Do you need wise phrases about life to think? Today, listening to the song by James Blunt called “Wisemen” (wise men) I started to reflect on what wise people are like .

Who has never met one of those people who seem to be a walking encyclopedia? Those people who always have the right answer, who stay away from greed and materialism, from envy, rivalry, hatred, pride, anger, and about any interesting aspect of life.

What characterizes wise people?

The wise is happy, is kind, is sincere when he expresses himself and is balanced. He treats others equally, regardless of their social status, their race or their sex . The wise man is silent when he should be silent and speaks to say what he has to say and nothing more. He is modest, he is humble, he always keeps his integrity and his presence is a source of endless information.

The wise man possesses great knowledge about himself, and his goal is to conquer himself and not to conquer others. The wise are regarded with respect because they respect others. His words are poetry and he always gives away life phrases for memory.

Life’s wise phrases for reflection

In today’s article I present a collection of wise phrases: phrases that make you think and that make you more intelligent . I must mention, before we start, other articles from Psychology and Mind which are very interesting compilations of famous phrases and quotes. I leave them here:

  • 110 positive phrases for living day to day with optimism
  • 20 sentences about life that will help you be happy
  • 64 Buddhist phrases for finding inner peace
  • 75 philosophical phrases pronounced by great thinkers
  • The 55 best sentences on Psychology… and their meaning

I hope you like this collection of quotes on different subjects, such as happiness, personal relationships, ambition, hate or pride; because these express human wisdom and have been said or written by famous novelists, philosophers, artists, thinkers, poets or have a popular or unknown origin . These phrases have been passed down from generation to generation and, to this day, are still alive.

1.In life sometimes you win, sometimes you learn (John Maxwell)

This phrase can be said by any parent, grandparent or friend, and makes us see defeats from a positive perspective . We have to learn from those unpleasant moments, so that we can continue growing as individuals. In other words, it doesn’t matter how you fall, but how you get up.

2. Don’t measure your wealth by the money you have, measure it by those things you have that you would not exchange for money (Paulo Coelho)

In a materialistic society it is easy to evaluate ourselves according to the possessions we have, and this type of evaluations are very negative for self-esteem. Besides, what will really make you happy on a daily basis are those little things and those nice moments.

3.To ask for forgiveness is of the intelligent, to forgive is of the noble, and to forgive oneself is of the wise (Anonymous)

Forgiveness is one of the best emotional therapies . If you ask for forgiveness and if you forgive, it shows your greatness as an individual. But the bigger you are, and the better off you will be emotionally, if you also forgive yourself. Something that seems easy in theory, but becomes complicated in practice. If you identify with this phrase because you find it difficult to forgive yourself, Mindfulness can be very useful. There is also a Hawaiian philosophy called Ho’oponopono that bases its effectiveness on spiritual forgiveness.

4.An intelligent man would never be irritated if he always had a mirror in front of him and saw himself when he was arguing (Anonymous)

This phrase refers to self-management and emotional control. Letting yourself be carried away by anger, envy or hatred may seem right at a certain point, but in the long run can have negative consequences for you . The wise person knows this and therefore warns about it. If one could see oneself in that situation (out of control) one would see the mistake one is making.

5.If you want something you never had, you must do something you never did (Anonymous)

If you always do the same thing, you will surely always have the same consequences . If you want to have new experiences, meet interesting people or grow at work, you’d better start thinking about new activities and do things you don’t usually do.

6.He who seeks a friend without fault is left without friends (Turkish proverb)

The intention of this sentence is to make us aware that we all have defects and make many mistakes , there is no perfect person in this world. If you want to know more about perfectionism, I invite you to read this article “Perfectionist personality: the disadvantages of perfectionism”, because being a too perfectionist person causes negative consequences for oneself.

7.A smile costs less than electricity and gives more light (Scottish proverb)

This phrase is one of those inspiring phrases, but it is also a wise phrase. Smiling helps to maintain a good mood, beautifies the face and awakens good thoughts . It is not the same to ask someone for something coldly, than to ask for it with a smile, because the smile not only has a very positive effect on ourselves, but also on the other person.

