Wisest Quotes

The gretteste clerkes been noght wisest men. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

All political theories assume, of course, that most individuals are very ignorant. Those who plead for liberty differ from the rest in that they include among the ignorant themselves as well as the wisest. Compared with the totality of knowledge which is continually utilized in the evolution of a dynamic civilization, the difference between the knowledge that the wisest and that the most ignorant individual can deliberately employ is comparatively insignificant. ~ Friedrich Hayek

When misfortune comes,
The wisest even lose their mother wit ~ Sophocles

Thank your readers and the critics who praise you, and then ignore them. Write for the most intelligent, wittiest, wisest audience in the universe: Write to please yourself. ~ Harlan Ellison

Nobody, I believe, will deny, that we are to form our judgment of the true nature of the human mind, not from sloth and stupidity of the most degenerate and vilest of men, but from the sentiments and fervent desires of the best and wisest of the species. ~ Robert B. Leighton

Mad are thy subjects all, and even the wisest heart
Straight to folly will fall, at a touch of thy poisoned dart. ~ Sophocles

The wisest of you men is he who has realized, like Socrates, that in respect of wisdom he is really worthless. ~ Plato

Time is the wisest counselor of all. ~ Pericles

All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow. ~ Leo Tolstoy

The wisest man is he who can account for his actions. ~ Umar

We live in perilous times and at crossroads. On the one hand, we risk our extinction and that of our planet because of the devastating combination of ancient tribal habits and modern technologies that have the ability to obliterate every living being on the planet several times over. On the other hand, we also possess a nervous system through which the universe is becoming self-aware. More than ever, we have the means and insight to create a brave new world in which our current stage of survival of the fittest can evolve to one of survival of the wisest. The road we choose will determine our future. ~ Deepak Chopra

She would be one of those who kneel to their own shadows till feet grow on their knees; then go down on their hands till their hands grow into feet; then lay their faces on the ground till they grow into snouts; when at last they are a hideous sort of lizards, each of which believes himself the best, wisest, and loveliest being in the world, yea, the very centre of the universe. And so they run about for ever looking for their own shadows that they may worship them, and miserable because they cannot find them, being themselves too near the ground to have any shadows; and what becomes of them at last, there is but one who knows. ~ George MacDonald

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. JOHN 1:16 JUNE 14 Health and prosperity can be yours. I realize that you may regard this as a very extravagant assertion - a big order, so to speak; but please remember that I do not make this assertion on my own authority. I have this on the authority of the wisest Book ever written. The Bible isn't as fearful of promising big things as some of the more timid, halfhearted preachers of the gospel. The Bible makes superlative promises, because its promises are inspired by a loving and omnipotent God. But the Bible is also very subtle. And it points out that the blessings of health and prosperity are not easily given or easily received. Parenthetically, I want to say that by prosperity, the Bible does not mean merely material affluence; it means to enter abundantly into the blessings of God's grace. And it tells us that health and prosperity come to us when our soul is in harmony with ~ Norman Vincent Peale

Yes, it always pays when the wife believes and admits that her husband is the wisest man in the world and that whatever he does is right. ~ Hans Christian Andersen

Of all I have ever seen or learned, that book seems to me the noblest, the wisest, and the most powerful expression of man's life upon this earth - and also the highest flower of poetry, eloquence, and truth. I am not given to dogmatic judgments in the matter of literary creation, but if I had to make one I could say that Ecclesiastes is the greatest single piece of writing I have ever known, and the wisdom expressed in it the most lasting and profound. ~ Thomas Wolfe

The great paradox of determinism and free will, which has held the attention of the wisest of philosophers and psychologists for generations, can be phrased in more biological terms as follows: If our genes are inherited, and our environment is a train of physical events set in motion before we were born, how can there be a truly independent agent within the brain? The agent itself is created by the interaction of the genes and the environment. It would appear that our freedom is only a self delusion. ~ E. O. Wilson

