It is impossible to underrate human intelligence—beginning with one’s own.
—Henry Adams (1838–1918) American Historian, Man of Letters
The best buy by way of management is brains-at any price.
—Malcolm S. Forbes (1919–1990) American Publisher, Businessperson
Man becomes man only by his intelligence, but he is man only by his heart.
—Henri Frederic Amiel (1821–81) Swiss Moral Philosopher, Poet, Critic
An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools.
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American Author, Journalist, Short Story Writer
Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline; simulated fear postulates courage; simulated weakness postulates strength.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
In the corporate world, if you have analysts, due diligence, and no horse sense, you’ve just described hell.
—Charlie Munger (b.1924) American Investor, Philanthropist
Nothing in education is so astonishing as the amount of ignorance it accumulates in the form of inert facts.
—Henry Adams (1838–1918) American Historian, Man of Letters
The weak in courage is strong in cunning.
—William Blake (1757–1827) English Poet, Painter, Printmaker
Our intellect is not the most subtle, the most powerful, the most appropriate, instrument for revealing the truth. It is life that, little by little, example by example, permits us to see that what is most important to our heart, or to our mind, is learned not by reasoning but through other agencies. Then it is that the intellect, observing their superiority, abdicates its control to them upon reasoned grounds and agrees to become their collaborator and lackey.
—Marcel Proust (1871–1922) French Novelist
Trust your hunches… Hunches are usually based on facts filed away just below the conscious level. Warning! Do not confuse your hunches with wishful thinking. This is the road to disaster.
—Joyce Brothers (1927–2013) American Psychologist, Advice Columnist
Intelligence and courtesy not always are combined; Often in a wooden house a golden room we find.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
Of course all life is a process of breaking down, but the blows that do the dramatic side of the work – the big sudden blows that come, or seem to come, from outside – the ones you remember and blame things on and, in moments of weakness, tell your friends about, don’t show their effect all at once. There is another sort of blow that comes from within – that you don’t feel until it’s too late to do anything about it, until you realize with finality that in some regard you will never be as good a man again. The first sort of breakage seems to happen quick – the second kind happens almost without your knowing it but is realized suddenly indeed. Before I go on with this short history, let me make a general observation – the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise.
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) American Novelist
You think you are clever until you find out how smart you are.
—Unknown
Now intelligence seemed quantifiable. You could measure someone’s actual or potential height, and now, it seemed, you could also measure someone’s actual or potential intelligence. We had one dimension of mental ability along which we could array everyone… The whole concept has to be challenged; in fact, it has to be replaced.
—Howard Gardner (b.1943) American Cognitive Psychologist
Anyone who conducts an argument by appealing to authority is not using his intelligence; he is just using his memory.
—Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) Italian Polymath, Painter, Sculptor, Inventor, Architect
There’s no underestimating the intelligence of the American public.
—H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) American Journalist, Literary Critic
Just imagine you’re four years old, and someone makes the following proposal: If you’ll wait until after he runs an errand, you can have two marshmallows for a treat. If you can’t wait until then, you can have only one—but you can have it right now. It is a challenge sure to try the soul of any four-year-old, a microcosm of the eternal battle between impulse and restraint, id and ego, desire and self-control, gratification and delay… There is perhaps no psychological skill more fundamental than resisting impulse. It is the root of all emotional self-control, since all emotions, by their very nature, led to one or another impulse to act.
—Daniel Goleman (b.1946) American Psychologist, Author, Science Journalist
This administration misled a nation into war by cherry-picking intelligence and stretching the truth beyond recognition.
—John Kerry (b.1943) American Politician, Diplomat
Always be smarter than the people who hire you.
—Lena Horne (1917–2010) American Singer, Actress
Everything in the universe has a purpose. Indeed, the invisible intelligence that flows through everything in a purposeful fashion is also flowing through you.
—Wayne Dyer (1940–2015) American Self-Help Author
Intelligence recognizes what has happened. Genius recognizes what will happen.
—John Ciardi (1916–86) American Poet, Teacher, Etymologist, Translator
No man likes to have his intelligence or good faith questioned, especially if he has doubts about it himself.
—Henry Adams (1838–1918) American Historian, Man of Letters
Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
The man who puts $10,000 additional capital into an established business is pretty certain of increased returns; and in the same way, the man who puts additional capital into his brains—information, well directed thought and study of possibilities—will as surely—yes, more surely—get increased returns. There is no capital and no increase in capital safer than that.
—Marshall Field (1834–1906) American Entrepreneur, Businessperson, Philanthropist
Intelligence is nothing without delight.
—Paul Claudel (1868–1955) French Poet, Essayist, Dramatist
The intellect is always fooled by the heart.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Intelligence, in diapers, is invisible. And when it matures, out the window it flies. We have to pounce on it earlier.
—Stanislaw Jerzy Lec (1909–1966) Polish Aphorist, Poet
There are three kinds of intelligence: one kind understands things for itself, the other appreciates what others can understand, the third understands neither for itself nor through others. This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless.
—Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) Florentine Political Philosopher
Skill is successfully walking a tightrope over Niagara falls. Intelligence is not trying.
—Anonymous