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

"The heart is the compass that guides us."
Duke Ellington
"Wisdom comes from balancing knowledge with experience."
John Coltrane
"Wisdom knows the difference between knowledge and understanding."
John Coltrane
"There are some people that if they don't know, you can't tell them."
Louis Armstrong
"I always say living good is the best revenge."
Louis Armstrong
"There's no such thing as bad music, just music you don't understand yet."
Louis Armstrong
"I always told kids from the neighborhood, don't do what I did."
Louis Armstrong
"If you understand it, then you're living it."
Louis Armstrong
"The only real law in music is the law of good taste."
Charlie Parker
"The way to learn is to listen, really listen."
Charlie Parker
"The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes – that is where the art resides."
Charlie Parker
"The best musicians are the ones who listen more than they play."
Charlie Parker
"If you understood everything I said, you'd be me."
Miles Davis
"I'm playing what the moment requires."
Miles Davis
"If you understand what you're doing, the audience understands too."
Miles Davis
"The only thing that matters is your intention."
Miles Davis
"The art is to hear what you don't want to hear."
Miles Davis
"You can't teach anybody how to be cool."
Miles Davis
"You have to trust your instincts."
Miles Davis
E
"Life teaches us through its seasons, and we must learn from each one."
Ella Fitzgerald
E
"I've learned that humility is just as important as talent in this business."
Elvis Presley
"Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens."
Jimi Hendrix
"You've got to make your own mistakes to find your own way."
Jimi Hendrix
"Wisdom whispers while foolishness shouts."
Jimi Hendrix
"All music is folk music. I have never heard a horse sing."
Charlie Parker
"The simplest melodies often carry the deepest truths."
Charlie Parker
E
"Wisdom comes not from having all the answers, but from asking the right questions."
Elvis Presley
"Simplicity is the most deceitful mistress that ever lived because people fail to see her depths."
Duke Ellington
"There are two kinds of worries: those you can do something about and those you can't."
Duke Ellington
"Never jump on a horse unless you can get off."
Duke Ellington