--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To think to be wise alone is a very great…" description: "\"To think to be wise alone is a very great folly.\" — Francois de La Rochefoucauld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_being-wise_to-think-to-be-wise-alone-is-a-very-grea_1467386.png" --- # To think to be wise alone is a very great folly. ![“To think to be wise alone is a very great folly.” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_being-wise_to-think-to-be-wise-alone-is-a-very-grea_1467386.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_being-wise_to-think-to-be-wise-alone-is-a-very-grea_1467386.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_being-wise_to-think-to-be-wise-alone-is-a-very-grea_1467386.png) > “To think to be wise alone is a very great folly.” [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Thinking you are wise without counsel is arrogant and leads to error. **In simple terms:** Self‑confidence without advice is foolish. Key Takeaway Seek counsel before acting. Themes humility wisdom arrogance Mood reflective serious Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - leadership decisions - personal growth - team projects Key Concepts self‑awareness critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - Do you often act without seeking advice? - How can humility improve your decisions? A Different Perspective Overconfidence can blind you to risks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-wise/) [Folly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folly/) [Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) ## Related quotes > [To take offence is a great folly, and to give offence is a great folly - I know not which is the greater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelia-barr/to-take-offence-is-a-great-folly-and-to-give-offence-is-a-great-folly/) [Amelia Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelia-barr/) > [It is great folly to wish to be wise all alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-great-folly-to-wish-to-be-wise-all-alone/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [One should take good care not to grow too wise for so great a pleasure of life as laughter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/one-should-take-good-care-not-to-grow-too-wise-for-so-great-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [If a spaceship from the outer reaches of the galaxy landed on Earth in the next two months, and its occupants climbed out and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/if-a-spaceship-from-the-outer-reaches-of-the-galaxy-landed-on-earth/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [Many would be wise if they did not think themselves wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baltasar-gracian/many-would-be-wise-if-they-did-not-think-themselves-wise/) [Baltasar Gracian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baltasar-gracian/) > [To fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise without really being wise, for it is to think that we know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/to-fear-death-my-friends-is-only-to-think-ourselves-wise-without/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [The trouble was, if you were a chief you had to think, you had to be wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/the-trouble-was-if-you-were-a-chief-you-had-to-think-you-had-to-be/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [In public, as well as in private expences, great wealth may, perhaps, frequently be admitted as an apology for great folly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/in-public-as-well-as-in-private-expences-great-wealth-may-perhaps/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [Ask Anthony Hopkins how he makes his characters come to life and he just shrugs. I don't know. If I knew, I wouldn't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-eisenberg/ask-anthony-hopkins-how-he-makes-his-characters-come-to-life-and-he/) [Larry Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-eisenberg/) > [The agnostic, the skeptic, is neurotic, but this does not imply a false philosophy; it implies the discovery of facts to which he does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-agnostic-the-skeptic-is-neurotic-but-this-does-not-imply-a-false/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is easy to be wise on behalf of others than to be so for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-easy-to-be-wise-on-behalf-of-others-than-to-be-so-for-ourselves/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Sometimes there are accidents in our lives the skillful extrication from which demands a little folly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/sometimes-there-are-accidents-in-our-lives-the-skillful-extrication/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Some follies are caught, like contagious diseases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/some-follies-are-caught-like-contagious-diseases/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [There are certain people fated to be fools; they not only commit follies by choice, but are even constrained to do so by fortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/there-are-certain-people-fated-to-be-fools-they-not-only-commit/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Some accidents there are in life that a little folly is necessary to help us out of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/some-accidents-there-are-in-life-that-a-little-folly-is-necessary-to/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## More by Francois de La Rochefoucauld > [Our own distrust gives a fair pretence for the knavery of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/our-own-distrust-gives-a-fair-pretence-for-the-knavery-of-other-people/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Behind many acts that are thought ridiculous there lie wise and weighty motives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/behind-many-acts-that-are-thought-ridiculous-there-lie-wise-and/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“Passion often makes a madman of the cleverest man, and renders the greatest fools clever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/passion-often-makes-a-madman-of-the-cleverest-man-and-renders-the/) [François de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Perseverance is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy; for it seems to be only the enduring of certain inclinations and opinions which men neither give themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/perseverance-is-neither-praiseworthy-nor-blameworthy-for-it-seems-to/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [A woman is faithful to her first lover for a long time - unless she happens to take a second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/a-woman-is-faithful-to-her-first-lover-for-a-long-time-unless-she/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We are almost always wearied in the company of persons with whom we are not permitted to be weary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-are-almost-always-wearied-in-the-company-of-persons-with-whom-we/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The love of new acquaintance comes not so much from being