150 Ancient Wisdom Quotes

Following is our list of ancient wisdom quotations and slogans full of insightful wisdom and perspective about ancient greek wisdom.

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Famous Ancient Wisdom Quotes

All this worldly wisdom was once the unamiable heresy of some wise man. — Henry David Thoreau

Better a drop of wisdom than an ocean of gold — Greek Proverbs

Wisdom overcomes fortune. — Juvenal

The middle path is the way to wisdom — Rumi

Wise people have an inward sense of what is beautiful, and the highest wisdom is to trust this intuition and be guided by it. — Aristotle

A short saying often contains much wisdom. — Sophocles

madness, in a higher sense, is the beginning of all wisdom — Hermann Hesse

The wisdom of the wise and the experience of the ages are perpetuated by quotations. — Benjamin Disraeli

Seek wisdom, not knowledge. Knowledge is of the past, Wisdom is of the future. - American Indian Proverbs

Seek wisdom, not knowledge. Knowledge is of the past, Wisdom is of the future. — American Indian Proverbs

The seven wise men of Greece, so famous for their wisdom all the world over, acquired all that fame, each of them, by a single sentence consisting of two or three words. — Robert South

Colors fade, temples crumble, empires fall, but wise words endure. - Edward Thorndike

Colors fade, temples crumble, empires fall, but wise words endure. — Edward Thorndike

The deepest words of the wise man teach us the same as the whistle of the wind when it blows or the sound of the water when it is flowing. — Antonio Machado

Wisdom sails with wind and time. — John Florio

There are gems of thought that are ageless and eternal. — Marcus Tullius Cicero

There are two sentences inscribed upon the Ancient oracle... "Know thyself" and "Nothing too much"; and upon these all other precepts depend. — Plutarch

Short Ancient Wisdom Quotes

  • Those who love wisdom must investigate many things — Heraclitus
  • The wisdom of nations lies in their proverbs, which are brief and pithy. — William Penn
  • Wisdom accepts that all things have two sides — Carl Jung
  • There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy. — Friedrich Nietzsche
  • Take an old man’s counsel and an experienced man’s knowledge — Greek Proverbs

Ancient Wisdom Image Quotes

Ancient wisdom quote It hurts because it matters.
It hurts because it matters.

Ancient Chinese Quotes

According to the ancient Chinese proverb, A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. — John F. Kennedy

The mystery school continued throughout the greater Egyptian civilization, which was the second age of humankind and later on into the third age of humankind when the Indian, Chinese, Japanese and Tibetan high cultures flourished — Frederick Lenz

To ancient Chinese fancy, the Milky Way was a luminous river, - the River of Heaven, - the Silver Stream. — Lafcadio Hearn

Ancient wisdom quote Be not afraid of going slowly, Be afraid of standing still.
Be not afraid of going slowly, Be afraid of standing still.

On Easter or Christmas Day, my mother might drag me to church, just as she dragged me to the Buddhist temple, the Chinese New Year celebration, the Shinto shrine, and ancient Hawaiian burial sites. — Barack Obama

I like the fact that in ancient Chinese art the great painters always included a deliberate flaw in their work: human creation is never perfect. — Madeleine L'Engle

Ancient tradition always depicts a true Chinese musician as blind. Esoterically, this implies that his gift of the divine art is so completely guided by, and dedicated to, hosts of the celestial guardians, that both his sight and consciousness are focused above and beyond the objective world. — Corinne Heline

Ancient wisdom quote How you make others feel about themselves says a lot about you.
How you make others feel about themselves says a lot about you.

If you look at ancient Chinese culture, and depictions of it, the relationship between people and nature was very different. It almost felt as though feelings were always attached to a certain landscape. — Jia Zhangke

I am convinced that everything has come down to us from the banks of the Ganges, astronomy, astrology, metempsychosis, etc. It does not behoove us, who were only savages and barbarians when these Indians and Chinese peoples were civilized and learned, to dispute their antiquity. — Voltaire

Ho Chi Minh rarely wrote about Sun Tzu, but when he did mention the ancient Chinese military strategist, he was always laudatory, and he sometimes cited his ideas as a model for the Vietnamese revolutionary movement to follow. — William J. Duiker

The ancient Egyptians had a superstitious antipathy to the sea; a superstition nearly of the same kind prevails among the Indians; and the Chinese have never excelled in foreign commerce. — Adam Smith

Ancient Greek Wisdom Quotes

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others. — Pericles

Do not say a little in many words but a great deal in a few. — Pythagoras

...for the object of education is to teach us to love beauty. — Plato

Ancient wisdom quote A ship in harbour is safe but thats not what ships are for.
A ship in harbour is safe but thats not what ships are for.

