To profit from good advice requires more wisdom than to give it.

Wilson Mizner (1876–1933) was an American wit, playwright, and raconteur whose epigrams circulated widely in newspapers and quotation collections during the early 20th century. The remark fits Mizner’s public persona: a sharp observer of human vanity and self-deception, especially among the wealthy and ambitious circles he frequented in New York and later in Florida. Rather than arising from a single famous speech, the line is typically treated as one of his standalone aphorisms—part of the broader culture of syndicated “wise sayings” and theatrical bon mots that helped cement Mizner’s reputation as a professional quip-maker.

Mizner flips the usual assumption that dispensing advice is the difficult, admirable act. Giving advice can be easy—sometimes even self-serving—because it costs little and can flatter the giver’s sense of superiority. Truly “profiting” from advice, however, demands humility, self-knowledge, and disciplined action: one must recognize good counsel, separate it from ego and excuses, and then change behavior accordingly. The epigram also hints at a social truth: people often seek advice not to follow it but to confirm what they already want. Wisdom, in Mizner’s view, is measured less by what one can say than by what one can learn and apply.