Knowledge for knowledge’s sake, anyway - is the worst of all. […] Knowledge should lead
to wisdom, and […] if it doesn’t, it’s just a disgusting waste of time!
—J. D. Salinger, 1957
The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society
gathers wisdom.
—Isaac Asimov, 1988
[In paleontology,] increasing knowledge leads to triumphant loss of clarity.
—Alfred Romer, 1962
Where expertise prevails, wisdom vanishes.
—Erwin Chargaff, 1980
Wisdom is what’s left after we’ve run out of personal opinions.
—Cullen Hightower
4
It is vital to remember that information – in the sense of raw data – is not knowledge, that
knowledge is not wisdom, and the wisdom is not foresight. But information is the first step
to all these.
—Arthur C. Clarke, 2003
***
The folly of mistaking a paradox for a discovery, a metaphor for a proof, a torrent of
verbiage for a spring of capital truths, and oneself for an oracle, is inborn in us.
—Paul Valéry, 1895
The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often
succeed.
—C. S. Lewis, 1955
Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain.
—Friedrich von Schiller, 1801
Never approach a cow from the front, of a horse from the rear, and a fool from any
direction.
—European proverb
5
Earth has its boundaries, but human stupidity is limitless.
—Gustave Flaubert, 1880
Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.
—Elbert Hubbard, 1906
4
As quoted, without a date, in several reliable collections, starting not later than 1988.
5
It is curious that in different languages, different animals are mentioned—“cow” in the Russian
version, “bull” the English one, “goat” in Yiddish, etc. However, fools look very international.
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On the Wise and Otherwise, Sanity and Madness
to wisdom, and […] if it doesn’t, it’s just a disgusting waste of time!
—J. D. Salinger, 1957
The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society
gathers wisdom.
—Isaac Asimov, 1988
[In paleontology,] increasing knowledge leads to triumphant loss of clarity.
—Alfred Romer, 1962
Where expertise prevails, wisdom vanishes.
—Erwin Chargaff, 1980
Wisdom is what’s left after we’ve run out of personal opinions.
—Cullen Hightower
4
It is vital to remember that information – in the sense of raw data – is not knowledge, that
knowledge is not wisdom, and the wisdom is not foresight. But information is the first step
to all these.
—Arthur C. Clarke, 2003
***
The folly of mistaking a paradox for a discovery, a metaphor for a proof, a torrent of
verbiage for a spring of capital truths, and oneself for an oracle, is inborn in us.
—Paul Valéry, 1895
The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often
succeed.
—C. S. Lewis, 1955
Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain.
—Friedrich von Schiller, 1801
Never approach a cow from the front, of a horse from the rear, and a fool from any
direction.
—European proverb
5
Earth has its boundaries, but human stupidity is limitless.
—Gustave Flaubert, 1880
Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped.
—Elbert Hubbard, 1906
4
As quoted, without a date, in several reliable collections, starting not later than 1988.
5
It is curious that in different languages, different animals are mentioned—“cow” in the Russian
version, “bull” the English one, “goat” in Yiddish, etc. However, fools look very international.
68
On the Wise and Otherwise, Sanity and Madness