Laurence J. Peter Quotes

An intellectual is someone whose mind watches itself.

Intellect is invisible to the man who has none.

'What am I missing?' is a much more important question than 'How cool am I?'

The difference between stupid and intelligent people - and this is true whether or not they are well-educated - is that intelligent people can handle subtlety.

I talked about becoming stupid, but I've always been stupid. Fortunately I've been just smart enough to realize that I'm stupid.

A man only becomes wise when he begins to calculate the approximate depth of his ignorance.

There's nothing wrong with being shallow as long as you're insightful about it.

The philosophy of the wisest man that ever existed, is mainly derived from the act of introspection.

I am not very smart, but I recognize that I am not very smart.

I was smart, to tell you the truth. I'm not really bright, but I'm not stupid.

There is no method but to be very intelligent.

I'd have liked to have been a bit more intellectual. I'd have liked to have had more brains.

There is no country in the world where the process of self-criticism and self-correction is more active than in the United States.

No one seemed able to look at themselves, coolly, from the outside. Their reality was all that could be seen in the light cast ahead by their own wishful thinking.

I'm a very vicious critic of myself.

It's more important to know your weaknesses than your strengths.

One of the functions of intelligence is to take account of the dangers that come from trusting solely to the intelligence.

There are men so philosophical that they can see humor in their own toothaches. But there has never lived a man so philosophical that he could see the toothache in his own humor.

The man with insight enough to admit his limitations comes nearest to perfection.

The cleverest of all, in my opinion, is the man who calls himself a fool at least once a month.

I wonder why I keep playing such intelligent people?

I'm very realistic. I know my boundaries - I know what I'm good at and what I'm not good at.

You have to attempt to be objective about yourself.

I want to prove you don't need to have academic syntax to be intelligent.

The measure of and self-congratulation for our own intelligence should have its basis in our moral behavior as well as our smarts.