8. Don’t find the fault, find the remedy (Henry Ford)

This phrase reminds me of one that a good friend always told me: ” If you are not part of the solution, you become part of the problem” . Both phrases do not mean that we should not look for the origin of the problem, because it is necessary to do so. But instead of lamenting the failure forever, we should solve what has happened wrong as soon as possible . This is the key to improvement.

9.The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails (William George Ward)

Being both a pessimist and too optimistic can have negative consequences for one’s self. The pessimist will see everything wrong and there will be nothing to change that wrong. The optimist will see everything well and distort reality to fit his thoughts. On the other hand, a realistic person tries to solve problems in spite of knowing that it is often complicated . That is, he keeps his feet on the ground and acts in a sensible way.

10. Sometimes we feel that what we do is just a drop in the sea, but the sea would be much less if it were missing a drop (Mother Teresa of Calcutta)

It means that even if we feel that what we do is useless, everything we do has a consequence . Sometimes we are not able to see that consequence immediately, or sometimes it is just another step on a path we are walking. It’s about building and in the end the reward will come.

11.When a fool takes a path, the path ends and the fool follows (Anonymous)

This phrase refers to the fact that when a fool takes a path, nothing stops him . The fool goes on no matter what: no matter what the neighbors protest, no matter what the people starve to death, etc., the fool goes on blinded by ignorance, without thinking about anything.

12.Reflection is the way to immortality; lack of reflection, the way to death (Buddha)

This phrase taken from the Buddhist philosophy refers to the importance of reflection in personal development and in learning by and for life . We have all learned from mistakes, but each one lives the experiences in a unique way. In order to be able to retain these experiences, a process of active thought is necessary about what we live, so that we can question the meaning that these experiences have for us. Without doing this, learning will often not take place. To know more about self-reflection, I invite you to read this article called “Personal Development: 5 reasons for self-reflection”, so that you can know the benefits of this practice.

13.The occasion must be created, not waited for (Francis Bacon)

This phrase refers to the fact that opportunities must be sought, they will not come alone . That is, if we want something, we have to fight for it. An antidote to the “paralysis of analysis”.

14.The wise are those who seek wisdom; fools think they have found it (Napoleon)

The wise are humble, and this humility allows them to keep growing because they are constantly seeking learning . They never think they know too much or know everything, so they always have their eyes wide open to observe, their ears open to listen and their mind active to think and learn. On the other hand, fools think they are superior to others even though they are not. They think they know everything, and with this attitude they never progress. This is what is known as the “Dunning-Kruger Effect”.

15. He who has little is not poor, but he who desires much (Seneca)

This sentence is the same as the sentence “It is not he who has more that is richer, but he who needs less” , and refers to the fact that the people who want or need less material things are the ones who will definitely be happier in life . Having a lot does not mean being happier, because if you are happy with a little, you don’t need to have a lot of wealth.

16. A man who does not feed on his dreams soon grows old (William Shakespeare)

Having dreams to pursue and goals to fight for is the engine that keeps us alive. Therefore, working every day to achieve them is the best way to stay young . One of life’s most beautiful and inspiring phrases.

17.If you do not remember the slightest folly into which love has driven you, you have not loved (William Shakespeare)

This sentence by the author of Romeo and Juliet reminds us that falling in love is one of the most extraordinary sensations that human beings can enjoy . Love is like a drug that can make you feel high and can make you do incredible things that you have never thought of. Love can make us lose our reason, and if in the end everything ends, one will at least remember with satisfaction having lived those intimate moments, and having experienced those intense emotions and those inexplicable feelings.

18.When the wise man points at the moon, the fool looks at the finger (Anonymous)

Fools don’t want to see beyond what their eyes can see. Instead, the wise expand their mind, are creative and reflect . While the wise are explorers, the foolish are conformists.

19. A friend is a person with whom you can think out loud (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

A true friend is that person who will not let you down and to whom you can trust your greatest secrets. This phrase defines the meaning of friendship and highlights the importance of full trust in someone. Without a doubt, whoever has a friend has a treasure and we should value this connection with other people.