And he is oft the wisest manWho is not wise at all. ~ William Wordsworth

Work for a Better Life as if you live forever,
And work for Better End as if you die tomorrow ~ Ali Ibn Abi Talib

All public interest' legislation (and any distribution of money taken by force from some men for the unearned benefit of others) comes down ultimately to the grant of an undefined undefinable, non-objective, arbitrary power to some government officials. The worst aspect of it is not that such a power can be used dishonestly, but that it cannot be used honestly. The wisest man in the world, with the purest integrity, cannot find a criterion for the just, equitable, rational application of an unjust, inequitable, irrational principle. ~ Ayn Rand

This is the first, wildest, and wisest thing I know, that the soul exists, and that it is built entirely out of attention. ~ Mary Oliver

Nothing can be more notorious than the calumnies and invectives with which the wisest measures and most virtuous characters of The United States have been pursued and traduced [By American Newspapers] ~ Thurgood Marshall

Wait for that wisest of all counselores, Time. ~ Pericles

Well may the boldest fear and the wisest tremble when incurring responsibilities on which may depend our country's peace and prosperity, and in some degree the hopes and happiness of the whole human family. ~ James K. Polk

The wisest have the most authority ~ Plato

It is only the very wisest and the very stupidest who cannot change. ~ Confucius

Even the wisest counsel is useless when it is unheeded. ~ Francine Mathews

What I have advocated is not wild radicalism. It is the highest and wisest kind of conservatism. ~ Theodore Roosevelt

I therefore concluded it was wisest to take quietly whatever he chose to inflict, but as the strokes fell upon my back, I firmly resolved that I would no longer be a slave. I would now escape or die in the attempt. They might shoot me down if they chose, but I would not live a slave. ~ James Curry

He who in the midst of intense activity finds himself in the greatest calmness, and in the greatest peace finds intense activity, that is the greatest [Yogi as well as the wisest man] (note 2). ~ Swami Vivekananda

Building a temple atop a minehead, when the local tulpas haunted the dangerous galleries and tunnels of Below, had not been the wisest judgment ever made. I tried to remember if this had been my idea. Somehow I had the feeling that it was. ~ Jay Lake

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. ~ Hester Lynch Piozzi

I was talking aloud to myself. A habit of the old: they choose the wisest person present to speak to ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

When neurons "talk" to each other clearly, our brain is able to make sense of our lives. We make our wisest decisions when there is nothing obstructing these lines of communication. ~ Toni Sorenson

Judgment of the people is often wiser than the wisest men. ~ Lajos Kossuth

The early bird gets the first worm, but the wisest bird gets the fattest one. ~ Matshona Dhliwayo

Listen to life, it is the wisest teacher of all. ~ Samuel Louis Gilmore

Wisest is he who knows what he does not know. ~ Plato

In all human affairs, the wisest course is to be passionate about the role of reason and reasonable about the role of passion. ~ Mardy Grothe

The wisest man has something yet to learn. ~ George Santayana

The wisest use of American strength is to advance freedom. ~ George W. Bush

I truly believe that the children who are diagnosed with cancer are some of the wisest, sweetest, strongest, and most loving children. They have gained a bigger perspective of the world in such a short time. They become wise beyond their years. ~ Laura Lane

Nature never wears a mean appearance. Neither does the wisest man extort her secret, and lose his curiosity by finding out all her perfection. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wisest is he who knows he knows not. ~ Socrates

Greatest surprises I have encountered has been that the people who seem wisest about the necessity of placing limits on the newest technologies are, often, precisely the ones who helped develop those technologies, which have bulldozed over so many of the limits of old. The very people, in short, who have worked to speed up the world are the same ones most sensitive to the virtue of slowing down. ~ Pico Iyer

When the devil wants to cause offense against the true doctrine and faith, he does not do so through insignificant people, who do not rate highly with the world, but through those who are the very best, the wisest, the holiest, and the most learned. ~ Martin Luther