Those whose hearts are fixed on Reality itself deserve the title of Philosophers. — Plato

To live well and honorably and justly are the same thing. — Socrates

Old Wisdom Quotes

Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician. — Dorothy Parker

In a country where the sole employer is the State, opposition means death by slow starvation. The old principle: who does not work shall not eat, has been replaced by a new one: who does not obey shall not eat. — Leon Trotsky

‎In every crisis there is a message. Crises are nature's way of forcing change - breaking down old structures, shaking loose negative habits so that something new and better can take their place. — Susan L. Taylor

Ancient wisdom quote Life is like a piano, the white keys represent happiness and the black shows sadness, but as you go
Life is like a piano, the white keys represent happiness and the black shows sadness, but as you go through life's journey, remember that the black keys also makes music.

An old man’s sayings are rarely untrue. — Danish Proverbs

Old foxes want no tutor. — Vietnamese Proverbs

When an old man dies, a library is burned with him. — African Proverbs

Ancient wisdom quote Don't let your happiness depend on something you may lose.
Don't let your happiness depend on something you may lose.

The young have the strength, the old have the wisdom. — Albanian Proverbs

It is a mistake to regard age as a downhill grade toward dissolution. The reverse is true. As one grows older, one climbs with surprising strides. — George Sand

How earthy old people become --moldy as the grave! Their wisdom smacks of the earth. There is no foretaste of immortality in it. They remind me of earthworms and mole crickets. — Henry David Thoreau

There’s no fool like an old fool. — American Proverbs

Spiritual Wisdom Quotes

Don’t depend too much on anyone in this world because even your own shadow leaves you when you are in darkness. — Ibn Taymiyyah

People are of two types, they are either your brothers in faith or your equals in humanity. — Ali ibn Abi Talib

Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for those who love with heart and soul there is no such thing as separation. — Rumi

Ancient wisdom quote Every time you judge someone else, you reveal an unhealed part of yourself.
Every time you judge someone else, you reveal an unhealed part of yourself.

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. — Albert Einstein

Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living in better conditions. — Hafez

Does money upset the hearts of learned men? He answered, "men whose hearts are changed by money are not learned" — Al-Ghazali

Ancient wisdom quote Stop trying to calm the storm. Calm yourself, the storm will pass.
Stop trying to calm the storm. Calm yourself, the storm will pass.

If you talk to the animals they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them you will not know them and what you do not know, you will fear. What one fears, one destroys. — Chief Dan George

Intellect takes you to the door, but it doesn't take you into the house. - Shams Tabrizi

Intellect takes you to the door, but it doesn't take you into the house. — Shams Tabrizi

At the end of the day, you can have something in your head, something in your hand, or something in your heart. What are you choosing? — Mooji

All the ups and downs are grace in different wrappings, sent to refine consciousness. Say thanks to them all. — Mooji

Ancient Philosophy Quotes

After the conversations about Indian philosophy, some of the ideas of Quantum Physics that had seemed so crazy suddenly made much more sense. — Werner Heisenberg

Every trace of the old philosophy and literatureof the ancient world has vanished from the face of the earth. — Saint John Chrysostom

Ancient philosophy proposed to mankind an art of living. By contrast, modern philosophy appears above all as the construction of a technical jargon reserved for specialists. — Pierre Hadot

Ancient wisdom quote Silence is better than bullshit.
Silence is better than bullshit.

The idea of the universe as an interconnected whole is not new; for millennia it's been one of the core assumptions of Eastern philosophies. What is new is that Western science is slowly beginning to realize that some elements of that ancient lore might be correct. — Dean Radin

According to the saying of an ancient philosopher, one should eat to live, and not live to eat — Moliere

The gift of truth excels all other gifts. — Buddha

Ancient wisdom quote Do not correct a fool or he will hate you. Correct a wise man and he will appreciate you.
Do not correct a fool or he will hate you. Correct a wise man and he will appreciate you.

