I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow.

The remark is a wry, self-deprecating endorsement of intellectual humility and collaboration. Rather than presenting leadership or achievement as the product of solitary genius, it frames good judgment as the ability to draw on others’ expertise—“borrowing brains” through consultation, reading, and delegation. Attributed to Woodrow Wilson, it aligns with the modern ideal of the “learning leader”: someone who recognizes limits, seeks counsel, and synthesizes diverse viewpoints. The line also subtly rebukes vanity; it implies that the practical measure of intelligence is not how much one possesses innately, but how effectively one mobilizes knowledge available in a community.