Marcus Tullius Cicero

This famous quote, frequently attributed to the Roman orator and philosopher 

Marcus Tullius Cicero (often rendered as "The wise are instructed by reason, average minds by experience, the stupid by necessity, and brutes by instinct"), highlights a hierarchy of learning and intellectual capacity. 

• Wise Men (Reason): The highest form of learning, where one uses logic, foresight, and understanding to act correctly without needing to suffer mistakes.
• Less Understanding/Average Minds (Experience): Those who learn through trial and error, requiring personal experience—often painful—to understand a lesson.
• Most Ignorant/Stupid (Necessity): Those who only change or act when forced by absolute necessity or dire consequences, as they lack the foresight of reason or the insight from experience.
• Beast (Nature/Instinct): Animals act based on innate instincts or natural impulses, not conscious thought or learning. 

The quote emphasizes that relying on reason is superior to needing to experience failure or being forced by necessity, encouraging proactive, intellectual, and thoughtful living over reactive, impulsive behavior.