20.Pain is inevitable but suffering is optional (Buddha)

We can all live experiences that make us suffer and have a bad time, and this has a process to overcome because it is part of life . But we have the possibility of doing things so that we don’t get stuck in suffering. Therefore, it is up to us to overcome bad experiences as soon as possible.

21. You can kill the dreamer, but not the dream (David Abernathy)

A phrase that explains that the flesh is finite, but not the ideas .

22. He who has patience will get what he wants (Benjamin Franklin)

One of the first presidents of the United States informs us about the great virtue that is patience .

23. Educate the children, and it will not be necessary to punish the men (Pythagoras)

Pythagoras the Greek on the great importance of education in a society

24. People offend those they love before they offend those they fear (Machiavelli)

People who are stubborn can cause us some fear, that is why we go about dealing with them in a cautious way .

25. To learn without reflection is to waste energy (Confucius)

The wise Chinese thinker Confucius, on the need to carry out a learning style based on reflection.

26. Friendship doubles the joys and divides the sorrows in half (Francis Bacon)

An undeniable truth: life is less raw when we spend it near people who love us genuinely .

27. Only he who builds the future has the right to judge the past (Friedrich Nietzsche)

Nietzsche left us many famous quotes, such as this one, which indicates the relevance of taking control of our lives .

28. A man is willing to believe what he would like to be true (Francis Bacon)

Another famous quote from Francis Bacon, who teaches us the influence of our desires and longings on our thinking . A subtle criticism of religion?

29. If you want to be wise, learn to question reasonably, to listen carefully, to answer calmly and to be silent when you have nothing to say (Johann Kaspar Lavater)

Some practical advice to reach high levels of intelligence and wisdom .

30. What we know is a drop of water; what we ignore is the ocean (Isaac Newton)

Newton, in his immense wisdom, makes us notice that we are still very ignorant about the reality around us .

31. The ignorant assert, the wise doubt and reflect (Aristotle)

The Greek philosopher Aristotle, on the foolishness of the ignorant .

32. I’ve committed the worst sin you can commit. I have not been happy (Jorge Luis Borges)

Borges left us this reflection, which shows that was not sufficiently attentive to enjoying life .

33. Freedom is in being masters of our own life (Plato)

Freedom is one of the most widely studied concepts by philosophers. Here, Plato explains to us what is the key to be free .

34. I would give everything I know, for half of what I don’t know (René Descartes)

The Frenchman René Descartes was also fully aware that, despite being one of the most brilliant modern thinkers, he ignored much more than he knew .

35. To know and know how to demonstrate is to be worth twice (Baltasar Gracián)

One of the differences between superficial and deep knowledge , according to Baltasar Gracián.

36. The reward for a good deed is to have done it (Seneca)

Seneca talks about ethics: do we move just to get rewards and incentives?

37. To know that you don’t know, that’s humility. To think that one knows what one does not know, that is sickness (Lao-tse)

Lao-tse delves into the subject of ignorance and the perception of wisdom , in line with other thinkers who pronounced similar phrases.

38. In the end, you will not be asked what you have known, but what you have done (Jean de Gerson)

Jean de Gerson on the need for action over the need for reflection In the end, we are what we do, and not what we think we do .

39. Taking advantage of good advice requires more wisdom than giving it (John Churton Collins)

Advice is useless if there is no thinking mind willing to take the necessary actions. A phrase from life to be taken more wisely.

40. The wise man should not abstain from participating in the government of the state, for it is a crime to renounce being useful to the needy and a cowardice to give way to the unworthy (Epictet of Phrygia)

A political reflection: wise citizens must try to participate in the management of the polis , to contribute their grain of sand to an administration that must be fair to all.

41. Life is very simple, but we insist on making it complicated (Confucius)

The philosopher Confucius believed that life is governed by simple principles which we must adopt as rules for our daily lives.

42. In the end, it is not the years in our life that count, but life in our years (Abraham Lincoln)

Lincoln, on the quality criteria that according to him we should apply when evaluating our lives .

43. Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts (Søren Kierkegaard)

The Danish philosopher s related our way of life to those fundamental ideas and principles that are at the forefront of our thinking .

44. Chaos is rejecting everything you’ve learned. Chaos is being yourself (Emil Cioran)

The philosopher Cioran believed that identity built through learning is something futile and banal.

