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Wisdom
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“There can be fear only where there is duality. How can there be fear for one who experiences non-duality? Such a person is the most courageous of men. The courage of a soldier in the battlefield or of a dacoit is only Tamasic courage. It is not courage at all. It is only brutal ferocity born of hatred or jealousy. That Sattvic courage born of Wisdom of the Self alone is real courage.”
Swami Sivananda (1887–1963) said by 1963 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“So flieth folly before wisdom which is in wine," said the King. "The night is young: bring me botargoes, and caviare and toast.”
Eric Rücker Eddison (1882–1945) said by 1945 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“O Music! sphere-descended maid, Friend of Pleasure, Wisdom's aid!”
William Collins (1721–1759) said by 1759 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It is true that many scientists are not philosophically minded and have hitherto shown much skill and ingenuity but little wisdom.”
Max Born (1882–1970) said by 1970 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The man-machine will crucify any conscious man who tries to help him; and convert his wisdom into an empty, mechanical dogma that suits his own understanding.”
Barry Long (1926–2003) said by 2003 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There is no rose without a thorn No rain without the storm There is no laughter without tears No wisdom without years In a world gone crazy Torn between the roads that we must choose Win or lose.”
“'Tis never for their wisdom that one loves the wisest, or for their wit that one loves the wittiest; 'tis for benevolence, and virtue, and honest fondness, one loves people; the other qualities make one proud of loving them too.”
Hester Thrale (1741–1821) said by 1821 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Letter to Fanny Burney; Charlotte Barrett (ed.) Diary and Letters of Madame d'Arblay (1854) vol. 2, p. 3.
“Bot for men sein, and soth it is, That who that al of wisdom writ It dulleth ofte a mannes wit To him that schal it aldai rede, For thilke cause, if that ye rede, I wolde go the middel weie And wryte a bok betwen the tweie, Somwhat of lust, somewhat of lore.”
John Gower (1330–1408) said by 1408 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Wisdom sits alone Topmost in Heaven.”
Nathaniel Parker Willis (1806–1867) first seen 1835 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Scholar of Thebet Ben Khorat", II, in Melanie and Other Poems (London: Saunders and Otley, 1835), p. 128.
“It seems to me that if God had intended for you to cover your face then, in His wisdom, He would have provided you with a flap of skin for the purpose.”
Pat Condell (born 1949) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The trouble with Islam" (16 March 2007)
“The benefits of medical research are real - but so are the potential horrors of genetic engineering and embryo manipulation. We devise heart transplants, but do little for the 15 million who die annually of malnutrition and related diseases. Our cleverness has grown prodigiously - but not our wisdom.”
Martin Ryle (1918–1984) first seen 1983 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: In a letter to Professor Carlos Chagas, president of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 24 February 1983.
“A Buddha vows to carry out a struggle that can lead the people and the age to enlightenment. The strength of this vow causes the Buddha's enlightenment to mature into rich wisdom.”
Daisaku Ikeda (1928–2023) said by 2023 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“What, know you not […] That love must kiss that Mortal’s eyes Who hopes to see fair Arcady? No gold can buy you entrance there; But beggared Love may go all bare— No wisdom won with weariness; But Love goes in with Folly’s dress— No fame that wit could ever win; But only Love may lead Love in To Arcady, to Arcady.”
Henry Cuyler Bunner (1855–1896) first seen 1892 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Compare Louise Chandler Moulton, "The Secret of Arcady" (1892).
“Ah woe is me, through all my days Wisdom and wealth I both have got, And fame and name and great men’s praise; But Love, ah! Love I have it not.”
Henry Cuyler Bunner (1855–1896) said by 1896 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“All these things were slipping away from him, in a clear, cold wisdom that came from beyond the stars. He envisioned man as a bit of animate clay moving fro a little while upon a ball of mud and stone and water that drifted through the void, through the darkness that would finally engulf it.”
