--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wisdom consists not so much in knowing…" description: "\"Wisdom consists not so much in knowing what to do in the ultimate as in knowing what to do next.\" — Herbert Hoover" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/herbert-hoover-1115_knowing_wisdom-consists-not-so-much-in-knowing-w_388802.jpg" --- # Wisdom consists not so much in knowing what to do in the… ![“Wisdom consists not so much in knowing what to do in the ultimate as in knowing what to do next.” quote by Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/herbert-hoover-1115_knowing_wisdom-consists-not-so-much-in-knowing-w_388802.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/herbert-hoover-1115_knowing_wisdom-consists-not-so-much-in-knowing-w_388802.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/herbert-hoover-1115_knowing_wisdom-consists-not-so-much-in-knowing-w_388802.jpg) > “Wisdom consists not so much in knowing what to do in the ultimate as in knowing what to do next.” [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True wisdom is acting wisely in the present, not just planning for distant outcomes. **In simple terms:** Focus on the next right step, not just the ultimate goal. Key Takeaway Prioritize immediate, effective actions. Themes wisdom action decision‑making practicality Mood thoughtful pragmatic Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - daily work - crisis management - long‑term planning Key Concepts philosophy leadership Questions to Reflect On - What immediate action can you take toward your goal? - How do you balance short‑term and long‑term thinking? A Different Perspective Future plans can be uncertain, making present actions more critical. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consists Knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consists-knowing-625068/) [Knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing/) [Knowing Ultimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing-ultimate-3511521/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Ultimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ultimate/) [Ultimate Knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ultimate-knowing-3511520/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wisdom Consists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom-consists-753437/) ## Related quotes > [Wisdom often consists of knowing what to do next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/wisdom-often-consists-of-knowing-what-to-do-next/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [Wisdom consists in knowing what not to want as well as what to want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/wisdom-consists-in-knowing-what-not-to-want-as-well-as-what-to-want/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Wisdom oft times consists of knowing what to do next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/wisdom-oft-times-consists-of-knowing-what-to-do-next/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [Some information is important, and some is not, and intelligence consists in knowing one from the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-petri/some-information-is-important-and-some-is-not-and-intelligence/) [Alexandra Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-petri/) > [Genius sometimes consists of knowing when to stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/genius-sometimes-consists-of-knowing-when-to-stop/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [“Trie and sound wisdom consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/trie-and-sound-wisdom-consists-of-two-parts-the-knowledge-of-god-and/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [True wisdom consists of tracing effects to their causes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/true-wisdom-consists-of-tracing-effects-to-their-causes/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [“My wisdom consists in my having been many things and in many places in order to become one person—in order to be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/my-wisdom-consists-in-my-having-been-many-things-and-in-many-places/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Wisdom consists in being able to distinguish among dangers and make a choice of the least harmful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/wisdom-consists-in-being-able-to-distinguish-among-dangers-and-make-a/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [“True and sound wisdom consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/true-and-sound-wisdom-consists-of-two-parts-the-knowledge-of-god-and/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/wisdom-consists-of-the-anticipation-of-consequences/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [True wisdom consists in two things: Knowledge of God and Knowledge of Self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/true-wisdom-consists-in-two-things-knowledge-of-god-and-knowledge-of/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [“I find a naturalistic understanding of human nature to be indispensable to leading a wise and mature life, and it is often exhilarating. Wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/i-find-a-naturalistic-understanding-of-human-nature-to-be/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/nearly-all-the-wisdom-we-possess-that-is-to-say-true-and-sound-wisdom/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Spiritual wisdom consists in finding out the subtleties, policies, and depths of any indwelling sin... to trace this serpent in all its turnings and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/spiritual-wisdom-consists-in-finding-out-the-subtleties-policies-and/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) ## More by Herbert Hoover > [While the crash only took place six months ago, I am convinced we have now passed the worst, and with continued unity of effort,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/while-the-crash-only-took-place-six-months-ago-i-am-convinced-we-have/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [Fishing is a constant reminder of the democracy of life, of humility, and of human frailty. The forces of nature discriminate for no man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/fishing-is-a-constant-reminder-of-the-democracy-of-life-of-humility/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [It is a great profession. There is the fascination of watching a figment of the imagination emerge through the aid of science to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/it-is-a-great-profession-there-is-the-fascination-of-watching-a/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [The human animal originally came from out-of-doors. When spring begins to move in his bones, he just must get out again. Moreover, as civilization,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/the-human-animal-originally-came-from-out-of-doors-when-spring-begins/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [“No one ever listened themselves out of a job.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/no-one-ever-listened-themselves-out-of-a-job/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [Somebody has inquired as to whether I will be going to the opening baseball game. I hope to have that pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/somebody-has-inquired-as-to-whether-i-will-be-going-to-the-opening/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [It is always possible that occasional individuals may have overstepped the law and humanity in treatment of criminals and those charged with crime, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/it-is-always-possible-that-occasional-individuals-may-have/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [One of the primary necessities of the world for the maintenance of peace is the elimination of the frictions which arise from competitive armament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/one-of-the-primary-necessities-of-the-world-for-the-maintenance-of/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [Man is still by instinct a predatory animal given to devilish aggression. The discoveries of science have immensely increased productivity of material things. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/man-is-still-by-instinct-a-predatory-animal-given-to-devilish/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [You convey too great a compliment when you say that I have earned the right to the presidential nomination. No man can establish such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/you-convey-too-great-a-compliment-when-you-say-that-i-have-earned-the/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [“Leadership cannot be created synthetically. Men must be what they were made by the Almighty or the American people will find them out in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/leadership-cannot-be-created-synthetically-men-must-be-what-they-were/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [When we are sick, we want an uncommon doctor; when we have a construction job to do, we want an uncommon engineer, and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/when-we-are-sick-we-want-an-uncommon-doctor-when-we-have-a/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [My boyhood ambition was to be able to earn my own living, without the help of anybody, anywhere,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/my-boyhood-ambition-was-to-be-able-to-earn-my-own-living-without-the/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [If America is to be run by the people, it is the people who must think. And we do not need to put on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/if-america-is-to-be-run-by-the-people-it-is-the-people-who-must-think/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [The New Deal repudiation of democracy has left the Republican Party alone the guardian of the Ark of the Covenant with its charter of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/the-new-deal-repudiation-of-democracy-has-left-the-republican-party/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) [Explore all 290 Herbert Hoover quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) ## More Knowing quotes > [I certainly do care for you Jeff Campbell less than you are always thinking and much more than you are ever knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-certainly-do-care-for-you-jeff-campbell-less-than-you-are-always/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [Therefore, brethren, pray until God gives us revelation so that "knowing this" in our spirit we may truly confess "that our old man has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watchman-nee/therefore-brethren-pray-until-god-gives-us-revelation-so-that-knowing/) [Watchman Nee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watchman-nee/) > [The path I choose through the maze makes me what I am. I am not only a thing, but also a way of being--one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keyes/the-path-i-choose-through-the-maze-makes-me-what-i-am-i-am-not-only-a/) [Daniel Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keyes/) > [Knowing does not always allow us to prevent, but at least the things that we know, we hold them, if not in our hands,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/knowing-does-not-always-allow-us-to-prevent-but-at-least-the-things/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [Life and death were so unpredictable. So close to each other. We existed moment to moment, never knowing who would be the next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/life-and-death-were-so-unpredictable-so-close-to-each-other-we/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [If you don't plan to live the Christian life totally committed to knowing your God and to walking in obedience to Him, then don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-arthur/if-you-don-t-plan-to-live-the-christian-life-totally-committed-to/) [Kay Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-arthur/) > [The individual, by means of the discipline imposed on him by sport, not only plays and finds relaxation from the various compulsions to which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-ellul/the-individual-by-means-of-the-discipline-imposed-on-him-by-sport-not/) [Jacques Ellul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-ellul/) > [I love feeling loved. I don't love knowing that I will always come in second place. I love the fact that at least sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-love-feeling-loved-i-don-t-love-knowing-that-i-will-always-come-in/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [The happy ending is hardly important, though we may be glad its there. The real joy is knowing that if you felt the trouble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-barry/the-happy-ending-is-hardly-important-though-we-may-be-glad-its-there/) [Lynda Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-barry/) > [They have no right to complain! If women were cool with knowing their man is cheating on them then they have no right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-williams/they-have-no-right-to-complain-if-women-were-cool-with-knowing-their/) [Eric Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-williams/) > [Those who are the most happy appear to know it the least; happiness is something that for the most part seems to mainly consist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-brothers/those-who-are-the-most-happy-appear-to-know-it-the-least-happiness-is/) [Joyce Brothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-brothers/) > [So few men are really worth knowing, that it seems a shameful waste to let an anthropoid prejudice stand in the way of free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/so-few-men-are-really-worth-knowing-that-it-seems-a-shameful-waste-to/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Trying to find this industry's tendency to celebrate the physical is a waste of time. So I'm happy to play the game. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-wilde/trying-to-find-this-industry-s-tendency-to-celebrate-the-physical-is/) [Olivia Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-wilde/) > [Without the way, there is no going; without the truth, there is no knowing; without the life, there is no living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/without-the-way-there-is-no-going-without-the-truth-there-is-no/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 7,350 Knowing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Wisdom consists not so much in knowing what to do in the ultimate as in knowing what to do next.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Herbert Hoover" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/wisdom-consists-not-so-much-in-knowing-what-to-do-in-the-ultimate-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Knowing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/wisdom-consists-not-so-much-in-knowing-what-to-do-in-the-ultimate-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/herbert-hoover-1115_knowing_wisdom-consists-not-so-much-in-knowing-w_388802.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/herbert-hoover-1115_knowing_wisdom-consists-not-so-much-in-knowing-w_388802.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/herbert-hoover-1115_knowing_wisdom-consists-not-so-much-in-knowing-w_388802.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Wisdom consists not so much in knowing what to do in the ultimate as in knowing what to do next.” — Herbert Hoover", "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": "Herbert Hoover", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Wisdom consists not so much in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/wisdom-consists-not-so-much-in-knowing-what-to-do-in-the-ultimate-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/wisdom-consists-not-so-much-in-knowing-what-to-do-in-the-ultimate-as/#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 } } ] } ```