(The Tao) is always present and always available. . . . If you are willing to be lived by it, you will see it everywhere, even in the most ordinary things. — Lao Tzu

An ingenious compound of desirability and appearance. Discovery of truth is the sole purpose of philosophy, which is the most ancient occupation of the human mind and has a fair prospect of existing with increasing activity to the end of time. — Ambrose Bierce

The food we ate was Indian, and both my mother and father were very deep into the ancient philosophy of India, so it could well have been an Indian household. — Amar Bose

Academe : An ancient school where morality and philosophy were taught. Academy : A modern school where football is taught. — Ambrose Bierce

Great Wisdom Quotes

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. — Charles Spurgeon

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

If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice? — David Livingstone

A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers. - Ruth Graham

A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers. — Ruth Graham

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

The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things. — Ronald Reagan

Ancient wisdom quote A mistake repeated more than once is a decision.
A mistake repeated more than once is a decision.

The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed. — Hudson Taylor

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. — Albert Einstein

An observer of men who finds himself steadily repelled by some apparently trifling thing in a stranger is right to give it great weight. It may be the clue to the whole mystery. A hair or two will show where a lion is hidden. A very little key will open a very heavy door. — Charles Dickens

Great minds think alone. — Wiz Khalifa

Indian Wisdom Quotes

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children — Chief Seattle

Wisdom and peace come when you start living the life the creator intended for you. — Geronimo

Where no one intrudes, many can live in harmony. - Chief Dan George

Where no one intrudes, many can live in harmony. — Chief Dan George

How smooth must be the language of the whites, when they can make right look like wrong, and wrong like right. — Black Hawk

Everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the power of the world always works in circles. — Black Elk

The land is sacred. These words are at the core of your being. The land is our mother, the rivers our blood. Take our land away and we die. That is, the Indian in us dies. — Mary Brave Bird

Knowledge was inherent in all things. The world was a library. - Luther Standing Bear

Knowledge was inherent in all things. The world was a library. — Luther Standing Bear

Old age is not as honorable as death, but most people seek it. — David Gemmell

Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. — Tecumseh

We were contented to let things remain as the Great Spirit Chief made them. They were not; and would change the rivers and mountains if they did not suit them. — Chief Joseph

Native Wisdom Quotes

We do not want churches because they will teach us to quarrel about God. We do not want to learn that. We may quarrel with men sometimes about things on this earth, but we never quarrel about the Great Spirit. We do not want to learn that. — Chief Joseph

The faintness of the stars, the freshness of the morning, the dewdrop on the flower, speaks to me. — Chief Dan George

When the Earth is sick, the animals will begin to disappear, when that happens, The Warriors of the Rainbow will come to save them. — Chief Seattle

You ask me to plow the ground. Shall I take a knife and tear my mother's bosom? Then when I die she will not take me to her bosom to rest. — Wovoka

It is important to understand that there are many different ways of seeing the world and expressing the wisdom of Native belief...No one voice speaks for all voices. — Joseph Bruchac

Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view and demand that they respect yours. — Tecumseh

The earth was created by the assistance of the sun, and it should be left as it was. The country was made without lines of demarcation, and it is no man's business to divide it. — Chief Joseph

All things are bound together. All things connect. — Chief Seattle

We are going by you without fighting if you will let us, but we are going by you anyhow! — Chief Joseph

Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle. — Black Elk

Divine Wisdom Quotes

Dear friend, Your heart is a polished mirror. You must wipe it dean of the veil of dust that has gathered upon it, because it is destined to reflect the light of divine secrets. — Al-Ghazali

We have come into this exquisite world to experience ever and ever more deeply our divine courage, freedom and light! — Hafez

Do not surrender your grief so quickly Let it cut more deeply Let it ferment and season you As few human or divine ingredients can Something is missing in my heart tonight That has made my eyes so soft And my voice so tender And my need of God so absolutely clear. — Hafez

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. — Francis of Assisi

As you walk in God's divine wisdom, you will surely begin to see a greater measure of victory and good success in your life. — Joseph Prince

It is the growing custom to narrow control, concentrate power, disregard and disenfranchise the public; and assuming that certain powers by divine right of money-raising or by sheer assumption, have the power to do as they think best without consulting the wisdom of mankind. — W. E. B. Du Bois

Worry is itself an illness, since worry is an accusation against Divine Wisdom, a criticism of Divine Mercy. — Said Nursi

