Here’s a list of 30 Short Quotes, Wise Words to Live, sorted by categories, with additional details including the year, profession, and lifespan of the person:
From Entertainment and Actors:
- “Do, or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda (Fictional Character), Jedi Master in “Star Wars”
- “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” – Dumbledore (Fictional Character), Headmaster in “Harry Potter”
- “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” – Gandalf (Fictional Character), Wizard in “The Lord of the Rings”
- “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” – Atticus Finch (Fictional Character), Lawyer in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
From Poets and Philosophers:
- “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” – Socrates, Greek Philosopher (470/469 – 399 BCE)
- “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.” – Confucius, Chinese Philosopher (551 – 479 BCE)
- “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” – Aristotle, Greek Philosopher (384 – 322 BCE)
- “The only wealth which you will keep forever is the wealth you have given away.” – Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor and Philosopher (121 – 180 CE)
From Scientists:
- “Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” – Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist (March 14, 1879 – April 18, 1955)
- “What we know is a drop, what we don’t know is an ocean.” – Isaac Newton, Mathematician and Physicist (December 25, 1642 – March 20, 1727)
- “Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” – Marie Curie, Physicist and Chemist (November 7, 1867 – July 4, 1934)
- “The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.” – Carl Sagan, Astronomer (November 9, 1934 – December 20, 1996)
From Literature and Authors:
- “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” – William Shakespeare, Playwright (April 23, 1564 – April 23, 1616)
- “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” – Leo Tolstoy, Novelist (September 9, 1828 – November 20, 1910)
- “The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essayist and Poet (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882)
- “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” – Mark Twain, Writer (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910)
From Leaders and Religious Figures:
- “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi, Leader of Indian Independence Movement (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948)
- “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” – Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister (November 30, 1874 – January 24, 1965)
- “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela, South African President (July 18, 1918 – December 3, 2013)
- “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” – Buddha, Founder of Buddhism (563 – 483 BCE)
- “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Jesus Christ, Central Figure of Christianity (4 BCE – 30/33 CE)
- “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” – St. Augustine, Christian Theologian (354 – 430 CE)
From Entrepreneurs and Educators:
- “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” – Steve Jobs, Co-founder of Apple Inc. (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011)
- “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” – Warren Buffett, Investor and Philanthropist (August 30, 1930 – Present)
- “The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist.'” – Maria Montessori, Educator and Physician (August 31, 1870 – May 6, 1952)
- “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” – John Dewey, Philosopher and Educator (October 20, 1859 – June 1, 1952)
From Artists:
- “Learning never exhausts the mind.” – Leonardo da Vinci, Polymath (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519)
- “The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” – Pablo Picasso, Painter (October 25, 1881 – April 8, 1973)
From Activists:
- “Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King Jr., Civil Rights Leader (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968)0
- “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.” – Malala Yousafza, Education Activist (July 12, 1997 – October 9, 2012)