Quotes About Wisdom

Worship Athena, not Ares.

When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.

The arrow shot by the archer may or may not kill a single person. But stratagems devised by a wise man can kill even babes in the womb. KAUTILYA, INDIAN PHILOSOPHER, THIRD CENTURY B.C.

The real purpose of the backward-glancing eye is to educate yourself constantly—you look at the past to learn from those who came before you.

You must never disdain an apprenticeship with no pay. In fact, it is often the height of wisdom to find the perfect mentor and offer your services as an assistant for free.

She used the closeness of death to teach her what really matters and to help her steer clear of the petty squabbles and concerns that plagued others. She used it to anchor herself in the present, to make her appreciate every moment and every encounter.

The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.

Know How Little You Know

Plus vous vous laissez aller à parler, plus vous avez l'air banal et peu maître de vous-même. Même anodines, vos paroles sembleront originales si elles restent vagues et énigmatiques. Les personnages puissants impressionnent et intimident parce qu'ils sont peu loquaces. Plus vous en dites et plus vous risquez de dire des bêtises.

Avoid the False Path At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want. —Lao Tzu

Do not be led astray by a false sense of honor," said the Athenians. "Honor often brings men to ruin when they are faced with an obvious danger that somehow affects their pride.

Al maestro cuchillada.

People who cling to their delusions find it difficult, if not impossible, to learn anything worth learning: A people under the necessity of creating themselves must examine everything, and soak up learning the way the roots of a tree soak up water. —James Baldwin

If you work hard, you will make your way to the inner circle of knowledge. That is the end goal of mastery: an inside-out understanding.

Commit harmless mistakes that will not hurt you in the long run but will give you the chance to ask for his help. Masters adore such requests.

But it's not what you have that brings you victory, it's how you use it.

When the great lord passes, the wise peasant bows deeply and silently farts. Ethiophan proverb

One of Cosimo's favorite expressions was, Envy is weed that should not be watered.

In the battle of the intelligent against the brutal and the aggressive, the surrender tactic is the supreme weapon.

Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.

When it comes to power, outshining the master is perhaps the worst mistake of all.

Most men are ruled by the heart, not the head. Their plans are vague, and when they meet obstacles they improvise. But improvisation will only get you as far as the next crisis, and is never a substitute for thinking several steps ahead and planning to the end.

Perspective comes with time.

it is far easier to avoid creating envy in the first place than to get rid of it once it is there, ...