“The wise are instructed by reason, average minds by experience, the stupid by necessity and the brute by instinct.”
More from Cicero on Wisdom
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”
“There are no snares more dangerous than those which lurk under the guise of duty or the name of relationship.”
“It is not by muscle, speed, or physical dexterity that great things are achieved, but by reflection, force of character, and judgment.”
“It is the nature of every person to error, but only the fool perseveres in error.”
“Rashness belongs to youth prudence to old age.”
“Cultivation to the mind is as necessary as food to the body.”
“Brevity is the best recommendation of speech, whether in a senator or an orator.”
“Great is the power of habit. It teaches us to bear fatigue and to despise wounds and pain.”
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”
“Knowledge which is divorced from justice, may be called cunning rather than wisdom.”
Others on Wisdom
Sun Tzu
30 quotes“Do not swallow bait offered by the enemy. Do not interfere with an army that is returning home.”
Dalai Lama
22 quotes“Compassion is the radicalism of our time.”
Cervantes
20 quotes“A closed mouth catches no flies.”
Aesop
19 quotes“Little by little does the trick.”
Confucius
19 quotes“The gem cannot be polished without friction nor man perfected without trials.”
Ben Franklin
18 quotes“Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.”
Napoleon
16 quotes“Ability is of little account without opportunity.”
George Washington
14 quotes“Let your Discourse with Men of Business be Short and Comprehensive.”
Rudyard Kipling
14 quotes“I keep six honest serving men. (They taught me all I know) Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and...”
Khalil Gibran
14 quotes“Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge.”
William Penn
14 quotes“Knowledge is the treasure of a wise man.”
George R.R. Martin
14 quotes“This was how an enemy should be dealt with: with a dagger, not a declaration.”