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

M
"To know oneself is the beginning of wisdom."
Mark Hopkins
M
"Wisdom is not the accumulation of facts, but the appreciation of their significance."
Mark Hopkins
M
"When you stop chasing the wrong things, you give the right things a chance to catch you."
Mark Hopkins
M
"The most important thing is to keep the most important thing the most important thing."
Mark Hopkins
L
"All the finer things of life are free or nearly free."
Leland Stanford
L
"My advice to young men is to avoid debt as you would avoid the plague."
Leland Stanford
L
"The true test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas and still function."
Leland Stanford
L
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for life."
Leland Stanford
L
"A man's legacy is not in his wealth, but in his works."
Leland Stanford
L
"The value of a man is measured by his character."
Leland Stanford
J
"A man's worth is determined not by his station in life, but by the integrity with which he pursues his convictions."
John C. Fremont
J
"The wilderness teaches lessons that civilization often forgets."
John C. Fremont
J
"The true explorer finds wealth in discovery, not in gold."
John C. Fremont
J
"I have learned that true power comes from understanding, not from domination."
John C. Fremont
J
"The exploration of unknown lands requires both scientific knowledge and intuitive wisdom."
John C. Fremont
J
"A man who follows his conscience will never regret his choices."
John C. Fremont
"The true measure of success is not wealth, but the legacy you leave behind."
Charles Crocker
"The man who reads only the ledgers will never understand the true nature of business."
Charles Crocker
"A single moment of clarity can redirect the entire course of a man's life."
Charles Crocker
"The future rewards those who prepare for it while others ignore its approach."
Charles Crocker
"In the face of uncertainty, the prepared mind finds opportunity."
Charles Crocker
S
"The foundation of all virtue is truth."
Stephen Girard
S
"Wisdom comes not from knowledge alone, but from experience."
Stephen Girard
S
"Wisdom is knowing when to act and when to wait."
Stephen Girard
M
"The greatest good is to develop the mind and soul."
Mark Hopkins
M
"A man's true wealth is measured by what he can afford to let pass by."
Mark Hopkins
M
"True progress is measured not in years, but in growth of understanding."
Mark Hopkins
M
"Wisdom is knowing what to do with what you know."
Mark Hopkins
M
"Wisdom comes from understanding the nature of things."
Mark Hopkins
M
"Virtue is not inherited; it must be cultivated."
Mark Hopkins