Wisdom Begins in Wonder

Posted on October 5, 2026 by mitchteemley
cat-and-childSource: pinterest.com

Thought for the Week: “Wisdom Begins in Wonder.” ~Socrates

A child’s sense of wonder is a priceless commodity. Perhaps the only thing of equal value is the retention of that commodity into adulthood.

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“Kids think with their brains cracked wide open. Becoming an adult, I’ve decided, is only a slow sewing shut.” ~Jodi Picoult

“The waitstaff at Yellowstone, even when they have finished their chores, don’t look up and marvel at the geyser going off. After all, they see it so often.” ~Philip Yancey

      “We are perishing not for want of wonders, but for want of wonder.” ~G.K. Chesterton

“There is a voice of wonder and amazement inside all of us, but we grow to realize we can no longer hear it, and we live in silence. It isn’t that God stopped speaking; it is that our lives became louder.” ~Mike Yaconelli

“You cannot wait for an untroubled world to have an untroubled moment. The terrible phone call, the rainstorm, the sinister knock on the door—they will all come. In the meantime, it is best to grab what wonderful moments you find lying around.” ~Lemony Snicket

“Look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory.” ~Betty Smith

“The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.” ~Albert Einstein

“There’s magic in the world—and it’s waiting to be found.”

~The Wishing Map

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About mitchteemley

Writer, Filmmaker, Humorist, Thinker-about-stuffer
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30 Responses to Wisdom Begins in Wonder

  1. Rakesh K. Singh says:
    October 5, 2026 at 11:13 am

    Of course!

    Children see magic everywhere, Mitch. Adults need reminders to look.

    Reply
  2. Danny*Fantod says:
    October 5, 2026 at 11:27 am

    OMG that is the cutest picture. Sending to wife.

    Reply
  3. Ana Daksina says:
    October 5, 2026 at 12:18 pm

    Extra good ‘un!

    Reply
  4. Ab says:
    October 5, 2026 at 12:19 pm

    Jodi Picoult’s quote rings so true to me. Us adults have a knack for sewing young minds shut from wonder. Let’s stop doing that! 🙏

    Reply
  5. ktz2 says:
    October 5, 2026 at 12:26 pm

    In my opinion Lemony Snicket is the best alias name ever

    Reply
  6. joynealkidney says:
    October 5, 2026 at 12:34 pm

    I just asked my son, age 51, what he remembered about our Chicago trip when he was a young grade-schooler, especially the Museum of Science and Industry. The mine! he said right away, but told what a terrific trip it was for him because every single thing we did and saw was something new for him. He was about 6 and still remembers so many details. (For me, back then and even now, it’s getting to mosey in the rain under an umbrella!)

    Reply
  7. M. Wiley Wilson says:
    October 5, 2026 at 12:41 pm

    When wonder awakens in you, it’s not childish curiosity — it’s the Spirit tugging your gaze back to the King. True wisdom doesn’t begin in mastery or certainty; it begins when you finally stop assuming you already understand God and instead stand before Him with open hands, open eyes, and a heart ready to be disrupted. The Kingdom grows in those who refuse to domesticate God, who let His holiness unsettle their assumptions and His mercy dismantle their pride. Stay in that posture of wonder. It’s the doorway through which the King teaches, corrects, and commissions His people.

    Reply
  8. Erika says:
    October 5, 2026 at 2:56 pm

    Fantastic quotes and I can relate to each one. Reading Emerson’s quote, makes me think of my grandchild. If we look at the world with children’s eyes we will see and treasure so much more.

    Reply
  9. Jeff says:
    October 5, 2026 at 2:59 pm

    I don’t ever want to lose the wonder.

    Reply
  10. heavenlyraindrops says:
    October 5, 2026 at 3:52 pm

    I pray that I never lose my wonder, at God’s creation.

    Reply
  11. thomasstigwikman says:
    October 5, 2026 at 7:13 pm

    A great post and I love the quotes, especially the Albert Einstein quote.

    Reply
  12. C.A. Peterson says:
    October 5, 2026 at 8:44 pm

    Reminds me of a song I recall, May I Never Lose the Wonder.
    Amen!

    Reply
  14. CattleCapers says:
    October 6, 2026 at 12:18 am

    Yaconelli’s comment is interesting.

    Reply
  15. peterspetra says:
    October 6, 2026 at 1:59 am

    Very true. “Nur wer erwachsen wird und ein Kind bleibt, ist ein Mensch”, said Erich Kästner. Meaning: “Only those who grow up and remain a child, are a truly human”. Erich Kästner wrote some of the most beautiful German children’s books such as “Pünktchen und Anton” or “das fliegende Klassenzimmer”.

    Reply
  16. The Blogging Blogger Bloggist says:
    October 6, 2026 at 1:54 pm

    That is true! We must embrace the childlike more. It’s the tenderness that we carry on our journeys that keeps ours hearts beating for another day. This was nice!

    BBB

    Reply
  17. K.L. Hale says:
    October 6, 2026 at 6:23 pm

    Oh, Lemony knew. And Ralph,…and Albert! The G.K. and Philip quote smacked me between the eyes. I LONG to SEE and experience the wondrous gifts in everything, Mitch. It’s said when our lives are too loud (and we’re looking down, too!). THANK YOU for being you and sharing, so perfectly, a much-needed message! ❤️🙏🏻

    Reply
  18. Jennie says:
    October 8, 2026 at 8:43 pm

    Hear, hear!

    Reply
  19. Nancy Ruegg says:
    October 10, 2026 at 10:58 am

    Thank you for these wise reminders of the value of wonder, Mitch. I particularly liked the Emerson quote about seeing the miraculous in the common. That’s a sure way to increase the joy in life!

    Reply

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