Quotes About Wisdom

Think of the sanest people in your life, the people you'd describe as poised, wise, emotionally intelligent, kind, or good. In my experience, most of these people had childhoods that made them strong and resilient.

Years ago, for instance, I realized that most of the CEOs and managers I meet are not just smart but also wise—but they don't often get a chance to share their wisdom. They're focused so intently on the mundane day-to-day problems of running a business that they rarely have the opportunity to think deeply and creatively and use their highest and usually considerable intellectual abilities.

A know-it-all who doesn't know what he is talking about is a jerk. A know-it-all who does know what he is talking about is just an ass.

Humility is the surest sign of strength. —THOMAS MERTON, AUTHOR AND TRAPPIST MONK

This proves I'm totally worthless" leads to despair and loss of confidence, while "I can't stand when I act that way" can lead to wisdom and determination.

believe you can learn almost everything you need to know—and more than other people would like you to know—simply by watching and listening, keeping your eyes peeled, your ears open. And your mouth closed.

Some people speak a lot, but have very little to say. Some people speak very little, but have very much to say.

The shelf was filled with books that were hard to read, that could devastate and remake one's soul, and that, when they were finished, had a kick like a mule.

Travel is like knowledge. The more you see, the more you know you haven't seen.

Father Knows Best" started as a radio sitcom in 1949 as "Father Knows Best?" When it moved to TV in 1954, the producers were apparently more confident in dad's wisdom and the question mark was left behind.

I know exactly what I would do with immortality: I would read every book in the library.

At a certain age [...] you start thinking you might have learned something when you were young if you hadn't already been so smart.

Of course," Lobo said. "It's not like this is my first dance, and it's not as if you've cornered the market on paranoia.

The founding fathers, whose infinite wisdom gave us a Constitution and form of government well nigh perfect, located the seat of that government in a stinking, steaming swamp.

George Harrison's cautionary words are a constant companion—"In their bid to tell what they know, sometimes people tell more than what they know

Hindsight's perfect vision is seldom clouded by context

To most humans, curiosity about higher things comes naturally, it's indifference to them that must be learned

Plato called this anamnesis, remembering what and who we are, beneath our lives' shifting camouflage, beyond what can be taken away.

Always question. Always analyze. But in the end, suspend judgment until you've been there. Live it to learn it.

You need to think of your quest for wisdom as a hunger that will never be satiated. The mere thought that you've arrived will spawn pride and arrogance.

Solitude and loneliness are two separate things. One you choose out of wisdom, the other out of necessity." -Mark Miller

Wise, spiritual faith—the kind I'm advocating—is a commitment of trust based on solid, though incomplete, evidence that we're believing in the right things and moving in the best direction.

I keep looking for one more teacher, only to find that fish learn from the water and birds learn from the sky." (p.275)

Mark Oppenheimer