Quotes about intelligence
113 quotes from 85 people
Grover Cleveland1837–1908At the celebration of the sesquicentennial of Princeton College (October 22, 1896).
Simone Weil1909–1943Simone Weil: An Anthology (1986), p. 35
Oscar Wilde1854–1900The Critic as Artist (1891), Part II
Aeschylus525–456 BCFragment 392 (220 Smyth), from an unidentified play. Included in Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919).
Albert Camus1913–1960Notebooks (1942–1951)
Benjamin Disraeli1804–1881Endymion (1880), Ch. 85.No man can be a pure specialist without being in the strict sense an idiot.
George Bernard Shaw1856–1950Maxims for Revolutionists (1903), #41You have attributed conditions to villainy that simply result from stupidity.
Robert A. Heinlein1907–1988Logic of Empire (p. 335)Man usually avoids attributing cleverness to somebody else—unless it is an enemy.
Albert Einstein1879–1955Essay to Leo Baeck (1953), Ideas and OpinionsCuriosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.
Samuel Johnson1709–1784The Rambler (1750–1752), No. 103 (12 March 1751)The true, strong, and sound mind is the mind that can embrace equally great things and small.
Samuel Johnson1709–1784Life of Johnson (Boswell) (1778)A fool’s brain digests philosophy into folly, science into superstition, and art into pedantry.
George Bernard Shaw1856–1950Maxims for Revolutionists (1903), #32
George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax1633–1695Moral Thoughts and Reflections
Carl von Clausewitz1780–1831On War (1832), Book 1, Ch. 1
