avrai uno Spinoza.

This is why the rabbis tell us that a broken heart is more full than one that is content: because a broken heart has a vacancy, and the vacancy has the potential to be filled with the infinite.

The little boy I watched throwing pebbles into the empty fountain, he wasn't too old to climb trees. You could tell he had too much wisdom for his age. Probably he believed that he wasn't made for this world. I wanted to say to him: If not you, who?

The malpractice for advice-giving is like five times as much as a craniotomy.

Why is it that there was always a unit on history, math, science and god knows what other useless, totally forgettable information you taught those seventh graders year after year, but never any unit on death? No exercises, no workbooks, no final exams on the only subject that matters?

Then one day I was looking out the window. Maybe I was contemplating the sky. Put even a fool in front of the window and you'll get a Spinoza.

You could tell he had too much wisdom for his age. Probably he believed that he wasn't made for this world. I wanted to say to him: If not you, who?

You have to stick up for yourself,he told me. But it's bad to throw rocks, I said. I know, he said. You're smarter than me, you'll find something better than rocks.

One must be a fox in order to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten off wolves. Those who simply act like lions are stupid.

Knowledge doth come of learning well retained, Unfruitful else

And it has always been the opinion and judgment of wise men that nothing can be so uncertain or unstable as fame or power not founded on its own strength.

By studying the masters and not their pupils.

It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics one should study the masters and not the pupils.

Since good intentions and sympathy for others often led people into trouble, the Chinese people had invented a new proverb that said, 'The more you do, the more trouble you have; the less you do, the less trouble you have. If you do nothing whatever, you will become a model citizen.

Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies.

Hence the ways of men part: if you wish to strive for peace of soul and pleasure, then believe; if you wish to be a devotee of truth, then inquire...

A great truth wants to be criticized not idolized

How much truth can a spirit bear, how much truth can a spirit dare? ... that became for me more and more the real measure of value.

I want to learn more and more to see as beautiful what is necessary in things:—then I shall be one of those who make things beautiful. Amor fati: let that be my love from henceforth!

In the mountains the shortest way is from peak to peak; but for that one must have long legs. Aphorisms should be peaks – and those who are addressed, tall and lofty.

To live alone one must be either a beast or a god, says Aristotle. Leaving out the third case: one must be both - a philosopher.

Foolish is my happiness, and foolish things will it speak: it is still too young—so have patience with it!

Wir haben die Kunst, damit wir nicht an der Wahrheit zugrunde gehen.