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Wisdom

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“A wise government knows how to enforce with temper, or to conciliate with dignity, but a weak one is odious in the former, and contemptible in the latter.”
George Grenville first seen 1765 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech in the House of Commons against the motion for expelling John Wilkes (3 February 1769), quoted in The Parliamentary History of England, from the Earliest Period to the Year 1803, Vol. XVI. A. D. 1765–1771 (1813),…
“To prevent these greatest of evils extending hither, it will be wise to oppose the only effective remedy, which I earnestly recommend to the cool and dispassionate consideration of all your lordships: I mean a temperate Parliamentary Reform in this country, without which the Constitution will slip from under us.”
Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton (1735–1811) first seen 1797 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech in the House of Lords (30 May 1797), quoted in The Parliamentary Register; Or, History of the Proceedings and Debates of the House of Lords...During the First Session of the Eighteenth Parliament of Great Britain…
“I came of age, metaphorically, in the '60's, and have tried to retain the ideals of that period: the hope that we could have a more loving, wise and compassionate world if we would work at it. My feminism, like many others', was born in this period.”
Alicia Ostriker (born 1937) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“And I wasn’t old enough to be wise, so I loved her more, not less, because I knew she would be taken from me soon.”
Naomi Novik (born 1973) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It is a wise person who does not believe everything that is written about a person, place or country, but instead, seeks to find things out for him or herself.”
Olusola Obada (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I can’t say much because I don’t know her reasons but I trust her as a smart and wise girl so I believe she has very solid reasons.”
Doriane Kundwa first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Miss Rwanda 2020 Nishimwe parts ways with organisers, management The New Times (March 18, 2020)
“Dear young ladies, maybe men are more sensitive in this age. You want that ‘good’, calm, sweet, honest and responsible guy for a life time yet your appearance speaks of ‘nudity’, ‘wordly’, ‘nonchalance’, and ‘irresponsibility’. ARE YOU A MAGICIAN? Wake up! You don’t usually get a second impression from a wise man after the first.”
Dolly Unachukwu (born 1969) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Actress Dolly Unachukwu comes down hard on ladies going nude online, Ripples Nigeria, December 23, 2019.
“There is always hope and a way to eradicate child trafficking in Africa. A wise person once said that evil thrived when men do nothing. As long as we do nothing about child trafficking, it will continue to thrive.”
Abidemi Sanusi wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Sikander burnt all books the same wise as fire burns hay. All the scintillating works faced destruction in the same manner that lotus flowers face with the onset of frosty winter.”
Shrivara (active around 1400) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The story of man’s infatuation with his language is an unending one. In a remote village of Africa, a wise Dogon man used to say “to be naked is to be speechless.” Power, as unveiled by numerous contemporary writings, has always inscribed itself in language. Speaking, writing, and discoursing are not mere acts of communication; they are above all acts of compulsion.”
Trinh T. Minh-ha (born 1952) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“... when thou readest scripture, be wise and circumspect: ...”
Myles Coverdale (1488–1569) said by 1569 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I became interested in international politics from my experience living as an exchange student in Europe, both in high school and in college, and I wanted to contribute to a restoration of wise and effective American leadership in the world.”
R. Nicholas Burns (born 1956) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The SAIS Review Interviews Nicholas Burns" (10 June 2020)
“I think that when a man becomes a bishop he doesn't cease to be a citizen and as a citizen every responsible man has right make up his own mind and his own conscience and to follow it and I think also that wise people would believe that everybody being free to to ventilate his own view, whether they like them or not, well, that's the real freedom of democracy.”
Daniel Mannix (1864–1963) first seen 1962 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Interview with Archbishop Mannix (1962) Australian Screen
“I believe that the future of humanity, which sees the realisation of the global society, must be governed by a community of wise men who express the One, the enlightened tyrant.”
Giuliano Di Bernardo (born 1939) first seen 2018 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in Giuliano Di Bernardo: basta democrazia, serve un tiranno illuminato, Alessandria Oggi (December 5, 2018)
“Wise historians do not predict the future. I think we'll see a lot of repetition, but I am hopeful that we have learned some things.”