Henry Kuttner (1915–1958) first seen 1939 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Citadel of Darkness, in L. Sprague de Camp (ed.), Swords & Sorcery (Pyramid Books R-950, 1963), p. 84. Originally published in Strange Stories, August 1939
“People may have too much of a good thing: Full as an egg of wisdom thus I sing.”
John Wolcot (1738–1819) said by 1819 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Subjects for Painters, The Gentleman and his Wife; reported in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 617.
“From the Divine, Eternal Spirit springs Order and Rule and Rectitude of Things, Thro' outward Nature, His Apparent Throne, Visibly seen, intelligibly known, — Proofs of a Boundless Pow'r, a Wisdom's Aid, By Goodness us'd, Eternal and Unmade.”
John Byrom (1692–1763) said by 1763 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The purpose and cause of the incarnation was that He might illuminate the world by His wisdom and excite it to the love of Himself.”
Peter Abelard (1079–1142) said by 1142 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in "The Abelardian Doctrine Of The Atonement" (1892), published in Doctrine and Development : University Sermons (1898) by Hastings Rashdall, p. 138
“For a thinking man is where Wisdom is at home.”
“Hadrian... as you know an architect of note... put a lot of faith in stones... died peacefully... planning a Temple to Wisdom... still, he's dead. Nero -- best not to talk about him -- burnt Rome, caused untold misery, deserved to die; died screaming in a summerhouse.”
Peter Greenaway (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I am — your Bliss I am — your Smile I am — your Joy I am — your Rest I am — your Strength I am — your Valor I am — your Wisdom”
Nicholas Roerich (1874–1947) said by 1947 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A sweet content Passing all wisdom or its fairest flower.”
Richard Henry Horne (1802–1884) first seen 1843 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Orion (1843), Book iii, Canto ii.
“The wisdom of mankind creeps slowly on, Subject to every doubt that can retard Or fling it back upon an earlier time.”
Richard Henry Horne (1802–1884) first seen 1843 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Orion (1843), Book iii, Canto ii.
“The stability of happiness depends − quite apart from any question of destiny − not only on the beauty and wisdom of our attitude but also, and above all, on an opening towards Heaven which confers upon the experience of happiness a life continually renewed. One must realize in earthly mode that which will be realized in heavenly mode; this is the very definition of nobility of character.”
Frithjof Schuon (1907–1998) said by 1998 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Wisdom consists not only in knowing truths and being able to communicate them, but also in the sage’s capacity to recognize the most subtle limitations or hazards of human nature.”
Frithjof Schuon (1907–1998) said by 1998 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Wisdom consists not only in becoming detached from the reflections, but also in knowing and feeling that the archetypes are to be found within ourselves and are accessible in the depths of our hearts; we possess what we love to the extent that what we love is worthy of being loved.”
Frithjof Schuon (1907–1998) said by 1998 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“But I suppose even God was born too late to trust the old religion— all those settings out that never left the ground, beginning in wisdom, dying in doubt.”
Robert Lowell (1917–1977) said by 1977 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“You may think, passer-by, that Fate Is a pit-fall outside of yourself, Around which you may walk by the use of foresight And wisdom.”
Edgar Lee Masters (1868–1950) said by 1950 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The graves all are silent. The caskets are vacant. Stalin has no more wisdom for us. Nietzsche is preserved in books, having forgotten to lift his casket lid and tell us he was right. Muhammad gives us the slip. So does Buddha. It is Christ alone who defeats the grave. Nothing is left in the tomb but echoes and cobwebs. And so we do well to listen to Him with the ears of dying men.”
Don Miller (author) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“At all times and under all circumstances, overcome evil with good. Know thyself, and God will supply the wisdom and the occasion for a victory over evil. Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you.”
Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910) said by 1910 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“No one will deny that the soul of Pythagoras was sent to mankind from Apollo's domain, having either been one of his attendants, or more intimate associates, which may be inferred both from his birth, and his versatile wisdom.”