That experience is the parent of wisdom is an adage the truth of which is recognized by the wisest as well as the simplest of mankind. ~ Alexander Hamilton

The wisest man preaches no doctrines; he has no scheme; he sees no rafter, not even a cobweb, against the heavens. It is clear sky. ~ Henry David Thoreau

In a perfect Friendship this Appreciative love is, I think, often so great and so firmly based that each member of the circle feels, in his secret heart, humbled before the rest. Sometimes he wonders what he is doing there among his betters. He is lucky beyond desert to be in such company. Especially when the whole group is together; each bringing out all that is best, wisest, or funniest in all the others. Those are the golden sessions; when four or five of us after a hard day's walk have come to our inn; when our slippers are on, our feet spread out toward the blaze and our drinks are at our elbows; when the whole world, and something beyond the world, opens itself to our minds as we talk; and no one has any claim on or any responsibility for another, but all are freemen and equals as if we had first met an hour ago, while at the same time an Affection mellowed by the years enfolds us. Life - natural life - has no better gift to give. Who could have deserved it? ~ C.S. Lewis

I would have you learn this great fact: that a life of doing right is the wisest life there is. 12 If you live that kind of life, you'll not limp or stumble as you run. 13 Carry out my instructions; don't forget them, for they will lead you to real living. ~ Anonymous

Long life to Commerce! My soul expands at the sight of its life. What has not commerce done from the beginning of the world for the embellishment of life, for promoting the friendly intercourse of countries and people, for the refinement of manners! It has always given me delight, that the wisest and most humane of the lawgivers of antiquity - Solon - was a merchant. ~ Fredrika Bremer

In summoning even the wisest of physicians to our aid, it is probably that he is relying upon a scientific "truth", the error of which will become obvious in just a few years' time. ~ Marcel Proust

I said that it would be easy to fall in love with you," he repeated.
"But would it be wise?"
He cocked his head to one side and their eyes locked in the short space between them. Slowly his chin went up and down in a nod. "I believe it might be the wisest thing I could do in this lifetime."
"Then you have my permission. ~ Carolyn Brown

BEAR WAS DEAD. That sweet and kindly man, the wisest I had ever known, the one I considered friend, teacher, and even father, was gone. Would ~ Avi

When defeat is inevitable, it is wisest to yield. ~ Quintilian

Time is the wisest of all things that are; for it brings everything to light. ~ Thales

Most people find it difficult to understand purely verbal concepts. [...] We employ visual and spatial metaphors for a great many everyday expressions [...] We are so visually biased that we call our wisest men visionaries! ~ McLuhan Marshal

The wisest man takes the shortest path to peace with himself. ~ Robin Hobb

What a great treasure can be hidden in a small, selected library! A company of the wisest and the most deserving people from all the civilized countries of the world, for thousands of years, can make the results of their studies and their wisdom available to us. The thought which they might not even reveal to their best friends is written here in clear words for us, people from another century. Yes, we should be grateful for the best books, for the best spiritual achievements in our lives. - RALPH WALDO EMERSON ~ Leo Tolstoy

Even the wisest and the best of us can be foolish occasionally. ~ Dean Koontz

Well, the thing that I suppose is closest to my heart is Shakespeare. I really am a nerd about Shakespeare, I love it [laughs] and the reason why is because he's one of the wisest, most compassionate writers in the course of Western literature, in the course of all literature. And he understood human nature so deeply, not just our great capacity for virtue and for goodness, and for love, but our capacity for pain and destruction and anger. ~ Tom Hiddleston

I never knew words could be so confusing," Milo said to Tock as he bent down to scratch the dog's ear.
"Only when you use a lot to say a little," answered Tock.
Milo thought this was quite the wisest thing he'd heard all day. ~ Norton Juster

Men are foolish creatures sometimes, even the wisest of them." Marion ~ G.A. Henty

