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To know when to be generous and when firm—that is wisdom.
Edith Wharton
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Wisdom involves knowing the right times to be kind and to stand your ground.

This quote emphasizes that true wisdom lies in discernment and the ability to balance generosity with assertiveness. It suggests that understanding the appropriate moments to offer kindness versus when to be resolute is a hallmark of a wise individual.

Themes

WisdomGenerosityFirmnessBalanceKnowledge

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a speech about the qualities of a good leader.

More from Edith Wharton

They are all alike you know. They hold their tongues for years and you think you're safe, but when the opportunity comes they remember everything.
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And I wonder, among all the tangles of this mortal coil, which one contains tighter knots to undo, & consequently suggests more tugging, & pain, & diversified elements of misery, than the marriage tie.
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As he paid the hansom and followed his wife's long train into the house he took refuge in the comforting platitude that the first six months were always the most difficult in marriage. 'After that I suppose we shall have pretty nearly finished rubbing off each other’s angles,' he reflected; but the worst of it was that May's pressure was already bearing on the very angles whose sharpness he most wanted to keep
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There are two ways to spread happiness; either be the light who shines it or be the mirror who reflects it.
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A little wisdom, now and then

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