Richard Whately Quotes

The first point of wisdom is to discern that which is false; the second, to know that which is true.

We can be knowledgable with other men's knowledge but we cannot be wise with other men's wisdom.

What men call knowledge, is the reasoned acceptance of false appearances. Wisdom looks behind the veil and sees.

Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it.

You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.

A smart man only believes half of what he hears, a wise man knows which half.

It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.

To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe.

My definition of an educated man is the fellow who knows the right thing to do at the time it has to be done. You can be sincere and still be stupid.

Not when truth is dirty, but when it is shallow, does the enlightened man dislike to wade into its waters.

Getting rid of a delusion makes us wiser than getting hold of a truth.

Not to sound corny, but intelligence is big. Everything fades, and everything can be modified. But intelligence is something you can't fake. I'm not even talking about whether you can read a thesaurus backwards. But there is a beauty in common sense.

What a person praises is perhaps a surer standard, even than what he condemns, of his own character, information and abilities.

I believe that you can always learn from observation.

When we examine the opinions of men, we find that nothing is more uncommon than common sense; or, in other words, they lack judgment to discover plain truths or to reject absurdities and palpable contradictions.

Wit lies in recognizing the resemblance among things which differ and the difference between things which are alike.

The truth cannot be deceptive, and one who sees it cannot be deceived.

The stupidity of people comes from having an answer for everything. The wisdom of the novel comes from having a question for everything.

... common sense is very rare.

Speak not of what you have read, but about what you have understood.

Opinion in good men is but knowledge in the making.

Seek wisdom, not knowledge. Knowledge is of the past, Wisdom is of the future.

Ability to discern that what is true is true, and that what is false is false, is the characteristic of intelligence.

In truth, opinion may be taken for understanding; understanding cannot be taken for opinion. How so? Surely because opinion may be deceived; understanding cannot be. If it could, it would not be understanding but opinion. For true understanding has not only certain truth, but the knowledge of truth.

Wisdom cannot come by railroad or automobile or aeroplane, or be hurried up by telegraph or telephone.