Jacalyn Duffin (born 1950) first seen 2022 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: A medical historian looks at the historical echoes of the past in the pandemic of the present (16 December 2022) CBC
“This was a double game: he was trying to save his childhood, to preserve it and trap it in amber, but to do that he was calling on things that partook of the world beyond childhood, whose touch would leave him even less innocent than he already was. What would that make him? Neither a child nor an adult, neither innocent nor wise. Perhaps that is what a monster is.”
Lev Grossman (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The joys and sorrows of the body happen to everyone, it is wise to bear them with patience. Being detached from it and having the patience to do one's duty, one will know that ultimate peace is near.”
Santadas Kathiababa (1859–1935) said by 1935 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If you would be wise, then start an investment today by putting good, unselfish deeds into a spiritual bank account which will pay the highest dividends of all.”
George King (1919–1997) first seen 1986 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Visit To The Logos Of Earth (1986)
“We don’t think it is wise to bring that boy of yours out here. It is unlucky enough to have the likes of him in the village. We doubt if the Lagoon Spirit is pleased to have him sitting here as well! We think you must keep him in your compound.”
Meshack Asare (born 1945) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“May our journey through the eight gates of initiation liberate us from the disparaging stereotypes of aging, and light a new path for future generations. May we be the ones to reclaim and model the dignity, grace, and authentic power that true elderhood confers. May our conscious legacies and wise stewardship make the world a better place.”
Angeles Arrien (1940–2014) said by 2014 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When we open to being powerful, loving, creative, and wise, we experience the world and ourselves as the many splendid things that we are. (from the Conclusion, p130)”
Angeles Arrien (1940–2014) said by 2014 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To-day, a Minister receiving a deputation personally promises ‘consideration of Cabinet’, in a tone that makes the deputation believe it has succeeded. To the wise the old rule persists. If a Government says ‘Yes’, it means ‘Perhaps’; and if it says ‘Perhaps’, it means ‘No’.”
Randolph Bedford (1868–1941) said by 1941 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Women is strange. You take my tip; I’m wise. I know enough to know I'll never know The ’uman female mind ...”
C. J. Dennis (1876–1938) first seen 1924 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: A Woman's Way", in Rose of Spadgers (1924)
“Ah apple caused man's fall, as some believe; But that old Snake, malevolently wise, A deadlier snare set when he left to Eve His tongue of honey and mesmeric eyes.”
Victor Daley (1858–1905) first seen 1898 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Serpent's Legacy", in At Dawn and Dusk (1898)
“Thou that didst grant the wise king his request, Thou that in whale thy prophet didst preserve, Thou that forgav'st the wounding of thy breast, Thou that didst save the thief in state to starve, Thou only good and giver of all grace, Forgive the guilts that grew in youth's green race.”
Thomas Vaux (1509–1556) said by 1556 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: [Untitled], st. 4, in The Arundel Harington Manuscript of Tudor Poetry, ed. Hughey (1960). A different version of the text is given in A Paradise of Dainty Delights (1576)
“We should get ourselves together. We should be wise enough and know that (the death of FDC is being caused) by somebody else.”
Betty Aol Ochan (born 1958) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When empowering people, it's wise to organize them into groups rather than supporting individuals alone. This approach allows them to share ideas and provide the necessary human resources for cooperatives.”
Chrizoster Halwindi (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[W]e are getting increasingly dry zones and... it's expensive, energy-wise, to desalinate. ...[I]f we would have to desalinate the increase of water consumption to reach 10 billion people, it would be 20% of our current electricity supply.”
Bjarke Ingels (born 1974) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A wise state needs to know when to recede... loosen its control and let the economy ride its... ebbs and flows. It needs to guide with a lighter hand... and greater skill, especially in this... era of knowledge and information.”
Keyu Jin (born 1982) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In his face there came to be a brooding peace that is seen most often in the faces of the very sorrowful or the very wise.”
Carson McCullers (1917–1967) said by 1967 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Therefore, first a woman has to stand and feel comfortable in her own feet/skin and then when facing challenges she should take a wise decision. A woman should avoid dependency at any level, which does not mean she doesn’t have to request for support. What I mean is she needs to thrive and die trying so that she knows the thickness of her skin”
Yalemtsehay Mekonnen (born 1955) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Since 2000, religious engagement (in diverse forms) has become the ‘normal’ for many inside the UN system. But the question is—or should always be—are we wise about the how and why of this?”
