By Maxime Lagacé
Maxime is the founder of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm and peaceful mind. Learn more about him on his about page.
I’ve spent 10+ hours doing one thing:
Curate the wisest words from Einstein, Buddha, Seneca, Socrates, Emerson, Plato, and many more.
So here’s a list of THE top 75 words of wisdom ever written.
Why should you read this article?
Because:
- You’ll learn how to be calmer and wiser
- You’ll learn how to live a good and meaningful life
- You’ll discover condensed wisdom from the best thinkers of the last 2000 years
In sum, you’ll gain precious insights in just 5 minutes.
Enjoy!
Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life. Immanuel Kant
Doubt is the origin of wisdom. Augustine of Hippo
The truest wisdom is a resolute determination. Napoleon Bonaparte
Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it. Albert Einstein
Wisdom is the power to put our time and our knowledge to the proper use. Thomas J. Watson
A symptom of wisdom is curiosity. The evidence is calmness and perseverance. The causes are experimentation and understanding. Maxime Lagacé
It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor. Seneca
A wise man never loses anything, if he has himself. Michel de Montaigne
A fool is known by his speech; and a wise man by silence. Pythagoras
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Foolishness is a twin sister of wisdom. Witold Gombrowicz
There is only a finger’s difference between a wise man and a fool. Diogenes
Never say no twice if you mean it. Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Irrigators channel waters; fletchers straighten arrows; carpenters bend wood; the wise master themselves. Buddha
Wisdom is nothing but a preparation of the soul, a capacity, a secret art of thinking, feeling and breathing thoughts of unity at every moment of life. Hermann Hesse
A lot of wisdom is just realizing the long-term consequences of your actions. The longer term you’re willing to look, the wiser you’re going to seem to everybody around you. Naval Ravikant
Everything comes in time to him who knows how to wait. Leo Tolstoy
Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end. Leonard Nimoy
Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens. Jimi Hendrix
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Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom. Francis Bacon
A weak reaction is to rush things. A strong reaction is to go slow and steady. Maxime Lagacé
The best words are the ones you are ready for. Maxime Lagacé
We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us. Marcel Proust
Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children. Kahlil Gibran
A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit. David Elton Trueblood
The wise know they are fools. Fools think they are wise. Maxime Lagacé
Discipline is wisdom and vice versa. M. Scott Peck
The greatest wealth is to live content with little. Plato
Wisdom is knowing when you can’t be wise. Paul Engle
Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences. Norman Cousins
Wisdom and deep intelligence require an honest appreciation of mystery. Thomas Moore
The two powers which in my opinion constitute a wise man are those of bearing and forbearing. Epictetus
Wisdom is keeping a sense of fallibility of all our views and opinions. Gerald Brenan
Much wisdom often goes with fewest words. Sophocles
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Great wisdom is generous; petty wisdom is contentious. Zhuangzi
Who then is free? The wise man who can command himself. Horace
We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing. George Bernard Shaw
True wisdom is remembering that in the end, no matter what, everything will be fine. Maxime Lagacé
The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit. Paulo Coelho (Source)
Men who know themselves are no longer fools. They stand on the threshold of the door of wisdom. Havelock Ellis
Wisdom consists not so much in knowing what to do in the ultimate as knowing what to do next. Herbert Hoover
Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech. Plutarch
Related
- 150 Buddha Quotes And Buddhist Quotes
- 135 Rumi Quotes On Love, Beauty, Friendship
- Albert Einstein Quotes On Life, Education, Humanity
The most certain sign of wisdom is cheerfulness. Michel de Montaigne
It’s better to be alone than to spend time with toxic people. It’s better to do nothing than to work on something that doesn’t matter. It’s better to rest than to climb the wrong mountain. James Clear
Knowledge shrinks as wisdom grows. Alfred North Whitehead
If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise. William Blake
Don’t try to become, let go of who you’re not. Maxime Lagacé
The truest sayings are paradoxical. Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching)
Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers. Alfred Lord Tennyson
One principle eliminates a thousand decisions. Johnny Uzan
Wisdom comes by disillusionment. George Santayana
Related: 79 Positive Quotes To Uplift Yourself
He that composes himself is wiser than he that composes a book. Benjamin Franklin
Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another. Juvenal
Pain is the doorway to wisdom and to truth. Keith Miller
Kindness is wisdom. Philip James Bailey
Maturity is when you stop being surprised by anything. Wisdom is when you start again. Maxime Lagacé
I prefer the folly of enthusiasm to the indifference of wisdom. Anatole France
The wise are those who know the Self. Sri Sathya Sai Baba
No man was ever wise by chance. Seneca
Wisdom begins in wonder. Socrates
One part of wisdom is knowing what you don’t need anymore and letting it go. Jane Fonda
Wisdom comes from experience. Experience is often a result of lack of wisdom. Terry Pratchett
For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else. Ralph Waldo Emerson
The best words of wisdom will create confusion, action, understanding and ultimately, peace. Maxime Lagacé
Cleverness is like a lens with a very sharp focus. Wisdom is more like a wide-angle lens. Edward de Bono
It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err. Mahatma Gandhi
We will be known forever by the tracks we leave. Dakota (Native American saying)
Has fortune dealt you some bad cards. Then let wisdom make you a good gamester. Francis Quarles
The function of wisdom is to discriminate between good and evil. Marcus Tullius Cicero
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Do now what your future you will thank you for. Maxime Lagacé
Genius unrefined resembles a flash of lightning, but wisdom is like the sun. Franz Grillparzer
Real wisdom is not the knowledge of everything, but the knowledge of which things in life are necessary, which are less necessary, and which are completely unnecessary to know. Leo Tolstoy
Wisdom is seeing wounds and obstacles as blessings. Maxime Lagacé
Innocence dwells with wisdom, but never with ignorance. William Blake
The small wisdom is like water in a glass: clear, transparent, pure. The great wisdom is like the water in the sea: dark, mysterious, impenetrable. Rabindranath Tagore
A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men. Roal Dahl
Related: 40 Unconventional Pieces of Advice That Most People Ignore (calvinrosser.com)
Wisdom is knowing what to ignore. Shane Parrish (Source)
Key Takeaways
- Wise people prefer
- Questions over answers
- Listening over talking
- Doubts over confidence
- Wise people don’t care about
- Rewards
- Criticism
- What they don’t control
- Keep in mind: life is chaos. Being a little foolish can help.
- Want to become wiser? Think “experiences”. Try, fail, reflect, and learn.
- Tools to become wise?
- Self-understanding
- Acceptance
- Discipline
- Meditation (mindful.org)
Further Readings
- Topic: Life
- 117 Short Quotes That Will Inspire You (Fast)
- 91 Of The Best Stoic Quotes (For A Better Life)
- 115 Philosophy Quotes From The Best Philosophers
- 77 Life Lessons Quotes (To Learn And Grow)
- How to Be Wise(dariusforoux.com)
- 87 Deep Quotes That Will Make You Think
- 100+ Most Famous Quotes Of All Time
- The Power Of Words – 3 Ways They Can Change Your Life
- 21 Life-Changing Questions To Ask Yourself Today
Hope you enjoyed these beautiful words of wisdom. If you did, please share them with a friend today!
Do you consider yourself wise? What are your favorite words of wisdom? And remember: words can transform your life, if you find the right ones.
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