(Noah) Webster rejected the puritan concept of original sin which had long guided orthodox parents and

teachers to "beat the devil out of children to make them l earn." Convinced that kindness was a more effective teaching tool than the ferul e or whip, Webster embraced the Lockian concept of 'tabula rasa'--an infant is b orn innocent, free of sin and with a clean slate on which to inscribe knowledge. -Harlow Giles Unger Americans, unshackle your minds and act like independent beings. -Noah Webster Where there is sufficient financial incentive, there is a way. -Hans Moravec Lack of willpower has ruined more lives, destroyed more careers, and brought ang uish and tears to more families that the lack of any other asset or quality, eve n including the lack of wealth and ambition. -Og Mandino People do not lack strength; they lack will. -Victor Hugo The Doors of wisdom are never shut. -Benjamin Franklin The first thing a man of understanding must understand is that there is much tha t he will never understand. -Jack Miles Wisdom anticipates future events. Wisdom is the art of living skillfully in what ever actual conditions we find ourselves. -Eugene H. Peterson One thing only I know and that is that I know nothing. -Socrates Life is the gift of nature, but beautiful living is the gift of wisdom. -Greek adage A bit of wisdom is a joy forever. -Unknown But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things. -Henry David T horeau Wisdom comes by disillusionment. -George Santayana Old age has wisdom for its food. -Da Vinci Wisdom is the daughter of experience. -Leonardo Da Vinci For it is not possible to join serpentine wisdom with columbine innocence, excep t men know exactly all the conditions of the serpent: his baseness and going upo n his belly, his volubility and lubricity, his envy and sting, and the rest; tha t is, all forms and natures of evil: for without this, virtue lieth open and unf enced. -Francis Bacon To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe. -Marilyn vos Savant If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing. -Anat ole France If you are truly serious about preparing your child for the future, don't teach him to subtract--teach him to deduct. -Fran Lebowitz Felix Happy is he who has been able to learn the causes of things. -Virgil Trust in God, but tie your camel. -Persian Proverb Better a drop of wisdom than an ocean of gold. -Greek Proverb To question a wise man is the beginning of wisdom. -German Proverb Be content with what you are, and wish not change; not dread your last day, not long for it. -Martial We call men wise in this or that when they calculate well with a view to some go od end in a case where there is no definite rule. And so in a general way of spe aking, the man who is good a deliberation will be practically wise. -Aristotle The young man knows the rules but the old man knows the exceptions. -Oliver Wen dell Holmes Trial, you know, is the start of wisdom. -Alkman The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms. -Socrates The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself a fool. -William Shakespeare Wisdom at times is found in folly. -Horace Who is wise? He that learns from everyone. Who is powerful? He that governs his passions. Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody. -Benjamin Frank lin Years do not make sages, they only make old mensome even before their time. -Og Mandino Self-reflection is the school of wisdom. -Baltasar Cracian You think you're a smart businessman, but you must realize that many people are

smarter than you. If there are smarter people, stronger, better horses running, then why aren't you putting some of your money on them and not all of it on your self? -Robert Kuok You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions. -Naguib Mahfouz Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences. -Norman Cousins Be slow of tongue and quick of eye. -Miguel de Cervantes I can tell you, honest friend, what to believe: believe life; it teaches better than book or orator. -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Now that is the wisdom of a man, in every instance of his labor, to hitch his wa gon to a star, and see his chore done by the gods themselves. That is the way we are strong, by borrowing the might of the elements. The forces of steam, gravit y, galvanism, light, magnets, wind, fire, serve us day by day, and cost us nothi ng. -Ralph Waldo Emerson Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don't forget, neither swerve from the words of my mouth. Don't forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will kee p you. Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it cost all your possessions, get understanding. -Proverbs 4:5-7, The World English Bible The possession of facts is knowledge, the use of them is wisdom. -Thomas Jeffer son Ben Zoma said, "Who is wise? He who learns from all men, as it is said, 'from al l my teachers have I gotten understanding'. Who is mighty? He who controls his p assions, as it is said, 'He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth over his spirit than he that taketh a city'. Who is rich? He who rejoices in his portion, as it is said, 'When thou eatest the labor of thine ha nds, happy art thou, and it shall be well with thee'; happy art thou in this wor ld, and it shall be well with thee in the world to come. Who is honored? He who honors others, as it is said, 'For them that honor me I will honor, and they tha t despise me shall be held in contempt'". --The Sayings of the Jewish Fathers Be very slow to believe that you are wiser than all others. -Colton Isn't it one of our desires to be admired by others, and why? Learning and memor y expert Wit consists in knowing the resemblance of things which differ and the difference of things which are like. -Madame de Stael If you cant to be witty, work on your character and say what you think on every occasion. -Stendhal The well of true wit is truth itself. -George Meredith