Seek to be the smartest in a room, not the loudest. ~ Matshona Dhliwayo

My love of dynamic complications often led me to avoid simplicity when perhaps it was the wisest choice. ~ Garry Kasparov

The wisest among you is he whose sustenance is the fear of Allah. ~ Umar

All beautiful things bring sadness, nor alone Sweet music, as our wisest Poet spake, Because in us keen longings they awake. ~ Richard Chenevix Trench

The strongest animal in nature is intelligence, the wisest is love. ~ Matshona Dhliwayo

When I think of the wisest people I know, they share one defining trait: curiosity. They turn away from the minutiae of their lives-and focus on the world around them. They are motivated by the desire to explore the unfamiliar. They are drawn toward what they don't understand. ~ Dani Shapiro

The weakest spot in every man is where he thinks himself to be the wisest. ~ Nathanael Emmons

If wisdom is a place, you should be the wisest one to live there.. ~ Munia Khan

The first questions are always to be asked, and the wisest doctor is gravelled by the inquisitiveness of a child. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness. ~ Thomas Jefferson

Launching an innovative premium jelly bouillon into a highly competitive market at the height of austerity, for example, might not have been thought the wisest move. Yet with people eating out less, the demand for high-quality convenience products that enable people to cook at home has grown. As ~ Jaideep Prabhu, Paul Polman, The Economist Navi Radjou

Whether good or bad, it was I that did the damage, and the wisest rule in life, note the aftermath and how to manage. ~ Ken Dereste Dorcely

In every age the wisest have passed the identical judgment on life: it is worthless ... ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Fermin shook his head. 'And is that why you believe that if you manage to unravel the mystery of Julian Carax and rescue him from oblivion, the face of your mother will come back to you?'
I looked at him. There was no irony or judgment in his expression. For a moment Fermin Romero de Torres seemed to me the wisest and most lucid man in the universe. ~ Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Is it possible to say what one really feels? ~ Leo Tolstoy

The wisest man knows he know nothing. ~ A. Lee Martinez

The first and wisest of them all professed To know this only, that he nothing knew. ~ John Milton

My creed on the subject of slavery is short. Slavery per se is not sin. It is a social condition ordained from the beginning of the world for the wisest purposes, benevolent and disciplinary, by Divine Wisdom. ~ Samuel Morse

Love makes fools of the wisest. ~ Kerri Maniscalco

The wisest and noblest teacher is nature itself. ~ Leonardo Da Vinci

Jed Diamond is, quite simply, one of the wisest men writing today on the topic of male emotional and physical health. ~ Michael Gurian

And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. ~ O. Henry

The patience and the humility of the face she loved so well was a better lesson to Jo than the wisest lecture, the sharpest reproof. ~ Louisa May Alcott

Those who think that the wisest way to groom a child for spiritual maturity is to isolate him from the evil, corrupted world system or airbrush his childhood environment so much that it exposes only him to the good and never teaches him how to process the bad (or the counterfeit) will set a child up for a life of mediocrity at best and spiritual annihilation at worst. ~ Tim Kimmel

For the wisest are always the humblest. ~ Shanti Christo Foundation

I examined the poets, and I look on them as people whose talent overawes both themselves and others, people who present themselves as wise men and are taken as such, when they are nothing of the sort.

From poets, I moved to artists. No one was more ignorant about the arts than I; no one was more convinced that artists possessed really beautiful secrets. However, I noticed that their condition was no better than that of the poets and that both of them have the same misconceptions. Because the most skillful among them excel in their specialty, they look upon themselves as the wisest of men. In my eyes, this presumption completely tarnished their knowledge. As a result, putting myself in the place of the oracle and asking myself what I would prefer to be - what I was or what they were, to know what they have learned or to know that I know nothing - I replied to myself and to the god: I wish to remain who I am.

