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

D
"The path to wisdom is paved with the stones of experience."
Diocletian
D
"The pursuit of perfection often blinds us to the good before us."
Diocletian
C
"The greatest glory of a building is its fitness to the purpose for which it is built."
Constantine I
C
"Wisdom is knowing the difference between what we want and what we need."
Constantine I
S
"The greatest victory is victory over oneself."
Septimius Severus
S
"Ambition without virtue is corruption."
Septimius Severus
S
"The wise man learns from all."
Septimius Severus
S
"Mercy tempers justice."
Septimius Severus
S
"Hate consumes the hater first."
Septimius Severus
S
"Failure teaches what success cannot."
Septimius Severus
S
"In diversity lies strength."
Septimius Severus
P
"The human mind is capable of understanding all mysteries if given sufficient time."
Pliny the Elder
P
"Wisdom dwells not in the words we speak, but in the deeds we perform."
Pliny the Elder
P
"In the silence between words lies the deepest wisdom."
Pliny the Elder
C
"The measure of a man is not his wealth, but his integrity."
Cato the Younger
C
"Wisdom is knowing which battles to fight and which to walk away from."
Cato the Younger
C
"I have found that conscience is the only counsel worth keeping."
Cato the Younger
C
"A man's final legacy is not what he accumulated, but what he stood for."
Cato the Younger
C
"The voice of conscience speaks louder than the roar of the mob."
Cato the Younger
C
"A man without principles is a ship without a rudder, drifting toward catastrophe."
Cato the Younger
C
"I have found that the approval of conscience is worth more than the applause of multitudes."
Cato the Younger
C
"Prudence in speech is the mark of a civilized man."
Cato the Elder
C
"To know oneself is the beginning of all wisdom."
Cato the Elder
C
"The tongue is both a weapon and an instrument of healing."
Cato the Elder
C
"Those who speak much often say the least of value."
Cato the Elder
C
"Forgive when you can, but never forget when you must remember."
Cato the Elder
C
"In times of plenty, prepare for times of scarcity."
Cato the Elder
D
"A ruler who cannot accept counsel is a ruler destined for ruin."
Diocletian
D
"Ambition without wisdom breeds only chaos."
Diocletian
D
"To age is to gain perspective; to use it wisely is to serve."
Diocletian