weary of what we had before, or from any satisfaction there is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-love-of-new-acquaintance-comes-not-so-much-from-being-weary-of/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-sometimes-necessary-to-play-the-fool-to-avoid-being-deceived-by/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The intention of never deceiving often exposes us to deception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-intention-of-never-deceiving-often-exposes-us-to-deception/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Jealousy springs more from love of self than from love of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/jealousy-springs-more-from-love-of-self-than-from-love-of-another/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Our distrust of another justifies his deceit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/our-distrust-of-another-justifies-his-deceit/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/no-persons-are-more-frequently-wrong-than-those-who-will-not-admit/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Jealousy is always born with love, but does not die with it. In jealousy there is more of self-love than of love to another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/jealousy-is-always-born-with-love-but-does-not-die-with-it-in/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The greatest of all gifts is the power to estimate things at their true worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-greatest-of-all-gifts-is-the-power-to-estimate-things-at-their/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We have not strength enough to follow our reason so far as it would carry us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-have-not-strength-enough-to-follow-our-reason-so-far-as-it-would/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) [Explore all 1,134 Francois de La Rochefoucauld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## More Being wise quotes > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [To be smart, spend carefully. To be wise, save regularly. To be genius, give extravagantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-ingram/to-be-smart-spend-carefully-to-be-wise-save-regularly-to-be-genius/) [Chip Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-ingram/) > [Acknowledging foolishness is a very powerful and important experience. We could almost say that being willing to be a fool is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/acknowledging-foolishness-is-a-very-powerful-and-important-experience/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [To be wise was to be above joy and sorrow, fear and pity, ambition and humiliation. It was to hate nothing and to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende/to-be-wise-was-to-be-above-joy-and-sorrow-fear-and-pity-ambition-and/) [Michael Ende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ende/) > [Deign on the passing world to turn thine eyes, And pause awhile from letters, to be wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/deign-on-the-passing-world-to-turn-thine-eyes-and-pause-awhile-from/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [I feel I want to be wise with white hair in a tall library in a deep chair by a fireplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-corso/i-feel-i-want-to-be-wise-with-white-hair-in-a-tall-library-in-a-deep/) [Gregory Corso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-corso/) > [Were anyone wondering how Sen. Harry Reid intended to manage life in the minority, it took one day of the 114th Congress to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberley-strassel/were-anyone-wondering-how-sen-harry-reid-intended-to-manage-life-in/) Kimberley Strassel > [If we are going to be wise, spiritual people prepared to meet the crises of our age, we must be a studying, learning community…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-p-moreland/if-we-are-going-to-be-wise-spiritual-people-prepared-to-meet-the/) [J.P. Moreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-p-moreland/) > [Literature provides us with experiences it would not be wise or possible to introduce into our own world and thus enlarges our understanding of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-rosenblatt/literature-provides-us-with-experiences-it-would-not-be-wise-or/) [Louise Rosenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-rosenblatt/) > [Learned we may be with another man's learning: we can only be wise with wisdom of our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/learned-we-may-be-with-another-man-s-learning-we-can-only-be-wise/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [None of the modes by which a magistrate is appointed, popular election, the accident of the lot, or the accident of birth, affords, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/none-of-the-modes-by-which-a-magistrate-is-appointed-popular-election/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [The goal of a passionate artist is to try and make a masterpiece each and every time, yet be wise enough to know you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donato-giancola/the-goal-of-a-passionate-artist-is-to-try-and-make-a-masterpiece-each/) Donato Giancola > [License they mean when they cry Liberty; For who loves that, must first be wise and good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/license-they-mean-when-they-cry-liberty-for-who-loves-that-must-first/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [It almost seems as though this roiling world is conspiring to test our patience at every turn. In fact, it is. With this in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-almost-seems-as-though-this-roiling-world-is-conspiring-to-test/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's always better to be wise than to be smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/it-s-always-better-to-be-wise-than-to-be-smart/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) [Browse all 310 Being wise quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-wise/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To think to be wise alone is a very great folly.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/to-think-to-be-wise-alone-is-a-very-great-folly/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being wise" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/to-think-to-be-wise-alone-is-a-very-great-folly/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_being-wise_to-think-to-be-wise-alone-is-a-very-grea_1467386.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_being-wise_to-think-to-be-wise-alone-is-a-very-grea_1467386.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3d/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_being-wise_to-think-to-be-wise-alone-is-a-very-grea_1467386.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To think to be wise alone is a very great folly.” — Francois de La Rochefoucauld", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To think to be wise alone...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/to-think-to-be-wise-alone-is-a-very-great-folly/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/to-think-to-be-wise-alone-is-a-very-great-folly/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```