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Wisdom

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“Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. They teach you there's a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to art.”
Charlie Parker (1920–1955) said by 1955 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in Bird : The Legend Of Charlie Parker (1977) by Robert George Reisner, p. 27
“There are times when the utmost daring is the height of wisdom.”
Carl von Clausewitz (1780–1831) said by 1831 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Of this fair volume which we World do name If we the sheets and leaves could turn with care, Of him who it corrects, and did it frame, We clear might read the art and wisdom rare.”
William Drummond of Hawthornden (1585–1649) said by 1649 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Let us have "sweet girl graduates" by all means. They will be none the less sweet for a little wisdom; and the "golden hair" will not curl less gracefully outside the head by reason of there being brains within.”
Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–1895) first seen 1865 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Emancipation — Black and White" (1865)
“The only medicine for suffering, crime, and all the other woes of mankind, is wisdom.”
Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–1895) said by 1895 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Structures of lines, surfaces, forms, colours. They try to approach the eternal, the inexpressible above men. They are a denial of human egotism. They are the hatred of human immodesty, the hatred of images, of paintings.. Wisdom [is] the feeling for the coming reality, the mystical, the definite indefinite, the greatest definite.”
Jean Arp (1886–1966) first seen 1915 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Arp's quote from his text in a catalogue of his exhibition, in Zürich 1915; quoted by Arp himself in his text 'Abstract Art, Concrete Art,' Hans Arp, c. 1942; as quoted in Theories of Modern Art: A Source Book by Artist…
“As a man of the Congress, let me reaffirm my conviction that the collective wisdom of our two great legislative bodies, while not infallible, will in the end serve the people faithfully and very, very well.”
Gerald Ford (1913–2006) said by 2006 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The inscrutable wisdom through which we exist is not less worthy of veneration in respect to what it denies us than in respect to what it has granted.”
Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) said by 1804 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The guidelines for achieving wisdom consist of three leading maxims: 1) Think for yourself; 2) (in communication with other people) Put yourself in the place of the other person; 3) Always think by remaining faithful to your own self.”
Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) said by 1804 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Kant, Immanuel (1996), page 95
“[W]hat alone has value is the use to which life is put and the end to which it is directed. The value of life has to be created by man, it cannot be obtained through luck but only through wisdom. He who is anxiously concerned over losing his life will never enjoy life.”
Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) said by 1804 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Kant, Immanuel (1996), pages 141
“And Jesus was a sailor When he walked upon the water And he spent a long time watching From his lonely wooden tower And when he knew for certain Only drowning men could see him He said "All men will be sailors then Until the sea shall free them" But he himself was broken Long before the sky would open Forsaken, almost human He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone”
Leonard Cohen (1934–2016) said by 2016 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“All religions concur in exalting the deep-seated wisdom and power of a divinity, but once its conduct is exposed, we find nothing but imprudence, weakness, and folly. God, we are told, created the world for himself, but so far he has failed to have the world honored appropriately. God created us to worship him, and we spend our days mocking him! What a wretched God he is!”
Marquis de Sade (1740–1814) said by 1814 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Remind yourself that all men assert that wisdom is the greatest good, but that there are few who strenuously seek out that greatest good.”
Pythagoras (583–491 BC) said by 491 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Pythagorean Ethical Sentences From Stobæus" (1904)
“Honor Wisdom; and deny it not to them that would learn; and shew it unto them that dispraise it! Sow not the sea fields!”
Pythagoras (583–491 BC) said by 491 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We were ensnared by the wisdom of the serpent; we are set free by the foolishness of God.”
Augustine of Hippo (354–430) said by 430 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“And you can laugh A spineless laugh We hope your rules and wisdom choke you And now we are one In everlasting peace We hope that you choke, that you choke”
Thom Yorke (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There is no estimating the wit and wisdom concealed and latent in our lower fellow mortals until made manifest by profound experiences; for it is through suffering that dogs as well as saints are developed and made perfect.”
John Muir (1838–1914) said by 1914 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and the maturity to use the power wisely.”