By living a life based on wisdom and truth, one can discover the divinity of the soul, its union to the universe, the supreme peace and contentment which comes from satisfying the inner drive for self-discovery. — Egyptian Proverbs

The eye of the heart, though closed in fallen man, is able to take in a glimmering of light and this is faith. But anyway of living causes a covering like rust to accumulate over the heart so that it cannot sense the Divine origin of Allah's message. — Martin Lings

I, the fiery life of divine wisdom, I ignite the beauty of the plains, I sparkle the water, I burn in the sun, and the moon, and the stars. — Hildegard of Bingen

People Writing About Ancient Wisdom

Name Quotes Likes
Read quotes by Greek Proverbs

Greek Proverbs
quotes on ancient, wisdom and culture

176 1
Read quotes by Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau
quotes on nature, civil disobedience and solitude

2697 19655
Read quotes by Juvenal

Juvenal

300 1355
Read quotes by Rumi

Rumi
quotes on love, life and change

1754 29170
Read quotes by Aristotle

Aristotle
quotes on life, love and success

1252 18854
Read quotes by Sophocles

Sophocles
quotes on life, love and fate

439 2549

More Ancient Wisdom Quotes

There is no kind of framework within which we can find consciousness in the plural; this is simply something we construct because of the temporal plurality of individuals, but it is a false construction... The only solution to this conflict insofar as any is available to us at all lies in the ancient wisdom of the Upanishad. — Erwin Schrodinger

I make ancient wisdom relevant, but through modern research and science. — Jay Shetty

As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters. I wish you all very good lives. — J. K. Rowling

Through consciousness, our minds have the power to change our planet and ourselves. It is time we heed the wisdom of the ancient indigenous people and channel our consciousness and spirit to tend the garden and not destroy it. — Bruce H. Lipton

The older I get the more wisdom I find in the ancient rule of taking first things first. A process which often reduces the most complex human problem to a manageable proportion. — Dwight D. Eisenhower

When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you. — Lao Tzu

The mystic and the physicist arrive at the same conclusion; one starting from the inner realm, the other from the outer world. The harmony between their views confirms the ancient Indian wisdom that Brahman, the ultimate reality without, is identical to Atman, the reality within. — Fritjof Capra

For the May Day is the great day, Sung along the old straight track. And those who ancient lines did ley Will heed this song that calls them back... Pass the cup, and pass the Lady, And pass the plate to all who hunger, Pass the wit of ancient wisdom, Pass the cup of crimson wonder. — Jethro Tull

To sit patiently with a yearning that has not yet been fulfilled, and to trust that, that fulfillment will come, is quite possibly one of the most powerful "magic skills" that human beings are capable of. It has been noted by almost every ancient wisdom tradition — Elizabeth Gilbert

Ancient wisdom offers . . . a simple yet profound formula to guide everyone who leads, anyone who aspires to leadership: 'Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly.' — Wayne D. Dosick

The method of trying to conquer hatred through hatred never succeeds in overcoming hatred. But, the method of overcoming hatred through non-hatred is eternally effective. That is why that method is described as eternal wisdom. — Buddha

...I believe, with Gandhi, that we need to take an imaginative leap forward toward fresh and generous idealism for the sake of all humanity - that we neeed to renew this ancient wisdom of nonviolence, to strive for a disarmed world, and to create a culture of nonviolence. — Mairead Corrigan

The nurturing flow of life, extreme intelligence, beauty, and perfect harmony are active in every one of us. Yoga was developed in ancient wisdom culture to gently reveal what we already have. Read this book. — Mark Whitwell

We need modern ideas, but we also need ancient wisdom. If we deny ancient wisdom we are making a big mistake. — Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

The interdependency of humankind, the relevance of relationship, the sacredness of creation is ancient, ancient wisdom. — Rebecca Adamson

There's a bit of ancient wisdom that appeals to us: it's a saying that a fight starts only with the second blow. — Hugh Allen

We have assembled inside this ancient / and insane theatre / To propagate our lust for life / and flee the swarming wisdom / of the streets — Jim Morrison

The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity and humanity. — John Adams

Western science is approaching a paradigm shift of unprecedented proportions, one that will change our concepts of reality and of human nature, bridge the gap between ancient wisdom and modern science, and reconcile the differences between Eastern spirituality and Western pragmatism. — Stanislav Grof

He who conquers others is strong; He who conquers himself is mighty. — Lao Tzu

I am not one who was born in the custody of wisdom; I am one who is fond of olden times and intense in quest of the sacred knowing of the ancients. — Gustave Courbet

