Wisdom Quotes

"True wisdom consists in replacing vague theological ideas with precise scientific understanding."

"Wisdom emerges when we integrate scientific knowledge with ethical purpose."

"He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that."

"It is better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied."

"To assume that human nature is perpetually uniform is a dangerous assumption."

"Self-interest rightly understood is not the same as selfishness."

"The habit of listening to diverse opinions strengthens the mind."

"The intellect is the guide of the better nature of man."

"The capacity for wisdom increases in proportion to the capacity for sympathy."

"The denial of God is not wisdom, but the affirmation of humanity."

"Doubt is the beginning of wisdom, not its end."

"The perfection we seek in others often reveals our own imperfections."

"Humility is the recognition of how much we do not know."

"The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of dusk."

"Self-consciousness is the key to understanding reality."

"What is familiarly known is not properly known at all."

"The understanding finite being is always incomplete."

"The mediated is better than the immediate."

"The highest human dignity is independent thought."

"Insanity in individuals is something rare; in groups, parties, nations and epochs it is the rule."

"Be careful when you fight the monsters, lest you become one."

"Do not pity the dead. Pity the living."

"There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy."

"The most common form of human stupidity is forgetting what one is trying to do."

"To be ashamed of one's immorality is a step on the staircase."

"The more a man limits himself, the more resourceful he becomes."

"In the struggle between you and the world, back the world."

"A person is either characterized by a lack of self-esteem or an excess thereof."

"The external forms of life—these change, but the essential qualities remain."

"Worldly wisdom consists in knowing what things are not worth having."