45. Every man is a creature of the time in which he lives (Voltaire)

Voltaire believed that we cannot consider ourselves independent from the historical context in which we live. Our ideas and our way of life are always conditioned by the date of our birth.

46. We are what we repeatedly do (Aristotle)

Aristotle distanced himself from Plato’s idealism: for him facts and environment mattered more , and this is clear in this eminently philosophical phrase of life.

47. The things we love tell us who we are (Thomas Aquinas)

This important philosopher found in love one of the defining facts of the person .

48. Life is a tragedy. The picture is in the foreground, but in general it becomes a comedy (Charlie Chaplin)

Chaplin, as a film director, knew that the same fact, or even a person’s life, changes depending on the way it is presented .

49. One always admires what one does not really understand (Blaise Pascal)

This philosopher talks about the long range of curiosity in our lives .

50. Man is the only creature that refuses to be who he is (Albert Camus)

Albert Camus, in one of his philosophical phrases about the struggle that human beings have with the creation of a meaning for their existence.

51. The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook (William James)

This is one of the wise phrases of one of the referents in the history of psychology.

52. Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens (Jimi Hendrix)

Hendrix, on an important differentiating shade .

53. What is proven today could only be imagined (William Blake)

This quote refers to the perspective with which we should take what seems impossible .

54. Only the educated are free (Epictetus)

Education as an engine of freedom and autonomy.

55. All knowledge is hurtful (Cassandra Clare)

A wise phrase referring to the way in which each new piece of knowledge disrupts the foundations of what we thought we knew.

56. Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom (Thomas Jefferson)

For Thomas Jefferson , these two values are closely related .

57. Every society is three meals away from chaos (Lenin)

The Soviet politician and revolutionary, on the fragility of the cohesions formed within a country .

58. It takes a long time to become young (Pablo Picasso)

The renowned painter inverts the temporal order in which youth is located to make it clear that it is more than a biological phase, something learned.

59. Time is what we want most and also what we use the most (William Penn)

A paradox raised by the English philosopher William Penn. To be aware that life is there to be made the most of.

60. Freedom is never given; it is always earned (Asa Philip Randolph)

About the effort and sacrifices needed to win freedom.

61. Do not be afraid of perfection; you will never reach it (Salvador Dalí)

Dalí, about a perfectionism that can sometimes come to a standstill.

62. We are never as vulnerable to suffering as when we love (Sigmund Freud)

Freud, about the risks of love.

63. When you make peace with authority, you become the authority (Jim Morrison)

One of Jim Morrison’s wise phrases, in that case talking about pacts with the authorities .

64. Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent (Isaac Asimov)

The writer Isaac Asimov, about the nature of violence.

65. Those who do not move do not notice their chains (Rosa Luxemburgo)

This thinker talks about conformism and immobility in situations of disguised domination.

66. The most violent element in society is ignorance (Emma Goldman)

Emma Goldman, on the emancipatory power of education and learning .

67. Hate is earned by both good and bad actions (Machiavelli)

The Italian thinker speaks here about the ambiguities of goodness in our actions.

68. It always seems impossible until it is done (Nelson Mandela)

A paradox about the line between the possible and the impossible.

69. True friends stab you in the face (Oscar Wilde)

Oscar Wilde talks with his fine sense of irony about friendship and honesty .

70. A human being is a being that decides (Viktor Frankl)

In this quote, Viktor Frankl drinks from the existentialist philosophy to define his way of understanding the nature of the human being.

71. Health is not valued until illness arrives (Thomas Fuller)

Thomas Fuller, about health and lack of it .

72. Metaphors have a way of containing truth in the smallest space (Orson Scott Card)

A definition of the power of metaphor.

73. Loneliness is independence (Hermann Hesse)

Hermann Hesse turns the idea of solitude on its head .

74. Reserve your right to think, because thinking badly is better than not thinking at all (Hipatia)

One of the first philosophers in history, about the value of reflection in itself.

75. Men’s ideas are the most direct emanations of their material state (Karl Marx)

One of the most important philosophers of history, referring to his materialistic approach, according to which our mentality and way of thinking are explained first of all by the context in which we live .

