Quotable Quotes: Common Wisdom
by Miki Saxon
I love the bits of common wisdom, often called adages or proverbs, that are frequently invoked to prove a point, bolster an argument or offered as advice. The thing about common wisdom is it’s just that—wisdom that should be obvious, but often goes unnoticed or ignored.
When trying to communicate, “’tis better to understand, than to be understood,” but if you focus on the first, it is much easier to accomplish the second.
Common wisdom provides a powerful explanation for why the candidate who presents so well is a dud, “Light travels faster than sound, which is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.”
“A camel looks like a horse that was planned by a committee,” so it is a wise manager who encourages discussion, while avoiding decision by committee.
It is said that “a handful of common sense is worth a bushel of learning,” but these days we have bushels of learning and nary a handful of common sense.
Real leaders are often found in the rank and file as opposed to out front with a fat title; one way to recognize a real leader is summed up in these words of wisdom, “A leader has been defined as one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” That sure rules out a lot of positional leaders who know the way and show the way, but absolutely don’t go the way.
Want a way to objectively recognize the start of wisdom in yourself and others? Common wisdom offers a failsafe method, “A man is getting along on the road to wisdom when he begins to realize that his opinion is just an opinion.”
See you tomorrow!
Image credit: Wordle
