Wisdom Quotes

The best minds across centuries have wrestled with what it means to be wise. These quotes capture their hard-won insights.

64329 quotes

E
"A man must learn to listen before he presumes to lead."
Edward Harriman
E
"Life teaches those who are willing to pay attention."
Edward Harriman
W
"The measure of a man is not what he has, but what he has done."
William Rockefeller
W
"Success requires not just intelligence, but the wisdom to know when to act and when to wait."
William Rockefeller
W
"The preservation of wealth requires more wisdom than the creation of it."
William Rockefeller
W
"Wealth without wisdom is like a ship without a captain."
William Rockefeller
W
"A problem solved is a problem understood; never rush to solutions."
William Rockefeller
W
"The man who masters his emotions masters his destiny."
William Rockefeller
W
"In all things, seek first to understand, then to be understood."
William Rockefeller
A
"Fortune favors the bold, but wisdom favors the cautious."
August Belmont Jr.
A
"The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago; the second best time is now."
August Belmont Jr.
J
"In the quiet moments of reflection, we often discover our greatest truths."
James Hill
J
"Understanding begins where judgment ends."
James Hill
"Wisdom lies in knowing which rules were meant to be broken and which were meant to be bent."
Charles Yerkes
A
"The true measure of a man is not his wealth but his character."
August Belmont Sr.
A
"Wealth without wisdom becomes a burden rather than a blessing."
August Belmont Sr.
A
"The true test of character comes in times of prosperity, not adversity."
August Belmont Sr.
T
"A wise investor plants seeds not for today's harvest, but for tomorrow's forest."
Thomas Fortune Ryan
T
"Speculation without knowledge is merely gambling with another's fate."
Thomas Fortune Ryan
T
"Wisdom whispers where ambition shouts."
Thomas Fortune Ryan
T
"The man who listens learns; the man who speaks merely hears himself."
Thomas Fortune Ryan
T
"Wealth accumulated without wisdom is chaos seeking order."
Thomas Fortune Ryan
T
"Wisdom is knowing the difference between what you want and what you need."
Thomas Fortune Ryan
O
"Culture is not just an ornament of life, it is the very essence of a full life."
Otto Kahn
O
"Wisdom comes from experience, and experience comes from mistakes."
Otto Kahn
J
"The mind that opens to a new idea never returns to its original dimensions."
James Hill
E
"The best business decisions come from understanding human needs, not market abstractions."
Edward Harriman
E
"The greatest fortunes are built on the foundation of service."
Edward Harriman
E
"The true measure of success is stability, not sensation."
Edward Harriman
E
"Consolidation without vision is merely the gathering of corpses."
Edward Harriman