“Who is wise? He learns from everyone. Who is powerful? He governs his passions. Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody.”―
"Who is wise? One who learns from all people. Who is honored? One who honors everyone."Ben-Zoma, Pirke Avot 4:1
Commentary: by Irving Greenberg
Who is wise? One who learns from all people.
Is the supply of knowledge limited? If so, to be wise would be to master a body of information.
Judaism teaches that life is dynamic and growing. The world is infinite, evolving, as yet unfinished. Therefore, what we know today is but a fraction of what there is to know. Whatever wisdom we accrue can guide us—but cannot account for all that is new and emerging. What is wise in one situation may be foolish in another. To attain wisdom, then, is to know our limits.
Wisdom is a process, not an answer. The wise man knows how much he does not know, so he constantly seeks to learn new things. The wise woman has developed understanding by listening to and learning from others.
Who is honored? One who honors others.
The direct pursuit of honor cannot produce successful results. In grasping for honor, in trying to impress others of how worthy we are, we are tempted to do the dishonorable. We exaggerate our own importance and minimize that of others, thereby diminishing ourselves.
Like happiness, honor is often the outcome of a process that involves others. Bringing goodness into the world, working constructively, or loving in a meaningful relationship are all keys to both happiness and honor. The best way to obtain happiness or honor is to give it to others.
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Pirkei_Avot
Pirkei Avot
Pirkei Avot (literally "Chapters of the Fathers" but usually translated as "Ethics of the Fathers") is a section of the Mishnah. Unlike most of the Mishnah, which deals with Jewish law, this is mainly a compilation of ethical sayings by rabbis mentioned in the Talmud.