2015 was not my year. I’m determined to change all that in 2016.— Author Unknown
1,720 Wisdom Quotes
Wisdom is what you know after you stop arguing with reality.
Wisdom is different from intelligence. Smart people are good at solving problems. Wise people are good at choosing which problems are worth solving. The distinction matters. A lot of intelligent unhappy people are spending their effort on the wrong puzzles. Wisdom is what helps you tell the difference.
These 1,720 wisdom quotes draw from the deepest reservoir in human writing. Stoic philosophers like Marcus Aurelius and Seneca, who ran empires and still found time to keep private notes on how to live well. Lao Tzu, whose Tao Te Ching is still the most translated text in the world after the Bible. Modern voices like Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, and Viktor Frankl, who learned what they learned through hardship most of us will never know.
The interesting thing about wisdom is how often the same lessons show up across cultures separated by thousands of years. Marcus Aurelius and the Buddha both said attention determines life quality. Lao Tzu and the modern psychologists agree that resisting reality causes more suffering than reality itself. The wise across centuries and continents converged on the same handful of truths. That is worth paying attention to.
Save the wisdom quotes that change a decision you were about to make. Those are the ones that earn their keep.
Wisdom Quotes: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between wisdom and knowledge?
Knowledge is information you can recall. Wisdom is knowing what to do with it. Someone can have a PhD and no wisdom. Someone can have a sixth-grade education and a lot. Wisdom is the practical judgment that comes from paying attention to your life and adjusting based on what you observe. Books help. Experience teaches.
Who are the wisest thinkers to read?
Start with Marcus Aurelius (Meditations), Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching), and the Stoic letters of Seneca. For modern wisdom, Maya Angelou's Letter to My Daughter, Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, and anything by Toni Morrison reward careful reading. None of these are quick reads. They are slow on purpose.
What is the most useful wisdom quote?
Different ones for different problems. For decisions, Marcus Aurelius wrote 'You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this and you will find strength.' For relationships, Maya Angelou's 'When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.' For long-term thinking, the Cherokee 'The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.'
Can you become wise on purpose?
Yes, slowly. Three habits keep showing up in research on wise people. They read across disciplines. They reflect on their own mistakes without flinching. They listen more than they talk, especially to people they disagree with. Wisdom is the byproduct of paying close attention to your own life and being willing to be wrong.
1,720 quotes
All topics ›2018 will be your year if you overcome procrastination.— Author Unknown
Don't be afraid to take chances. Never be that person who looks back on life at the end of your years wondering what could have been. Don't tell stories of what you wish had happened, tell stories of what did happen.— Author Unknown
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When you're at the top, remember what it felt like when you were at the bottom. When you're at the bottom, remember what it felt like to be at the top. Good times don't last forever, but neither do the bad times.— Author Unknown
Nice guys are an endangered species, don't let them go extinct.— Author Unknown
5 Deadly Terms Used by a Woman Poster courtesy of All Famous Quotes 1. FINE: This is the word women use to end an argument when she knows she is right and YOU need to shut-up. 2. NOTHING: Means something and you need to be worried. 3. GO AHEAD: This is a dare, not permission, do not do it. 4. WHATEVER: A woman's way of saying screw you. 5. THAT'S OKAY: She is thinking long and hard on how and when you will pay for your mistake. BONUS WORD - WOW: This is not a compliment, she is amazed that one person could be so stupid!— Author Unknown
A beautiful woman pleases the eye, a good woman pleases the heart; the first is a jewel, the second is a treasure.— Napoleon Bonaparte
A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might what he desires.— Paulo Coelho
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it.— Albert Einstein
A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.— Zen Shin
A gentle word opens an iron gate.— Bulgarian proverb
A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.— Nelson Mandela
A good name is more desirable than great riches.— Proverbs 22:1
A good question outlives the answer.— Author Unknown
A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.— Lao Tzu
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.— Lao Tzu
A kind heart is a fountain of gladness.— Washington Irving
A kind word can change someone's entire day.— Author Unknown
A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.— George Bernard Shaw
A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle.— Khalil Gibran
A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.— Mahatma Gandhi
A mind that can sit with uncertainty is more valuable than one that demands certainty.— Author Unknown
A mistake that humbles you is better than an achievement that makes you arrogant.— Author Unknown
No matter where you've been or what you've been through, you can always start fresh.— Author Unknown
A person who is good at making excuses is usually bad at everything else.— Author Unknown
A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.— Albert Einstein
A person who never makes mistakes never makes decisions.— Author Unknown
A person's energy and the aura they give off never lies. Trust in that.— Author Unknown
A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.— George R.R. Martin
A river does not push against the flow. It is the flow.— Author Unknown