He is not wise that is not wise for himself.
Meaning: Self-interest in practical matters—securing one's own welfare—constitutes genuine wisdom, not abstract knowledge.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
More proverbs about Wisdom
- The hindermost dog may catch the hare. — Even laggards succeed when persistence outlasts the quarry's exhaustion.
- Home is home, be it ever so homely. — Comfort and belonging matter more than outward appearance or grandeur.
- Better poor with honour than rich with shame. — Poverty preserves your integrity and self-respect, while wealth gained dishonestly corrod…
- Honour and ease are seldom bed-fellows. — Pursuing comfort and leisure inevitably requires compromising one's principles or reputat…
- Where honour ceaseth, there knowledge decreaseth. — Loss of integrity corrodes the mind's capacity to perceive and retain truth.
- He giveth one knock on the hoop, and another on the barrel. — Inconsistent effort—striking at two separate tasks prevents mastery or completion of eith…
From our compliments & insults
- Ты умница (ty umnitsa) — You're bright, clever, and admirable — said warmly of someone who handles things well.
- У тебя золотые руки (u tebya zolotye ruki) — You're extraordinarily skilled — able to make or fix anything with your hands.
- T'as pas inventé le fil à couper le beurre — You're not exactly a genius — the wire to cut butter is about the most obvious tool imagi…