There’s always something suspect about an intellectual on the winning side.
—Vaclav Havel (1936–2011) Czech Dramatist, Statesman
The best intelligence test is what we do with our leisure.
—Laurence J. Peter (1919–90) Canadian-born American Educator, Author
I hate intellectuals. They are from the top down. I am from the bottom up.
—Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959) American Architect
I’ve been called many things, but never an intellectual.
—Tallulah Bankhead (1902–68) American Actor, TV Personality
If we listened to our intellect we’d never have a love affair. We’d never have a friendship. We’d never go in business because we’d be cynical: It’s gonna go wrong. Or She’s going to hurt me. Or, I’ve had a couple of bad love affairs, so therefore … Well, that’s nonsense. You’re going to miss life. You’ve got to jump off the cliff all the time and build your wings on the way down.
—Ray Bradbury (b.1920) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
I was taught that the human brain was the crowning glory of evolution so far, but I think it’s a very poor scheme for survival.
—Kurt Vonnegut (1922–2007) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
Intellectuals can tell themselves anything, sell themselves any bill of goods, which is why they were so often patsies for the ruling classes in nineteenth-century France and England, or twentieth-century Russia and America.
—Lillian Hellman (1905–84) American Playwright, Dramatist, Memoirist
The woman who thinks she is intelligent demands equal rights with men. A woman who is intelligent does not.
—Colette (1873–1954) French Novelist, Performer
I think, therefore I am is the statement of an intellectual who underrates toothaches.
—Milan Kundera (b.1929) Czech Novelist
There is nobody so irritating as somebody with less intelligence and more sense than we have.
—Don Herold (1889–1966) American Humorist, Writer, Illustrator, Cartoonist
It is not clear that intelligence has any long-term survival value.
—Stephen Hawking (1942–2018) English Theoretical Physicist, Cosmologist, Academic
Intelligence, in diapers, is invisible. And when it matures, out the window it flies. We have to pounce on it earlier.
—Stanislaw Jerzy Lec (1909–1966) Polish Aphorist, Poet
Half of being smart is knowing what you are dumb about.
—Solomon Short
Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
It has yet to be proven that intelligence has any survival value.
—Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008) British Scientist, Science-fiction Writer
Ask a wise man to dinner and he’ll upset everyone by his gloomy silence or tiresome questions. Invite him to a dance and you’ll have a camel prancing about. Haul him off to a public entertainment and his face will be enough to spoil the people’s entertainment.
—Desiderius Erasmus (c.1469–1536) Dutch Humanist, Scholar
Man is an intelligence, not served by, but in servitude to his organs.
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English Humanist, Pacifist, Essayist, Short Story Writer, Satirist
Intelligence is quickness to apprehend as distinct from ability, which is capacity to act wisely on the thing apprehended.
—Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) English Mathematician, Philosopher
Clever people will recognize and tolerate nothing but cleverness.
—Henri Frederic Amiel (1821–81) Swiss Moral Philosopher, Poet, Critic