George Herbert Quotes

Work all by counsel and you shall not rue.

Nothing is impossible for those who act after wise counsel and careful thought.

The wise man bridges the gap by laying out the path by means of which he can get from where he is to where he wants to go.

Wisdom consists not so much in knowing what to do in the ultimate as knowing what to do next.

It was always said that the big distinction between the French and the English is that the English are intelligent and the French are intellectual.

An Englishmen thinks seated; a Frenchmen standing; an American pacing, an Irishman, afterwards.

The English are predisposed to pride, the French to vanity.

When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.

It is not enough that a President should be patriotic and high-minded in his intentions and wise in his purposes; he must also be efficient in carrying them out.

I am approached with the most opposite opinions and advice .... These are not, however, the days of miracles, and I supposed it will be granted that I am not to expect a direct revelation. I must study the plain physical facts of the case, ascertain what is possible and learn what appears to be wise and right. The subject is difficult, and good men do not agree.

You've got to be smart about tackling.

Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun; The Japanese don't care to, the Chinese wouldn't dare to; Hindus and Argentines sleep firmly from twelve to one, But Englishmen detest a siesta.

A wise man in China asked his gardener to plant a shrub. The gardener objected that it only flowered once in a hundred years. "In that case," said the wise man, "plant it immediately." [On the importance of fundamental research.]

Knowing a great deal is not the same as being smart; intelligence is not information alone but also judgement, the manner in which information is coordinated and used.

If I were going to war I would want to be alongside an Englishman not a Frenchman. The Frenchman would think too much.

The trouble was, if you were a chief you had to think, you had to be wise.

Chess makes man wiser and clear-sighted.

One wise man's verdict outweighs all the fools'.

An Irish man fights before he reasons, a Scotchman reasons before he fights, an Englishman is not particular as to the order of precedence, but will do either to accommodate his customers.

Instead of looking on discussion as a stumbling block in the way of action, we think it an indispensable preliminary to any wise action at all.

It was observed of Elizabeth that she was weak herself, but chose wise counsellors; to which it was replied, that to choose wise counsellors was, in a prince, the highest wisdom.

you must be careful never to allow doubt to paralyze you. always take the decisions you need to take, even if you're not sure you're doing the right thing. You'll never go wrong if, when you make a decision, you keep in mind an old German proverb: 'The devil is in the detail.' Remember that proverb and you'll always be able to turn a wrong decision into a right one.

Germans are flummoxed by humor, the Swiss have no concept of fun, the Spanish think there is nothing at all ridiculous about eating dinner at midnight, and the Italians should never, ever have been let in on the invention of the motor car.

It is easy to be wise on behalf of others than to be so for ourselves.

Intelligence is just a tool to be used toward a goal, and goals are not always chosen intelligently.