Wise Quotes

"I have always observed that to succeed in the world one should appear like a fool but be wise"

Charles de Secondat, Philosopher

"You can't expect to be old and wise if you were never young and crazy"

Slash, Musician

"Some deemed him wondrous wise, and some believed him mad"

James Beattie

"Those who wish to appear wise among fools, among the wise seem foolish"

Quintilian, Educator

"But I think I have done right to save the vision in this way, even though I may die sooner because I did it; for I know the meaning of the vision is wise and beautiful and good; and you can see that I am only a pitiful old man after all"

Black Elk, Leader

"It is wise to apply the oil of refined politeness to the mechanism of friendship"

Sidonie Gabrielle Colette, Novelist

"I wish the government and the Minister of Justice would address these legal and constitutional arguments, but they refuse to. They want Canadians to go blindly into their brave new world, but it is not wise for a society to move blindly in any direction"

Stockwell Day, Politician

"Clever people master life; the wise illuminate it and create fresh difficulties"

Emil Nolde, Artist

"Ask a woman's advice, and whatever she advises, Do the very reverse and you're sure to be wise"

Thomas More, Author

"Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks. Also learn from holy books and wise people. Everything - even mountains, rivers, plants and trees - should be your teacher"

Morihei Ueshiba, Athlete

"I never think of myself as wise. I think of myself as possessing a critical intelligence which I intend to allow to operate"

Harold Pinter, Playwright

"A wise person decides slowly but abides by these decisions"

Arthur Ashe, Athlete

"The mobilisation which Bush has been able to perform since 11 September 2001 has to be fought - at least by Americans - in the name of a wise, honourable and democratic patriotism"

Todd Gitlin, Sociologist

"We have no words for speaking of wisdom to the stupid. He who understands the wise is wise already"

Georg C. Lichtenberg, Scientist

"The wise musicians are those who play what they can master"

Duke Ellington, Musician

"There is only a finger's difference between a wise man and a fool"

Diogenes of Sinope, Philosopher

"I'd like to be wise. You have to go through a lot to get there, but I'm willing to go through a lot"

Nicole Kidman, Actress

"Better be wise by the misfortunes of others than by your own"

Aesop, Author

"A very wise author once said that a writer writes for himself, and then publishes for money. I write for myself and publish just for the reader"

Guillermo Cabrera Infante, Novelist

"When it comes to Chinese food I have always operated under the policy that the less known about the preparation the better. A wise diner who is invited to visit the kitchen replies by saying, as politely as possible, that he has a pressing engagement elsewhere"

Calvin Trillin, Journalist

"You just try to absorb as much as you can from someone who has won as many races and championships as he has. Career wise, he's been the greatest thing that's happened to me"

Larry Dixon

"Beauty makes idiots sad and wise men merry"

George Jean Nathan, Editor

"It is never wise to try to appear to be more clever than you are. It is sometimes wise to appear slightly less so"

William Whitelaw, Politician

"Women desire six things: They want their husbands to be brave, wise, rich, generous, obedient to wife, and lively in bed"

Geoffrey Chaucer, Poet

"There are peaks and valleys in anything and that is especially true for the music business. It is very inconsistent. But if you are wise, you can let those downs really bring you to another level of your personality"

Bryan White, Musician

"A smart man only believes half of what he hears, a wise man knows which half"

Jeff Cooper, Celebrity

"Wise leaders generally have wise counselors because it takes a wise person themselves to distinguish them"

Diogenes of Sinope, Philosopher

"Poetry is innocent, not wise. It does not learn from experience, because each poetic experience is unique"

Karl Shapiro, Poet

"Every human being has, like Socrates, an attendant spirit; and wise are they who obey its signals. If it does not always tell us what to do, it always cautions us what not to do"

Lydia M. Child, Activist

"The Supreme Court has ruled that they cannot have a nativity scene in Washington, D.C. This wasn't for any religious reasons. They couldn't find three wise men and a virgin"

Jay Leno, Comedian

"We want a state wise in its contemplation - just in its actions - and moderate in the reach of government into our lives"

Sonny Perdue, Politician

"A beautiful woman delights the eye; a wise woman, the understanding; a pure one, the soul"

Minna Antrim, Writer

"The lips of the wise are as the doors of a cabinet; no sooner are they opened, but treasures are poured out before thee"

Akhenaton, Statesman

"True wisdom is less presuming than folly. The wise man doubteth often, and changeth his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubteth not; he knoweth all things but his own ignorance"

Akhenaton, Statesman

"It's been very nice. I haven't gotten out too much because we've been working a lot but other wise the people have been very nice and I've had a good time"

Bo Derek, Actress

"It's not wise to violate rules until you know how to observe them"

T. S. Eliot, Poet

"The wisdom of the wise, and the experience of ages, may be preserved by quotation"

Isaac Disraeli, Writer

"The two big advantages I had at birth were to have been born wise and to have been born in poverty"

Sophia Loren, Actress

"Few of the many wise apothegms which have been uttered have prevented a single foolish action"

Thomas B. Macaulay, Historian

"A wise parent humors the desire for independent action, so as to become the friend and advisor when his absolute rule shall cease"

Elizabeth Gaskell, Novelist

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