Shrewdness Quotes

“Injuries, therefore, should be inflicted all at once, that their ill savour being less lasting may the less offend; whereas, benefits should be conferred little by little, that so they may be more fully relished.”
― Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince

“When a wolf is hungry it befriends sheep.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo

“When someone asks a question, don't assume they don't know the answer. Clever people will always test you.”
― Wayne Gerard Trotman

“A true generous heart can never revolve majorly with monetary skills nor business acumen nor cunning mind.”
― Angelica Hopes

“A cat may have nine lives, but a wise person has a hundred.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo

“The smartest fish are still in the sea.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo

“If you feed a bird, you don't have to force it to come to you.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo

“A wise bird does not lend even the smallest of its feathers to a hunter.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo

“The shrewd marry for money, the scheming marry for status, the calculating marry for power, but the wise marry for love.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo

“How long does it last?" Said the other customer, a man wearing a tan shirt with little straps that buttoned on top of the shoulders. He looked as if he were comparing all the pros and cons before shelling out $.99. You could see he thought he was pretty shrewd.
"It lasts for as long as you live," the manager said slowly. There was a second of silence while we all thought about that. The man in the tan shirt drew his head back, tucking his chin into his neck. His mind was working like a house on fire
"What about other people?" He asked. "The wife? The kids?"
"They can use your membership as long as you're alive," the manager said, making the distinction clear.
"Then what?" The man asked, louder. He was the type who said things like "you get what you pay for" and "there's one born every minute" and was considering every angle. He didn't want to get taken for a ride by his own death.
"That's all," the manager said, waving his hands, palms down, like a football referee ruling an extra point no good. "Then they'd have to join for themselves or forfeit the privileges."
"Well then, it makes sense," the man said, on top of the situation now, "for the youngest one to join. The one that's likely to live the longest."
"I can't argue with that," said the manager.
The man chewed his lip while he mentally reviewed his family. Who would go first. Who would survive the longest. He cast his eyes around to all the cassettes as if he'd see one that would answer his question. The woman had not gone away. She had brought along her signed agreement, the one that she paid $25 for.
"What is this accident waiver clause?" She asked the manager.
"Look," he said, now exhibiting his hands to show they were empty, nothing up his sleeve, "I live in the real world. I'm a small businessman, right? I have to protect my investment, don't I? What would happen if, and I'm not suggesting you'd do this, all right, but some people might, what would happen if you decided to watch one of my movies in the bathtub and a VCR you rented from me fell into the water?"
The woman retreated a step. This thought had clearly not occurred to her before.”
― Michael Dorris, A Yellow Raft in Blue Water

“A spider is slow, but its web catches the fastest flies.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo

“Sense will buy you more than dollars.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo

“I had no money to start,
For Jack decreed in his pride:
The Caveman's wife didn't work -
It was his job to provide.

A brief reminder right here:
Let men believe they are shrewd,
But even women of old
Embroidered mittens for food.”
― Joyce Rachelle, Sewing Figs

“A shrewd enemy will teach you more than a foolish friend.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo

“We need a guy--a good, brave guy, a guy with no nerves, and balls the size of Cadillac hubcaps, a tough, smart, shrewd guy, a James Bond guy, but Russian--to get into the basement and stop this Klimov.”
― Stephen Hunter, The Day Before Midnight

“The In-betweens: A Haiku

Amidst hope and grief,
Shrewdness and anger within,
Am I but a thought..?”
― Amogh Swamy, On My Way To Infinity: A Seeker's Poetic Pilgrimage

“My lady wife is heir to Winterfell. Should I emerge from this with my head still on my shoulders, I may one day rule the north in her name. I could carve you out a big piece of it.” “If and when and might be,” said Bronn. “And it’s bloody cold up there. Lollys is soft, warm, and close. I could be poking her two nights hence.” “Not a prospect I would relish.” “Is that so?” Bronn grinned. “Admit it, Imp. Given a choice between fucking Lollys and fighting the Mountain, you’d have your breeches down and cock up before a man could blink.” He knows me too bloody well. Tyrion tried a different tack. “I’d heard that Ser Gregor was wounded on the Red Fork, and again at Duskendale. The wounds are bound to slow him.” Bronn looked annoyed. “He was never fast. Only freakish big and freakish strong. I’ll grant you, he’s quicker than you’d expect for a man that size. He has a monstrous long reach, and doesn’t seem to feel blows the way a normal man would.” “Does he frighten you so much?” asked Tyrion, hoping to provoke him. “If he didn’t frighten me, I’d be a bloody fool.” Bronn gave a shrug. “Might be I could take him. Dance around him until he was so tired of hacking at me that he couldn’t lift his sword. Get him off his feet somehow. When they’re flat on their backs it don’t matter how tall they are. Even so, it’s chancy. One misstep and I’m dead. Why should I risk it? I like you well enough, ugly little whoreson that you are … but if I fight your battle, I lose either way. Either the Mountain spills my guts, or I kill him and lose Stokeworth. I sell my sword, I don’t give it away. I’m not your bloody brother.” “No,” said Tyrion sadly. “You’re not.” He waved a hand. “Begone, then. Run to Stokeworth and Lady Lollys. May you find more joy in your marriage bed than I ever found in mine.” Bronn hesitated at the door. “What will you do, Imp?” “Kill Gregor myself. Won’t that make for a jolly song?” “I hope I hear them sing it.” Bronn grinned one last time, and walked out of the door, the castle, and his life.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3) , George R. R