Thomas Jefferson Quotes

What is permitted is not always wise.

Prudence is the knowledge of things to be sought, and those to be shunned.

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

When you encounter seemingly good advice that contradicts other seemingly good advice, ignore them both.

Wisdom has its root in goodness, not goodness its root in wisdom.

It is much easier to make the speeches than to finally make the judgments.

… test everything, and retain whatever is good.

How easy it is to judge rightly after one sees what evil comes from judging wrongly.

Judgment is not upon all occasions required, but discretion always is.

There is no difference between knowledge and temperance; for he who knows what is good and embraces it, who knows what is bad and avoids it, is learned and temperate.

But goodness alone is never enough. A hard, cold wisdom is required for goodness to accomplish good. Goodness without wisdom always accomplishes evil.

My mom knows when something is real and something is not.

A noble heart will always capitulate to reason.

The light of lights looks always on the motive, not the deed, the shadow of shadows on the deed alone.

Fools admire, but men of sense approve.

He who is not just is severe, he who is not wise is sad.

Wisdom and goodness are twin-born, one heart must hold both sisters, never seen apart.

The only question which any wise man can ask himself, and which any honest man will ask himself, is whether a doctrine is true or false.

It is a fine thing to be honest, but it is also very important to be right.

I'm one of these people who tries to look for the good in people, but I've learnt that, actually, no, some people fundamentally just are not nice.

Truth is the beginning of every good to the gods, and of every good to man.

Honesty is the best policy.

Philosophy as practice does not mean its restriction to utility or applicability, that is, to what serves morality or produces serenity of soul.

Clever men are good, but they are not the best.

Mother is far too clever to understand anything she does not like.