--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't be wise without being…" description: "\"You can't be wise without being intelligent, but you certainly can be intelligent without being wise.\" — Marilyn vos Savant" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_being-wise_you-can-t-be-wise-without-being-intellig_796307.png" --- # You can't be wise without being intelligent, but you… ![“You can't be wise without being intelligent, but you certainly can be intelligent without being wise.” quote by Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_being-wise_you-can-t-be-wise-without-being-intellig_796307.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_being-wise_you-can-t-be-wise-without-being-intellig_796307.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_being-wise_you-can-t-be-wise-without-being-intellig_796307.png) > “You can't be wise without being intelligent, but you certainly can be intelligent without being wise.” [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intelligence can exist without wisdom, but wisdom requires intelligence; they are not interchangeable. **In simple terms:** Smartness alone isn’t enough; wisdom needs intelligence. Key Takeaway Cultivate both intellect and judgment. Themes intelligence wisdom knowledge decision-making Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - education - career planning - personal growth - leadership Key Concepts cognitive ability ethical insight Questions to Reflect On - Do you prioritize knowledge over judgment? - How can you balance intellect with wisdom? A Different Perspective Intelligence without wisdom can lead to poor choices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-wise/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) ## Related quotes > ['How do you know so much about everything?' was asked of a very wise and intelligent man; and the answer was 'By never being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abbott/how-do-you-know-so-much-about-everything-was-asked-of-a-very-wise-and/) [John Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-abbott/) > [“Though a man be wise and intelligent, he is a fool in the eyes of the ignorant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saadi/though-a-man-be-wise-and-intelligent-he-is-a-fool-in-the-eyes-of-the/) [Saadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saadi/) > [My mother is very wise and intelligent. If I have children and can do half as good a job as she did in keeping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-lee/my-mother-is-very-wise-and-intelligent-if-i-have-children-and-can-do/) [Brandon Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-lee/) > [The most intelligent people disguise the fact that they are intelligent. Wise men do not wear name tags. The more people talk about their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsugumi-ohba/the-most-intelligent-people-disguise-the-fact-that-they-are-2/) [Tsugumi Ohba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsugumi-ohba/) > [“The most intelligent people disguise the fact that they are intelligent. Wise men do not wear nametags. The more people talk about their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nisioisin/the-most-intelligent-people-disguise-the-fact-that-they-are/) NisiOisiN > [Sometimes when everything has totally apart, the meaningless preoccupations that so often dominate our lives simply fall away. And what is left is who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/sometimes-when-everything-has-totally-apart-the-meaningless/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [“Modern Education may make one intelligent but not wise. Wisdom comes from character, social consciousness, self awareness, human values, conscience that helps us know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeroninio-almeida/modern-education-may-make-one-intelligent-but-not-wise-wisdom-comes/) [Jeroninio Almeida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeroninio-almeida/) > [“It is not necessary to be an 'Intelligent', It's wise to have the 'Internet”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sumit-kumar-mallik/it-is-not-necessary-to-be-an-intelligent-it-s-wise-to-have-the/) Sumit Kumar Mallik > [“Most unintelligent or foolish people do not regard themselves as that; they regard themselves as not-that-intelligent or not-that-wise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/most-unintelligent-or-foolish-people-do-not-regard-themselves-as-that/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [I read a lot, I write a lot, and I have conversations with people I think are intelligent and wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montaigne/i-read-a-lot-i-write-a-lot-and-i-have-conversations-with-people-i/) [Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montaigne/) > [“An egoist is always intelligent, never wise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/an-egoist-is-always-intelligent-never-wise/) [Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/) > [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/) > [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 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/) > [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/) ## More by Marilyn vos Savant > [There's plenty of intelligence in the world, but the courage to do things differently is in short supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/there-s-plenty-of-intelligence-in-the-world-but-the-courage-to-do/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Society needs people who can manage projects in addition to handling individual tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/society-needs-people-who-can-manage-projects-in-addition-to-handling/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [If you never heard opportunity knock, maybe you're never at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/if-you-never-heard-opportunity-knock-maybe-you-re-never-at-home/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Email, instant messaging, and cell phones give us fabulous communication ability, but because we live and work in our own little worlds, that communication…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/email-instant-messaging-and-cell-phones-give-us-fabulous/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Experts say you can't concentrate on more than one task at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/experts-say-you-can-t-concentrate-on-more-than-one-task-at-a-time/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [“If your head tells you one thing and your heart tells you another ,before you do anything,you should first decide wether you have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/if-your-head-tells-you-one-thing-and-your-heart-tells-you-another/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [What is the essence of America? Finding and maintaining that perfect, delicate balance between freedom 'to' and freedom 'from.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/what-is-the-essence-of-america-finding-and-maintaining-that-perfect/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [It is a lot easier to prove that you don't love someone than it is to prove that you do, but one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/it-is-a-lot-easier-to-prove-that-you-don-t-love-someone-than-it-is-to/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [I suspect that some apparently homosexual people are really heterosexuals who deeply phobic about the opposite sex or have other emotional problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/i-suspect-that-some-apparently-homosexual-people-are-really/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [A friend is someone who stays by your side all through the troubles he's caused you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/a-friend-is-someone-who-stays-by-your-side-all-through-the-troubles/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Loving behavior contributes to the group at the expense of the individual. Competition contributes to the survival of the individual at the expense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/loving-behavior-contributes-to-the-group-at-the-expense-of-the/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Be able to suffer wearing a necktie or slightly high heels for an entire evening without complaint or early removal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/be-able-to-suffer-wearing-a-necktie-or-slightly-high-heels-for-an/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Be able to describe anything visual, such as a street scene, in words that convey your meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/be-able-to-describe-anything-visual-such-as-a-street-scene-in-words/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [Be able to sneeze without sounding ridiculous. That means neither stifling yourself or spraying your immediate vicinity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/be-able-to-sneeze-without-sounding-ridiculous-that-means-neither/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [At first, I only laughed at myself. Then I noticed that life itself is amusing. I've been in a generally good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/at-first-i-only-laughed-at-myself-then-i-noticed-that-life-itself-is/) [Marilyn Vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) [Explore all 149 Marilyn vos Savant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) ## 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": "You can't be wise without being intelligent, but you certainly can be intelligent without being wise.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marilyn vos Savant" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/you-can-t-be-wise-without-being-intelligent-but-you-certainly-can-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being wise" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/you-can-t-be-wise-without-being-intelligent-but-you-certainly-can-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_being-wise_you-can-t-be-wise-without-being-intellig_796307.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_being-wise_you-can-t-be-wise-without-being-intellig_796307.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/marilyn-vos-savant-2806_being-wise_you-can-t-be-wise-without-being-intellig_796307.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can't be wise without being intelligent, but you certainly can be intelligent without being wise.” — Marilyn vos Savant", "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": "Marilyn vos Savant", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can't be wise without being...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/you-can-t-be-wise-without-being-intelligent-but-you-certainly-can-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/you-can-t-be-wise-without-being-intelligent-but-you-certainly-can-be/#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 } } ] } ```