76. Time takes everything and gives everything (Giordano Bruno)

The determining role of time, expressed in a sentence.

77. I am not able to conceive the infinity, but I do not accept the finite (Simone de Beauvoir)

The feminist philosopher and theorist Simone de Beauvoir, s works on a paradox that traps our way of thinking in an uncomfortable space .

78. Let’s be realistic and do the impossible (Ernesto Che Guevara)

One of the best known Latin American revolutionaries, about the power of believing in options that at first may seem crazy .

79. Extremists believe that “communication” means agreeing with them (Leo Rosten)

About closed mentalities and the way they understand communication and relationships.

80. There are no dangerous thoughts; thinking is, in itself, a dangerous thing (Hannah Arendt)

The philosopher Hannah Arendt, on the risk involved in the simple activity of thinking .

81. The word “happiness” would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness (Carl Gustav Jung)

Carl Gustav Jung, one of the referents of psychodynamics talks here about the dialectic between happiness and sadness.

82. No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched (George Jean Nathan)

George Jean Nathan opposes reason and feelings in a very lyrical way . One of the wisest phrases cited in literature.

83. A man who is a master of patience is a master of everything else (George Savile)

The power of patience and the ability to manage time well, in one wise phrase.

84. Someone who does not believe in miracles is not realistic (David Ben-Gurion)

About the anomalies and unexplainable facts contained in reality.

85. There is no sadder vision than that of a young pessimist (Mark Twain)

Mark Twain refers here to the value associated with youth and the possibility that we may despise it .

86. Hope is a good breakfast, but a bad dinner (Francis Bacon)

Hope as something that has a double edge: it is positive when a whole world of possibilities opens up before us, but not so much when it is the last resort.

87. Education is the movement from darkness to light (Allan Bloom)

A powerful image to explain what education is.

88. The risk of a bad decision is preferable to the terror of indecision (Maimonides)

This philosopher from Muslim Cordoba talks about the negatives of indecision and the paralysis of analysis.

89. Nothing reinforces authority like silence (Leonardo da Vinci)

The prolific inventor leaves us one of his wise phrases referring to the mechanisms that legitimize authority.

90. Creativity requires that courage be detached from certainties (Erich Fromm)

The father of humanist psychoanalysis, on the relationship between courage and uncertainty .

91. The best part of beauty is that which no image can express (Francis Bacon)

Francis Bacon, about that part of beauty that cannot be shown.

92. Those who do not know history are condemned to repeat it (Edmund Burke)

The conservative philosopher Edmund Burke, on the need to know the past .

93. Nothing is so incredible that oratory cannot make it acceptable (Cicero)

Cicero talks about the power of well-designed speeches.

94. From a small spark can light a flame (Dante)

A wise phrase in which one can see, through a poetic image, the unsuspected ways in which very important and significant phenomena can appear .

95. Leadership does not depend on being right (Ivan Illich)

One of the most important thinkers on education talks here about the way in which we have to interpret the legitimacy of leadership .

96. The environment shapes the actions of the individual (B. F. Skinner)

The most important reference in behavioral psychology talks about the relative nature of the line between the individual and the environment.

97. Youth is a rule of nature, but age is a work of art (Stanislaw Jerzy Lec)

An optimistic way of assessing age and the passage into old age.

98. No one can hurt me without my permission (Gandhi)

The influential pacifist leader refers in this wise phrase to the power of one’s will .

99. If you can’t be a poet, be the poem (David Carradine)

A different perspective to see how our life can have an artistic character .

100. Nothing is stronger than extreme need (Euripides)

The Greek poet Euripides talks about how, ultimately , the power of our acts is born when our freedom and situation to make decisions are reduced .

101. If we do good out of interest, we will be clever, but never good (Cicero)

Goodness, in the eyes of the great Roman speaker.

102.Pride is not greatness but swelling; and that which is swollen seems great but is not healthy (St. Augustine)

One of the problems with pride is that, behind the appearance, it hides someone who is hurt and insecure .

103.It is better to be a king of your silence than a slave of your words (William Shakespeare)

Don’t ever say things that you might…