Azza Karam (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The business I did last before meeting WISE was storage of ginger. I took a loan from a cooperative and invested in it, that year ginger fell far below cost price and I was only able to get not up to ten per cent of my capital.”
Olanike Olugboji-Daramola (born 1974) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“For me, to be rich is to be knowledgeable, wise, to have common sense, to have the inspiration to become a political leader, to have the vocation to become a religious leader, to have the dedication of a scientist, the creativity and imagination of a writer or poet, the business acumen of an entrepreneur.”
Gilbert Ramez Chagoury (born 1946) first seen 2017 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Address of Mr. Gilbert Chagoury - Commencement Ceremony - (13 July 2017) Holy Spirit University of Kaslik
“I'll live tomorrow," 'tis not wise to say:'Twill be too late tomorrow—live today.”
Francis Fawkes (1720–1777) said by 1777 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Translation of Martial's Epigram i.15, in Fawkes' Sappho, Bion, Moschus, Musaeus (2nd ed., 1789), footnote on p. 101
“Eve, smiling, plucked the apple, then Laughed, sighed—and tasted it again: "Strange such a pleasant, juicy thing On a forbidden tree should spring!"But had she seen with clearer eyes, Or had the serpent been less wise, She'd scarce have shown such little wit As to let Adam taste of it!”
Lady Margaret Sackville (1881–1963) first seen 1912 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Apple", Lyrics (1912), p. 10
“humble ’cause any minute could be your time to shine, so be wise about your actions.”
Ataui Deng (born 1991) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Young Stunner: Ataui Deng,UPDATED OCTOBER 29, 2020,ALEXANDRA PHANOR-FAURY
“The right Education of the Female Sex, as it is in a manner every where neglected, so it ought to be generally lamented. Most in this depraved later Age think a Woman learned and wise enough if she can distinguish her Husbands Bed from anothers.”
Hannah Woolley (1622–1675) said by 1675 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I am a young woman who loves family and God. I am a workaholic and a perfectionist of sorts. Haha! I love reading, listening to music, and watching movies/series. Career wise, I am an actress, writer, corporate emcee, and the Public Relations Manager at StarTimes DTV Uganda.”
Cleopatra Koheirwe (born 1982) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“What is even a wise book but a blast from the lungs made visible to the eyes?”
Hervey Allen (1889–1949) said by 1949 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Stain not the glory of your worthy ancestors, but like them, resolve never to part with your birth-right; be wise in your deliberations, and determined in your exertions for the preservation of your liberties.”
Joseph Warren (1847–1923) said by 1923 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Learn to bear the word. The truth is bitter. It is a whip to the wise, a grudge to the foolish.”
Namsrayn Suvd (born 1948) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“But ah, dear Saviour, human-wise, I yearn to pierce all mysteries, To catch Thine Hands, and see Thine Eyes When evening sounds begin. There, in Thy white Robe, Thou wilt wait At dusk beside some orchard gate, And smile to see me come so late, And, smiling, call me in.”
Robert Hugh Benson (1871–1914) said by 1914 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I don’t know what to say.” “Then say nothing, Pug. It makes you seem wise when everyone is babbling.”
Raymond E. Feist (born 1945) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Not only have ancient and hallowed traditions enjoined us to know ourselves but, we may say, the self-therapizing impulse (and more generally speaking the impulse to optimize one's consciousness) is a natural, healthy, and wise response to life difficulties.”
Claudio Naranjo (1932–2019) said by 2019 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Man is nothing and each one of us, no matter how highly placed, wise, strong, educated, rich or powerful, must humble ourselves before God. He alone is all-powerful and He alone is the giver and taker of life.”
Femi Fani-Kayode (born 1960) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A mighty spearsman, and a seaman wise, A hunter, and at need a lord of lies.”
Stephen Phillips (born 1970) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Over the years, it’s proved wise not to say anything”
Carole Middleton (born 1955) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The underrepresentation of female engineering students led me to co-found the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Club at Victoria University.”
Morley Muse wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Through my work with WISE and WISA, I gained a deeper understanding of the barriers women in STEM face.”
Morley Muse wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source