I am quite a wise old bird, but I am no desert hermit who can only prophesy when his guts are knotted with hunger. I am deep in the old man’s puzzle, trying to link the wisdom of the body with the wisdom of the spirit until the two are one. Robertson Davies
About This Quote

When the author of this quote is speaking of his own wisdom, he is trying to show that he is wise enough to have experienced a great deal in his life. He acknowledges that his body is older however, he does not believe that his body makes him wise. His body may be old, but it is made up of a mind and a spirit that makes him wise. In contrast, most people see their age as a limitation rather than a source of wisdom.

They have no idea how old they are until they look in the mirror and see their wrinkles or gray hair. The people who most often make this mistake are those who feel they have nothing worthwhile to add to their lives. In truth, everyone has something they can add.

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  1. The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.
  2. I am quite a wise old bird, but I am no desert hermit who can only prophesy when his guts are knotted with hunger. I am deep in the old man’s puzzle, trying to link the wisdom of the body with the wisdom of the...
  3. But the character of the music emphasized the tale as allegory--humorous, poignant, humane allegory--disclosing the metamorphosis of life itself, in which man moves from confident inexperience through the bitterness of experience, toward the rueful wisdom of self-knowledge.
  4. Happiness is always a by-product. It is probably a matter of temperament, and for anything I know it may be glandular. But it is not something that can be demanded from life, and if you are not happy you had better stop worrying about it...
  5. ...so Leola thought that a modest romance with a hero in embryo could do no harm - might even be a patriotic duty.
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