We lie in the lap of immense intelligence.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
A sort of war of revenge on the intellect is what, for some reason, thrives in the contemporary social atmosphere.
—Wyndham Lewis (1882–1957) English Novelist, Painter, Critic
Philebus was saying that enjoyment and pleasure and delight, and the class of feelings akin to them, are a good to every living being, whereas I contend, that not these, but wisdom and intelligence and memory, and their kindred, right opinion and true reasoning, are better and more desirable than pleasure
—Socrates (469BCE–399BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
There can be no two opinions as to what a highbrow is. He is the man or woman of thoroughbred intelligence who rides his mind at a gallop across country in pursuit of an idea.
—Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) English Novelist
Where two discourse, if the anger of one rises, he is the wise man who lets the contest fall.
—Plutarch (c.46–c.120 CE) Greek Biographer, Philosopher
Intelligence consists in recognizing opportunity
—Unknown
The intellect is always fooled by the heart.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
In view of the fact that God limited the intelligence of man, it seems unfair that He did not also limit his stupidity.
—Konrad Adenauer (1876–1967) German Statesman
Talent, taste, wit, good sense are very different things but by no means incompatible. Between good sense and good taste there exists the same difference as between cause and effect, and between wit and talent there is the same proportion as between a whole and its parts.
—Jean de La Bruyere (1645–96) French Satiric Moralist, Author
Skill is successfully walking a tightrope over Niagara falls. Intelligence is not trying.
—Anonymous
Intelligence is the faculty of making artificial objects, especially tools to make tools.
—Henri Bergson (1859–1941) French Philosopher, Evolutionist
Clever people seem not to feel the natural pleasure of bewilderment, and are always answering questions when the chief relish of a life is to go on asking them.
—Frank Moore Colby (1865–1925) American Encyclopedia Editor, Essayist
Intellectual blemishes, like facial ones, grow more prominent with age.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
The weak in courage is strong in cunning.
—William Blake (1757–1827) English Poet, Painter, Printmaker
You don’t need intelligence to have luck, but you do need luck to have intelligence.
—Yiddish Proverb
How easy would life be if you were less intelligent!
—Gerhard Kocher (b.1939) Swiss Publicist, Aphorist
People who are smart get into Mensa. People who are really smart look around and leave.
—James Randi (1928–2020) Canadian-American Stage Magician, Scientific Skeptic
There’s always something suspect about an intellectual on the winning side.
—Vaclav Havel (1936–2011) Czech Dramatist, Statesman
People of quality know everything without ever having learned anything.
—Moliere (1622–73) French Playwright
The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to the other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
The woman who thinks she is intelligent demands equal rights with men. A woman who is intelligent does not.
—Colette (1873–1954) French Novelist, Performer
You can’t legislate intelligence and common sense into people
—Will Rogers (1879–1935) American Actor, Rancher, Humorist
It is not the insurrections of ignorance that are dangerous, but the revolts of the intelligence.
—James Russell Lowell (1819–91) American Poet, Critic
The sum of intelligence on the planet is a constant; the population is growing.
—Unknown
Failures are divided into two classes—those who thought and never did, and those who did and never thought.
—John Charles Salak
Primitive does not mean stupid.
—Unknown
Science and art are only too often a superior kind of dope, possessing this advantage over booze and morphia: that they can be indulged in with a good conscience and with the conviction that, in the process of indulging, one is leading the “higher life.”
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English Humanist, Pacifist, Essayist, Short Story Writer, Satirist
I doubt not that in due time, when the arts are brought to perfection, some means will be found to give a sound head to a man who has none at all.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
Everyone is born a genius, but the process of living de-geniuses them.
—Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983) American Inventor, Philosopher
These then are my last words to you. Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
Some men of a secluded and studious life have sent forth from their closet or cloister rays of intellectual light that have agitated courts and revolutionized kingdoms; like the moon which, though far removed from the ocean and shining upon it with a serene and sober light, is the chief cause of all those ebbings and flowings which incessantly disturb that restless world of waters.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
In the great mass of our people there are plenty individuals of intelligence from among whom leadership can be recruited.
—Herbert Hoover (1874–1964) 31st American President
The only chance for victory over the brainwash is the right of every man to have his ideas judged one at a time. You never get clarity as long as you have these packaged words, as long as a word is used by twenty-five people in twenty-five different ways. That seems to me to be the first fight, if there is going to be any intellect left.
—Ezra Pound (1885-1972) American Poet, Translator, Critic
Intelligence is nothing without delight.
—Paul Claudel (1868–1955) French Poet, Essayist, Dramatist
If a man’s eye is on the Eternal, his intellect will grow.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year—and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade.
—Tony Robbins (b.1960) American Self-Help Author, Entrepreneur
Intelligence is quickness to apprehend as distinct from ability, which is capacity to act wisely on the thing apprehended.
—Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) English Mathematician, Philosopher
We regard intelligence as man’s main characteristic and we know that there is no superiority which intelligence cannot confer on us, no inferiority for which it cannot compensate
—Henri Bergson (1859–1941) French Philosopher, Evolutionist
One definition of man is “an intelligence served by organs.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
It’s easier to be wise for others than for ourselves.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
With foxes we must play the fox.
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian
The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
—Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) Florentine Political Philosopher
And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew, that one small head could carry all he knew.
—Oliver Goldsmith (1730–74) Irish Novelist, Playwright, Poet
I am clever; and make no scruple of declaring it; why should I?
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
The commerce of intellect loves distant shores. The small retail dealer trades only with his neighbor; when the great merchant trades he links the four quarters of the globe.
—Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (1803–73) British Novelist, Poet, Politician
Intelligence is not to make no mistakes, but quickly to see how to make them good.
—Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956) German Poet, Playwright, Theater Personality
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
Ask a wise man to dinner and he’ll upset everyone by his gloomy silence or tiresome questions. Invite him to a dance and you’ll have a camel prancing about. Haul him off to a public entertainment and his face will be enough to spoil the people’s entertainment.
—Desiderius Erasmus (c.1469–1536) Dutch Humanist, Scholar