Values Quotes – Friedrich Schlegel on Wittiness

Todays quote is from Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel, a poet, scholar, and leader of German Romanticism in the late 1700s.

A thought-provoking quote from Schlegel is:
“Witty inspirations are the proverbs of the educated.”

I think there’s some fun irony in a witty saying about witty sayings.

As a differentiating value, Wittiness means clever; amusingly ingenious; insightful; or possessing a strong intellect.

A good witty saying is like candy for the mind. It feels good and it makes us feel intelligent.

Consider how you feel when you hear a great quote from Dr. Seuss, such as: “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

Or Oscar Wilde’s statement: “Be yourself: everyone else is already taken.”

Then there’s some brilliant advice from Robert Frost, when he said: “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned in life: it goes on.”

And one of my favorites is from Mark Twain: “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” Now doesn’t that just make you feel smarter?

I think Schlegel hit the nail on the head. We all love witty inspirations because they not only make us feel smarter, it confirms a truth.

And the truth will set you free!

 

Today’s value was selected from the “Harmony-Order” category, based on the e-book Developing Your Differentiating Values.