Every single ancient wisdom and religion will tell you the same thing - don't live entirely for yourself, live for other people. Don't get stuck inside your own ego, because it will become a prison in no time flat. — Barbara Ward, Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth

Our religions will never at any time take root; the ancient wisdom of the human race will not be supplanted by the events in Galilee. On the contrary, Indian wisdom flows back to Europe, and will produce a fundamental change in our knowledge and thought. — Arthur Schopenhauer

With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding. Job 12:12 — Bible

It is most important that we should keep in this country a certain leisured class. I am of the opinion of the ancient Jewish book which says there is no wisdom without leisure. — William Butler Yeats

Nothing in medical literature today communicates the idea that women's bodies are well-designed for birth. Ignorance of the capacities of women's bodies can flourish and quickly spread into the popular culture when the medical profession is unable to distinguish between ancient wisdom and superstitious belief. — Ina May Gaskin

The mental disease of the present generation is impatience of study, contempt of the great masters of ancient wisdom, and a disposition to rely wholly upon unassisted genius and natural sagacity. — Samuel Johnson

A deep, wise, and wonderful exploration of the Vedanta path for relationships both with yourself and with others. In this book, Shubhraji provides everything you need to create healthy, fulfilling relationships, using ancient wisdom, beautiful stories, tools, and exercises. This book is a must read for those on a serious spiritual journey. — Arielle Ford

The ancient Irish bards knew the Salmon of Knowledge as the giver of all life's wisdom. In the salmon's leap of understanding like a leap of faith, we can see ourselves "in our element," immersed in the river of life. The cycle of the salmon's journey reminds us that all rivers flow to the same sea. — Lynn Culbreath Noel

To change the world , we need to combine Ancient wisdom with new technologies — Paulo Coelho

Using the latest in science and technology to shatter today's economic paradigm of 'insatiable individuals competing for scarce resources,' Planetary Citizenship brings us full circle to the ancient wisdom of indigenous peoples and the sacredness of creation. — Rebecca Adamson

The small progress we have made after four or five weeks close attendance and continual reasonings with each other is, methinks, a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the human understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own want of political wisdom, since we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of government, and examined the different forms of those republics which, having been formed with seeds of their own dissolution, now no longer exist. — Benjamin Franklin

We in this country, in this generation, areby destiny rather than choicethe watchmen on the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility, that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint, and that we may achieve in our time and for all time the ancient vision of peace on earth, good will toward men. That must always be our goal, and the righteousness of our cause must always underlie our strength. For as was written long ago: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. — John F. Kennedy

Here with hosts of friends I revel who can never change or chill;Though the fleeting years and seasons they are fair and faithful still!Kings and courtiers, knights and jesters, belles and beaux of far away,Meet and mingle with the beauties and the heroes of to-day.All the lore of ancient sages, all the light of souls divine,All the music, wit and wisdom of the gray old world is mine,Garnered here where fall the shadows of the mystic pineland's gloom!And I sway an airy kingdom from my little book-lined room. — Lucy Maud Montgomery

There's an old adage, he said, translated from the ancient Coptic, that contains all the wisdom of the ages -- Life is life and fun is fun, but it's all so quiet when the goldfish die. — Beryl Markham

I hope that even if you remember not a single word of mine, you remember those of Seneca, another of those old Romans I met when I fled down the Classics corridor, in retreat from career ladders, in search of ancient wisdom: As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters. — J. K. Rowling

I'm always looking for ways to explore the politics of the everyday. For me, the proverbs were a way of bringing in this ancient wisdom that in Arabic culture is often quoted. Those proverbs are such a huge part of the language and parts of people's every day. This is the wisdom that we use in our everyday life but we're not always listening to. — Cherien Dabis

This is the ancient land, where wisdom made its home before it went into any other country... Here is the same India whose soil has been trodden by the feet of the greatest sages that ever lived... Look back, therefore, as far as you can, drink deep of the eternal fountains that are behind, and after that look forward, march forward, and make India brighter, greater, much higher, than she ever was. — Swami Vivekananda

Each day, I would feel new wisdom and new intuition and I would follow that. Most everything I was doing was coming from that voice in my heart, which was affirmed by the ancient texts. — Brad Willis

With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding. — Ruth Ozeki

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