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

F
"Objective knowledge is possible through systematic thought."
Frege, Gottlob
C
"Logic without intuition is sterile; intuition without logic is blind."
Church, Alonzo
C
"The art of thinking is the art of asking the right questions."
Church, Alonzo
C
"The paradox of knowledge is that the more we know, the more we discover our ignorance."
Church, Alonzo
C
"The hunger for knowledge is never satisfied, and that is as it should be."
Church, Alonzo
P
"A small error in the beginning is a great error in the end."
Poincaré, Henri
P
"One must learn to work in uncertainty and develop tolerance for ambiguity."
Poincaré, Henri
P
"Intuition is not infallible, but it is a guide that should be followed when reason cannot lead."
Poincaré, Henri
P
"The simplest explanation is usually the best one."
Poincaré, Henri
P
"The path to wisdom is paved with uncomfortable truths."
Poincaré, Henri
P
"In the silence of contemplation, the loudest truths are heard."
Poincaré, Henri
P
"The most profound truths are often the simplest."
Poincaré, Henri
P
"In the pursuit of knowledge, we discover our deepest selves."
Poincaré, Henri
W
"Fools act on imagination without knowledge; pedants act on knowledge without imagination."
Whitehead, Alfred North
W
"Seek simplicity, and distrust it."
Whitehead, Alfred North
W
"Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many."
Whitehead, Alfred North
W
"The human mind craves patterns; it is the nature of intelligence to seek order."
Whitehead, Alfred North
W
"Every error contains within it a lesson for the wise."
Whitehead, Alfred North
D
"Understanding requires both logic and intuition."
Dummett, Michael
G
"Skepticism is not an end in itself. It is a tool."
Gödel, Kurt
G
"One should as a rule respect public opinion in so far as is necessary to avoid starvation and to prevent one's views from being excessively misrepresented."
Gödel, Kurt
G
"The human mind is more than a machine."
Gödel, Kurt
G
"One should respect public opinion to avoid starvation."
Gödel, Kurt
G
"Everything that can be said can be said clearly."
Gödel, Kurt
G
"The most important thing is to ask the right questions."
Gödel, Kurt
G
"Facts are on the physical side; values are on the spiritual side."
Gödel, Kurt
G
"To think clearly one must work with precise definitions."
Gödel, Kurt
G
"The deepest truths are often the simplest."
Gödel, Kurt
G
"I trust my intuition about mathematical truth."
Gödel, Kurt
G
"Every proof must begin with intuition."
Gödel, Kurt