John Selden Quotes

The advantages of philosophy? That I am able to hold converse with myself.

He that composes himself is wiser than he that composes a book.

A student of life considers the world a classroom.

You get clarity as you get sober, and you get clarity as you get older.

Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.

A wholesome oblivion of one's neighbours is the beginning of wisdom.

At the age of 60, I am less experimental and more mature. I want most of all to convey my understanding of life.

All men by nature desire knowledge.

The person is always happy who is in the presence of something they cannot know in full. A person as advanced far in the study of morals who has mastered the difference between pride and vanity.

The object of studying philosophy is to know one's own mind, not other people's.

He who knows, does not speak. He who speaks, does not know.

I noticed every time I spent a lot of time in the bathtub, I would just get fantastic realizations about myself, and they were so valuable and liberating.

Contemplation and wisdom are highest achievements and man is not totally at home with them.

This taught me a lesson, but I'm not quite sure what it is.

Men who know themselves are no longer fools. They stand on the threshold of the door of Wisdom.

I do not want the peace which passeth understanding, I want the understanding which bringeth peace.

Know, thou, that the lines that live are turned out of a furrowed brow.

Learning lessons is a little like reaching maturity. You're not suddenly more happy, wealthy, or powerful, but you understand the world around you better, and you're at peace with yourself. Learning life's lessons is not about making your life perfect, but about seeing life as it was meant to be.

True knowledge lies in knowing how to live.

We learn from experience that men never learn anything from experience.

The knowledge I have now is not the knowledge I had then.

The philosophy of the wisest man that ever existed, is mainly derived from the act of introspection.

With age comes a greater wisdom, an ease and comfort with oneself.

Compromise and tolerance are magic words. It took me 40 years to become philosophical.