We do not know - neither the sophists, nor the orators, nor the artists, nor I - what the True, the Good, and the Beautiful are. But there is this difference between us: although these people know nothing, they all believe they know something; whereas, I, if I know nothing, at least have no doubts about it. As a result, all this superiority in wisdom which the oracle has attributed to me reduces itself to the single point that I am strongly convinced that I am ignorant of what I do not know. ~ Socrates

The point I'm trying to make is that I am the most unpleasant, rude, ignorant, and all-around obnoxious arsehole that anyone could possibly have the misfortune to meet. I am dismissive of the virtuous, unaware of the beautiful, and uncomprehending in the face of the happy. So if I didn't understand I was being asked to be the best man, it is because I never expected to be anybody's best friend, and certainly not the best friend of the bravest and kindest and wisest human being I have ever had the good fortune of knowing. John, I am a ridiculous man, redeemed only by the warmth and constancy of your friendship. But as I am apparently your best friend, I cannot congratulate you on your choice of companion.

Actually, now I can. Mary, when I say you deserve this man, it is the highest compliment of which I am capable. John, you have endured war, and injury, and tragic loss - so sorry again about that last one. So know this: Today, you sit between the woman you have made your wife and the man you have saved. In short, the two people who love you most in all this world. And I know I speak for Mary as well when I say we will never let you down, and we have a lifetime ahead to prove that. Now, on to some funny stories about John... ~ Steven Moffat

Cling not to one mood,
And deemed not thou art right, all others wrong.
For whoso thinks that wisdom dwells with him,
That he alone can speak or think alright,
Such oracles are empty breath when tried.
The wisest man will let himself be swayed
By other's wisdom and relax in time. ~ Sophocles

He is the wisest who seeks God. He is the most successful who has found God. ~ Paramahansa Yogananda

I think that that's the wisest thing - to prevent illness before we try to cure something. ~ Maya Angelou

In Astrology, the moon, among its other meanings, has that of "the common people," who submit (they know not why) to any independent will that can express itself with sufficient energy. The people who guillotined the mild Louis XVI died gladly for Napoleon. The impossibility of an actual democracy is due to this fact of mob-psychology. As soon as you group men, they lose their personalities. A parliament of the wisest and strongest men in the nation is liable to behave like a set of schoolboys, tearing up their desks and throwing their inkpots at each other. The only possibility of co-operation lies in discipline and autocracy, which men have sometimes established in the name of equal rights. ~ Aleister Crowley

Passion very often makes the wisest men fools, and very often too inspires the greatest fools with wit. ~ Francois De La Rochefoucauld

You shone like a star. The funniest, wisest writer & the finest friend ~ Neil Gaiman

The wisest man is he who is kind to all, compassionate to many, and rude to none. ~ Debasish Mridha

If travel were so inspiring and informing a business ... then the wisest men in the world would be deck hands on tramp steamers, Pullman porters, and Mormon missionaries. ~ Sinclair Lewis

Do not fear ARREST. Why? Because, there is REST at the end of each AR"REST"; either in jail or in the grave. The wisest and the greatest of men are aware of this. ~ Oppong Amankwaa

We must get away from this limited *I did this and I did that* and the self-centeredness, that dominates our society Today. It must be a privilege to serve members of society. Not that we want rewards or medals or honor for what we do, because it is just an honor to do it, if you cannot work for that, than you missed the boat. You don't understand the teachings of the wisest men ever lived. ~ Jacque Fresco

Man is evil' - so said to me for consolation, all the wisest ones. Ah, if only it be still true today! For the evil is man's best force.
'Man must become better and eviler' - so do I teach. The evilest is necessary for the Superman's best.
It may have been well for the preacher of the petty people to suffer and be burdened by men's sin. I, however, rejoice in great sin as my great consolation. -
Such things, however, are not said for long ears. Every word, also, is not suited for every mouth. These are fine far-away things: at them sheep's claws shall not grasp! ~ Friedrich Nietzsche