Iamblichus (245–325) said by 325 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Wisdom never comes to those who believe they have nothing left to learn.”
Charles de Lint (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I know I get up people's noses," "Everyone wants to pigeonhole you. Early on in my career I somehow got labelled 'Bach, John Cage and a bit of jazz'. But the fact that I love to play Beethoven, too, really infuriates people. It doesn't fit. They can't make sense of it. The received wisdom is that you can't possibly do all these things without it sounding terrible or crass or just plain wrong.”
Joanna MacGregor (born 1959) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To be resign'd when ills betide, Patient when favours are deni'd, And pleas'd with favours given,— Dear Chloe, this is wisdom's part; This is that incense of the heart Whose fragrance smells to heaven.”
Nathaniel Cotton (1705–1788) said by 1788 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Fireside, stanza 11, reported in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919). Compare: "The incense of the heart may rise", Pierpont, Every Place a Temple, reported in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1…
“Wisdom and truth, the offspring of the sky, are immortal; while cunning and deception, the meteors of the earth, after glittering for a moment, must pass away.”
Robert Hall (1764–1831) said by 1831 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“An epigram is the marriage of wit, and wisdom; a wisecrack, their divorce.”
Evan Esar (1899–1995) first seen 1968 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: 20,000 Quips and Quotes (1968)
“Where there is insight in citation, or wisdom winged with wit, especially from the world of letters, I have quoted liberally. For a good epigram not only makes a point, but a point to ponder. This book provides many such quotations that I have unearthed from the tomes of many writers.”
Evan Esar (1899–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The picture placed the busts between Adds to the thought much strength; Wisdom and Wit are little seen, But Folly's at full length.”
Jane Brereton (1685–1740) said by 1740 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On Beau Nash's Picture at full length between the Busts of Sir Isaac Newton and Mr. Pope., in Dyce, Specimens of British Poetesses. This epigram is generally ascribed to Chesterfield. See Campbell, English Poets, note, …
“It is a revolution; a revolution of the most intense character; in which belief in the justice, prudence, and wisdom of secession is blended with the keenest sense of wrong and outrage, and it can no more be checked by human effort for the time than a prairie fire by a gardener’s watering pot.”
Judah P. Benjamin (1811–1884) first seen 1860 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the secession movement in the South (1860). Reported in Allan Nevins, The Emergence of Lincoln (1950), p. 387.
“To think the world therefore a general Bedlam, or place of madmen, and oneself a physician, is the most necessary point of present wisdom.”
Thomas Traherne (1636–1674) said by 1674 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Whosoever is really earnest for Divine direction, more anxious to know what the Lord would have him do than to know what is for his own present ease or worldly interest, and who confides the case to Him who giveth wisdom liberally, and upbraideth not, may count on it very confidently that the Lord will send forth His light.”
James Hamilton (1814–1871) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Receiving education nurtures human wisdom.”
Husayn ibn Ali (626–680) said by 680 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Increase of experiences, increases the wisdom of mankind.”
Husayn ibn Ali (626–680) said by 680 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Wisdom will not be complete except by following the truth.”
Husayn ibn Ali (626–680) said by 680 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Knowledge facilitates comprehension and experience increases wisdom.”
Husayn ibn Ali (626–680) said by 680 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The most valuable stage of wisdom is the stage of self-consciousness.”
Ali al-Rida (770–818) said by 818 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Wisdom and intellect is every man's friend, ignorance and illiteracy are his enemies.”
Ali al-Rida (770–818) said by 818 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Silence is a door among the doors of wisdom - indeed, silence begets and attracts love, it is the proof of all the beneficiences.”
Ali al-Rida (770–818) said by 818 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Some signs of understanding are: clemency, knowledge, and silence. Silence is one of the doors to wisdom. It brings about love and is evidence for all good.”
Ali al-Rida (770–818) said by 818 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Silence is one of the gates to wisdom.”
Ali al-Rida (770–818) said by 818 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source