Christopher Reeve (1952–2004) first seen 2002 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in Celebrities in Hell (2002) by Warren Allen Smith, p. 98
“I've never claimed to have a monopoly of wisdom, but one thing I've learned in this job is you should always try to do the right thing, not the easy thing. Let the day-to-day judgments come and go: be prepared to be judged by history.”
Tony Blair (born 1953) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Jackie Ashley in Madrid, and Ewen MacAskill, "'History will be my judge': Tony Blair, in an exclusive interview, says demos and rebels will not deflect him over Iraq" The Guardian (28 February 2003).
“I also appeal to those who have already done most of their work for society. I hope that the changes you awaited or worked for for so long will bring joy and satisfaction into your lives. We need your experience, your wisdom and your love.”
Václav Havel (1936–2011) said by 2011 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In the study of the profession to which he had looked forward all his life he found irritation and vacuity as well as serene wisdom; he saw no one clear path to Truth but a thousand paths to a thousand truths far-off and doubtful. ~ Ch. 2”
Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951) said by 1951 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“He preached to himself, as Max Gottlieb had once preached to him, the loyalty of dissent, the faith of being very doubtful, the gospel of not bawling gospels, the wisdom of admitting the probable ignorance of one's self and of everybody else, and the energetic acceleration of a Movement for going very slow. ~ Ch 21”
Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951) said by 1951 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Learning and wisdom are superfluities, the surface glitter merely, but it is the heart that is the seat of all power.”
Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902) said by 1902 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Learning and wisdom are superfluities, the surface glitter merely, but it is the heart that is the seat of all power. It is not in the brain but in the heart that the Atman, possessed of knowledge, power, and activity, has its seat.”
Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902) said by 1902 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I acknowledge the privilege of being alive In a human body at this moment, Endowed with senses, memories, emotions, thoughts, And the space of mind in its wisdom aspect.”
Alex Grey (born 1953) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I subject my awareness to the perfection of being, The perfection of wisdom and perfection of love, All of these being co-present in the Vast Expanse. I share this panorama of Being And appreciate all I can share it with… The seamless interweaving of consciousness With each moment Create perfection wherever you go With your awareness.”
Alex Grey (born 1953) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“'They've had a long time to think,' Paran murmured. 'Sometimes, that's all there's needed. The heart of wisdom is tolerance. I think.'”
Steven Erikson (born 1959) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“'It is the legacy of most intelligent beings to revel in slaughter for a time,' Haut replied. 'In this we play at being gods. In this, we lie to ourselves with delusions of omnipotence. There is but one measure to the wisdom of a people, and that is the staying hand. Fail in restraint and murder thrives in your eyes, and all your claims to civilization ring hollow.”
Steven Erikson (born 1959) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“As yonder tower outstretches to the earth The dark triangle of its shade alone When the clear day is shining on its top; So, darkness in the pathway of man's life Is but the shadow of God's providence, By the great Sun of wisdom cast thereon; And what is dark below is light in heaven.”
John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892) said by 1892 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A country is considered the more civilised the more the wisdom and efficiency of its laws hinder a weak man from becoming too weak and a powerful one too powerful.”
Primo Levi (1919–1987) said by 1987 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Lord — Protect my family and me. Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) first seen 2008 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Note slipped into the Western Wall in Jerusalem (24 July 2008)
“I am not a dictator, I am the president. I know this has been some of the conventional wisdom floating around Washington, that somehow even though most people agree that I’m being reasonable, that most people agree I’m presenting a fair deal, the fact that they don’t take it means that I should somehow, you know, do a Jedi mind meld with these folks and convince them to do what’s right.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“To know the mighty works of God, to comprehend His wisdom and majesty and power; to appreciate, in degree, the wonderful workings of His laws, surely all this must be a pleasing and acceptable mode of worship to the Most High, to whom ignorance cannot be more grateful than knowledge.”
Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) said by 1543 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in Poland : The Knight Among Nations (1907) by Louis E. Van Norman, p. 290; also in The Language of God (2006) by Francis Collins, pp. 230-31
“The subject of philosophy is very ancient. The word means: "The love, study or pursuit of wisdom, or of knowledge of things and their causes, whether theoretical or practical." All we know of science or of religion comes from philosophy. It lies behind and above all other knowledge we have or use.”
