Friendship is the only thing in the world concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
The function of wisdom is to discriminate between good and evil.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Wisdom enables us to differentiate right from wrong.
This quote by Cicero conveys the essence of wisdom as the ability to discern between good and evil. It emphasizes that true wisdom lies not just in knowledge, but in the moral judgments and ethical decisions that guide our actions in life.
Themes
WisdomGoodEvilDiscriminationEthics
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about ethical decision-making in business, I might say, 'As Cicero stated, the function of wisdom is to discriminate between good and evil.'
More from Marcus Tullius Cicero
All quotes βThose wars are unjust which are undertaken without provocation. For only a war waged for revenge or defence can actually be just.
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Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak.
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Nothing contributes to the entertainment of the reader more, than the change of times and the vicissitudes of fortune.
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No one has the right to be sorry for himself for a misfortune that strikes everyone.
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Advice in old age is foolish; for what can be more absurd than to increase our provisions for the road the nearer we approach to our journey's end.
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Do as the heavens have done, forget your evil; With them forgive yourself.
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Logical activity is not the whole of intelligence. One can be intelligent without being particularly logical.
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