True wisdom is less presuming than folly. The wise man doubteth often, and changeth his mind the fool is obstinate, and doubteth not he knoweth all things but his own ignorance.
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True wisdom is less presuming than folly. The wise man doubteth often, and changeth his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubteth not; he knoweth all things but his own ignorance.
Folly
(For A. K. K.)
What distant mountains thrill and glow
Beneath our Lady Folly's tread?
Why has she left us, wise in woe,
Shrewd, practical, uncomforted?
We cannot love or dream or sing,
We are too cynical to pray,
There is no joy in anything
Since Lady Folly went away.
Many a knight and gentle maid,
Whose glory shines from years gone by,
Through ignorance was unafraid
And as a fool knew how to die.
Saint Folly rode beside Jehanne
And broke the ranks of Hell with her,
And Folly's smile shone brightly on
Christ's plaything, Brother Juniper.
Our minds are troubled and defiled
By study in a weary school.
O for the folly of the child!
The ready courage of the fool!
Lord, crush our knowledge utterly
And make us humble, simple men;
And cleansed of wisdom, let us see
Our Lady Folly's face again.
poem by Joyce Kilmer

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Love is the wisdom of the fool, and the folly of the wise.
quote by Samuel Johnson

Submitted by Dan Costinaş
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Love is the wisdom of the fool and the folly of the wise.
quote by Samuel Johnson

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Fool
No,
But must go
By the argument
With little amusement
Sad part to resent
Over the comment
But truth remains
There is much to gain
Speak no truth
Hold tongue behind teeth
It is sign of wisdom
Witnessed seldom
One of the strongest sides
Difference is very wide
But fool is wise
Full of wisdom with no promises
He knows
Not to give reason for others to blow
To face the criticism for revelation
And raise many questions
Fool is full of wisdom
Enough scope for freedom
Wise may suffer
Fool has nothing to offer
poem by Hasmukh Amathalal

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To My Young Countryman D.H.D.
Who doubteth, when the morning star doth light
Her lamp of beauty, that the day is coming?
Or, where prime odours track the breezes’ flight,
That rare flowers in the vicinage are blooming?
Or, where the wild bees all about are humming,
That honey’s stored in some near cedar’s height?
Or, that the sea is heaving into sight
When more and more long surgy rolls come booming?
And surely, as the observer understands
What each of these foretokens in its kind,
Thy manhood’s mental amplitude expands
Before me in its omens, when I find
Something of promise fashioned by thy hands,
Some blossom breathing of thy forming mind.
poem by Charles Harpur

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oH THE folly of Men
was it said
somewhere else
that Man's folly
is God's
wisdom?
could this be
the same as
Man's wisdom
is God's Folly?
Man is foolish
to love gold
God is wise
to love nothing.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa

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Concentrated
When an ignorance offends,
What point is made...
In the making of attempts,
Trying to change it?
That kind of ignorance is concentrated.
A fool is one,
Who doesn't recognize...
Being over-ruled.
Anyone with a hint of wisdom...
Sees ignorance for what it is and leaves.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

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The Philosophic Pill
I've wisdom from the East and from the West,
That's subject to no academic rule;
You may find it in the jeering of a jest,
Or distill it from the folly of a fool.
I can teach you with a quip, if I've a mind;
I can trick you into learning with a laugh;
Oh, winnow all my folly, and you'll find
A grain or two of truth among the chaff!
I can set a braggart quailing with a quip,
The upstart I can wither with a whim;
He may wear a merry laugh upon his lip,
But his laughter has an echo that is grim.
When they've offered to the world in merry guise,
Unpleasant truths are swallowed with a will -
For he who'd make his fellow-creatures wise
Should always gild the philosophic pill!
poem by William Schwenck Gilbert

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When a wise man does not understand, he says: "I do not understand." The fool and the uncultured are ashamed of their ignorance. They remain silent when a question could bring them wisdom.
quote by Frank Herbert

Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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No Fool No More
Packed up all the pain
Left the tears outside my door
And Im not gonna be the one
Whos left out in the rain no more
I see it so clearly
The writing is on the wall
Tellin me Im gonna be
Alright after all
Now I open my eyes
And I finally wise, no, no
No fool no more
No fool no more
Not like before
Not the way it used to be
No fool no more
No tears this time
cause this time Im wise
To the game thats been goin on
And Im not gonna be no fool no more
Ooh
Oohoohoohooh
No fool
No room for sad regrets
cause the past is done and gone
And Ive learned that its time that makes you wise
And truth that makes you strong
You thought you were so cool
Pull the wool right over my heart
But now you see that you cant keep
This heart in the dark
cause I see through your eyes
Wont be blind one more time, no, no
No fool no more
No fool no more (no fool, baby)
Not like before
Not the way it used to be
No fool no more
No tears this time (no tears, baby)
cause this time Im wise (Im wise)
To the game thats been goin on (to the game, uh, uh)
And Im not gonna be no fool no more
Gonna pull my heart together
Gonna leave the past behind
Gonna get to somethin better
Put you out of my mind, yeah
Im gonna be strong
Im gonna be fine
I just want you to know
That Im not gonna be no fool no more
No fool (no, no) no more
Not like before (not like before, baby)
Not the way (not the way) it used to be (oh, no)
No fool no more (no, no, no, no, no)
No tears this time (no more tears)
cause this time Im wise (not cryin for you, baby)
To the game thats been goin on (whoa)
And Im not gonna be no fool no more (mmm, mmm, mmm, no)
No fool no more (no fool no more)
Not like before (not like before)
Not the way (no, no) it used to be (oh, ho, oh, ho, ho)
No fool no more
No tears this time (no tears this time, baby)
cause this time Im wise (cause this time Im wise, yeah)
To the game thats been goin on (alright)
And Im not gonna be no fool no more (no fool no more)
No fool (no fool) no more (no more)
Not like before (not like before)
Not the way (not the way) it used to be (it used to be)
No fool no more (oohoohooh)
No tears this time (baby, baby, baby)
cause this time Im wise (I cant waste my time on you, baby)
To the game thats been goin on (no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, uh-huh)
And Im not gonna be no fool no more
No fool no more (no fool no more)
Not like before (not like before)
Not the way it used to be
song performed by by En Vogue

