proverb · Words worth keeping
Wisdom is principal; therefore get wisdom. And with all your getting, get understanding.
Wisdom is principal; therefore get wisdom. And with all your getting, get understanding.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying makes wisdom a principal aim and asks that understanding accompany every pursuit. It values learning beyond accumulation alone.
Example
A learner asks what a new fact means and how it relates to what they already know.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The repeated getting joins pursuit with comprehension. A useful interpretation asks what someone understands about an aim rather than equating acquiring more with becoming wiser. The supplied spiritual reading is one context, not proof of a universal personal-development result.
When to use it
Use it to discuss understanding as part of learning and pursuit.
Keep in mind
No guaranteed development outcome or exclusive religious interpretation is established.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown