Favorite Inspiring Quotes
Wisdom
Commentary by Peter Shepherd

“When I look inside and see that I am nothing, that is wisdom. When I look outside and see that I am everything, that is love. And between these two, my life turns.” ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
Marilyn vos Savant said, “To acquire knowledge one must study; to acquire wisdom, one must observe.”
“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” ~ Confucius
And mindful living, which is perhaps the most effective.
“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.” ~ Nelson Mandela
One without the other is on shaky ground. If you allow your experience and your heart to be your main teachers, checked by your reasoning, you’ll empower yourself to find new meaning for your life.
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” ~ Aristotle
If you know yourself - if you’re willing to look objectively - that’s a good start on knowing others, since we all have much in common.
“What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?” ~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Wisdom is not intellectual, it’s an understanding beyond words. One can discover it and live by it, as a kind person does, but someone without the same insight may think you foolish if you try and express why. As William Blake put it, “A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.”

Here’s some further reading on this theme...
Learn From Your Past, Rather Than Being Defeated by It!
~ by Charlie Badenhop
There is meant to be a tribe in the Andes mountains where the people gesture in front of themselves when talking about the past, and behind themselves when talking about the future. I am not sure how they came to think and talk this way, but I certainly find what they do to be very interesting. If I am not mistaken, I remember reading quite some time ago that the ancient Greeks had a saying which was, “Your past lies in front of you, and your future behind you.” So perhaps both cultures shared a similar wisdom. Continues...