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.
quote by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be wise.
quote by Thomas Gray

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.
Two Kinds of Wisdom
Words of wisdom can indeed, speak to the heart’s most inner need,
But you must be aware my friend, where words take you in the end.
For earthly wisdom can mislead, the heart seeking an earthly need.
While wisdom sent from up above, guides you in God’s perfect love.
Wisdom comes from many schools, some are wise, some are fools,
Even teachings that sound wise, could be packaged in eternal lies.
Earthly wisdom tells you friend, don’t be concerned about your end,
Just live your life for number one, fill each day with pleasure and fun.
Godly wisdom fills you with love, while keeping your mind up above,
God helps you each day to live, knowing that you have more to give.
Worldly wisdom says fill your life, with things that cause much strife.
It tells you to grab the biggest toy, but in the end you’ll have no joy.
Godly wisdom through sacrifice, prepares you for your Eternal Life.
With this wisdom men shall see, Jesus Christ as they enter Eternity.
In the end all worldly wisdom, to the Truth of God it shall succumb.
When men try embracing The Son, He will say what’s done is done.
All the worldly wisdom down here, has no room for The Lord, I fear,
With the wisdom they think wise, the Lord we love, they just despise.
The same Lord who we hold dear, has let us know His return is near,
And Godly wisdom fixes our eyes, upon Christ without any comprise.
Chinese Wisdom
In crisis, wisdom growth,
And gained.
Intelligence endowed,
But wisdom is learned.
Wise men listen more,
Talk no nonsense.
Wise men may be learned
But learned men may not be wise.
A silent fool can pass for a wise man.
Silence is golden & wise,
Silence is the trusted friend of wisdom.
It is easy to blame our memory
when our judgment is at fault.
It takes a tree ten years to mature;
It takes a man one hundred years to form.
We grow old fast,
We grow wise slowly.
Youth can look only forward,
but age can also look backward.
Maturity and wisdom
take a lifetime to achieve.
Achieving maturity does not
Grow with age.
Wisdom grows when
Ones learned to avoid the wrongs.
Stand for the rights.
Biggest flaw of ones
Has a lot of flaws and
Not correcting them,
Not avoiding them.
Life is a learning journey
To discover who we are,
Learning as if life is
one continuous lesson.
Wisdom is attained by learning
when to hold one’s tongue.
Discretion is the trusted friend of wisdom.
A wise head must possess a closed mouth.
Compiled & adapted by Lawrence Hiung
poem by Lawrence Hiung

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Understanding
The wise in heart will be called prudent,
And the mind of the wise guides his mouth!
But, the man who has found the right wife has found joy.
He who cherishes understanding will find success,
So chasten your son while there is hope;
For, what benefit is it for a fool to buy wisdom with money?
poem by Edward Kofi Louis

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Purity engenders Wisdom, Passion avarice, and Ignorance folly, infatuation and darkness.
quote by Cyril Connolly

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Fool Like You
I hear you breathing though youre so far away
Can you just go where youre going to
I couldnt give a damn or two about a fool like you
Thats true
Are you just too cool no youre just perfectly cold
And what goes around still comes around
I think its all summed up and down in a fool like you
Thats true
Today is just another day
You hold your ticket into nowhere
Its up to you if you will stay
And turn your day into a nightmare
You think you know it you think you know it all
But you dont even have a clue
And conrtol is still in view for a fool like you
Thats true
Is there a reason for the way that you are
Or does it just come natuarally
To have an idiosyncrasy and be a fool like you
Thats true
Youre hearing what you want to hear
Misunderstanding all you see
An attitude in all of us
Is it really you and me
Hes hiding residing deep within the crowd
A hand out hell pull you down
Youve been found guilty committed every crime
But still they say you must go free
Looks like haunted I will be by a fool like you fool like you
Thats true
By a fool like you by a fool like you
Looks like haunted I will be by a fool like you
Thats true
By a fool like you by a fool like you
Looks like you by a fool like you
Looks like haunted I will be by a fool like you
Thats true
song performed by by Ozzy Osbourne

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Nothing Formed In Vain
Let no presuming impious railer tax
Creative wisdom, as if aught was form'd
In vain, or not for admirable ends.
Shall little haughty ignorance pronounce
His works unwise, of which the smallest part
Excceeds the narrow vision of her mind?
As if, upon a full-proportion'd dome,
On swelling columns heav'd, the pride of art!
A critic-fly, whose feeble ray scarce spreads
An inch around, with blind presumption bold,
Should dare to tax the structure of the whole.
And lives the man, whose universal eye
Has swept at once th' unbounded scheme of things;
Mark'd their dependence so, and firm accord,
As with unfalt'ring accent to conclude,
That this availeth nought? Has any seen
The mighty chain of beings, less'ning down
From infinite perfection, to the brink
Of dreary nothing, desolate abyss!
From which astonish'd thought, recoiling, turns?
Till then alone let zealous praise ascend,
And hymns of holy wonder, to that Power,
Whose wisdom shines as lovely in our minds,
As on our smiling eyes his servant-sun.
poem by James Thomson

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