L. Ron Hubbard (1911–1986) first seen 1965 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: My Philosophy (1965).
“I have no wisdom, no skills, and no faith but I received strength, it tears the world apart. I shall break, a heavy wave, against its shores and a young wave will cover my trace.”
Czesław Miłosz (1911–2004) first seen 1935 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Hymn" (1935), trans. by Czesŀaw Miŀosz
“The questions which for years were in dispute between the State and General Government, and which unhappily were not decided by the dictates of reason, but referred to the decision of war, having been decided against us, it is the part of wisdom to acquiesce in the result, and of candor to recognize the fact.”
Robert E. Lee (1807–1870) first seen 1865 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Letter to former Virginia governor John Letcher (28 August 1865), as quoted in Personal Reminiscences, Anecdotes, and Letters of Gen. Robert E. Lee (1875) by John William Jones, p. 203
“Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain wisdom, not a guide by which to live.”
Robert F. Kennedy (1925–1968) first seen 1968 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Conflict in Vietnam and at Home" speech at Kansas State University on March 18, 1968 as part of the Alfred M. Landon Lectures on Public Issues.
“My favorite poet was Aeschylus. He wrote: "In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.”
Robert F. Kennedy (1925–1968) said by 1968 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black.”
Robert F. Kennedy (1925–1968) said by 1968 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In seeking wisdom, the first step is silence; the second, listening; the third, remembering; the fourth practicing; the fifth, teaching others”
Solomon ibn Gabirol (1020–1070) said by 1070 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted by Lama Surya Das, Huffington Post April 28, 2010 .
“We are not to judge individuals hastily on account of social mischiefs, that may be due to them as a body, through their holding of a position inherited from their forefathers, the whole nature of which they have not had strength and depth of wisdom to detect.”
William Ewart Gladstone (1809–1898) first seen 1889 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: ‘Memorials of a Southern Planter’, The Nineteenth Century, Vol. 26, Issue 154 (December 1889), pp. 984-986
“All the mystery and wisdom of the Masters, when it’s out in the daylight, doesn’t amount to so much, you know. Tricks of the trade—wonderful illusions. But people don’t want to know that. They want the illusions, the mysteries. Who can blame them? There’s so little in life that’s beautiful or worthy.”
Ursula K. Le Guin (1929–2018) said by 2018 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“All the learned men with all their wisdom, with all of the legal niceties they can put together on the finest of parchment, cannot produce one ton of steel.”
Walter Reuther (1907–1970) first seen 1952 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Address accepting the Presidency of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, Atlantic City, New Jersey, December 4, 1952, as quoted in Walter P Reuther: Selected Papers (1961), by Henry M. Christman, p. 51 thumb|Just s…
“We have Divine Wisdom in the mortal body.Whatever does harm to the body, ruins the House of the Eternal.”
Paracelsus (1493–1541) said by 1541 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Wisdom remembers. Happiness forgets.”
Mason Cooley (1927–2002) first seen 1986 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: City Aphorisms, Third Selection (1986)
“Wisdom cannot prevent a fall, but may cushion it.”
Mason Cooley (1927–2002) first seen 1993 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: City Aphorisms, Twelfth Selection (1993)
“If growth in East Asia is indeed running into diminishing returns, however, the conventional wisdom about an Asian-centered world economy needs some rethinking.”
Paul Krugman (born 1953) first seen 1994 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Myth of Asia's Miracle", Foreign Affairs (November/December 1994)
“Way over yonder is a place I have seen In a garden of wisdom from some long ago dream.”
Carole King (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Understanding the limitations of human beings is the beginning of wisdom.”
Thomas Sowell (born 1930) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The greatness of a free-market economy is that it does not depend upon the wisdom of those who happen to be on top at the moment.”
Thomas Sowell (born 1930) first seen 2000 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Rise and fall of a business,” Monterey Herald, December 30, 2000