A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone.
Books, Mind & ApprehensionTyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones, Season 1 Episode 2It is not the brains that matter most, but that which guides them - the character, the heart, generous qualities, progressive ideas.
Character, Morality & EthicsFyodor DostoevskyI much prefer the sharpest criticism of a single intelligent man to the thoughtless approval of the masses.
CriticismJohannes KeplerThe cleverest of all, in my opinion, is the man who calls himself a fool at least once a month.
Failures & Mistakes, FoolishnessFyodor DostoevskyPeople think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don''t realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.
Calvin and Hobbes, by CalvinI hate when people confuse education with intelligence. You can have a bachelor's degree and still be an idiot.
EducationElon MuskSmart women love smart men more than smart men love smart women.
Men & Women, Singles & DatingNatalie PortmanI was talking aloud to myself. A habit of the old: they choose the wisest person present to speak to.
Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings: The Two TowersThat which the Fascists hate above all else, is intelligence.
Miguel de UnamunoGreat men are like eagles, and build their nest on some lofty solitude.
Solitude & Being Alone, EaglesArthur SchopenhauerMany species lack the ability to defy their own animal instincts and allow their intellect to prevail.
Ernest Cline in ArmadaYou see a lot of smart guys with dumb women, but you hardly ever see a smart woman with a dumb guy.
Men & WomenErica JongI'm strong, because I've been weak.
I'm fearless, because I've been afraid.
I am wise, because I've been foolish.
The more you know, the more you realise how much you don't know - the less you know, the more you think you know.
Knowledge, FoolishnessDavid T. FreemanThe art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.
William JamesThe problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.
Foolishness, Self-ConfidenceCharles BukowskiThere is no greater evidence of superior intelligence than to be surprised at nothing.
Josh BillingsIntellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.
Learning, EducationAlbert EinsteinThe greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.
KnowledgeStephen HawkingI make mistakes like the next man. In fact, being - forgive me - rather cleverer than most men, my mistakes tend to be correspondingly huger.
Failures & MistakesAlbus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceAn intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools.
AlcoholErnest HemingwayGreat minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.
It's the greatest samurai, who lets his sword rust in its scabbard.
Peace, Gun-Control, SwordsBarney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, Season 1 Episode 17For knowledge, too, itself is power.
(Col. 'Knowledge is power.')
You're asking me to use my superior intellect in a tawdry competition. Would you ask Picasso to play Pictionary? Would you ask Noah Webster to play Boggle? Would you ask Jacques Cousteau to play Go Fish?
Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory, Season 1 Episode 13