One of the greatest and most famous Greek philosophers, Socrates is considered the first moral philosopher and one of the founders of Western philosophy. Since he didn’t write down any of his work and teachings, the philosopher remains an enigmatic figure, known only from the writings of his students, particularly Plato and Xenophon.
Socrates believed that philosophy had the potential to cause greater well-being in society.
Socrates wanted to establish an ethical system that would be based on human reason rather than the theological doctrine of the time. He strongly believed that the greatest leaders are the ones who possess knowledge, virtue and a complete understanding of themselves.
Socrates stated that an individual’s choice is motivated by the desire for happiness, but the right choices to achieve happiness can only be made when one truly knows himself.
Although admired during his time, many felt that Socrates threatened their way of life – and soon he was sentenced to death and forced to drink a mixture of poison hemlock. He did this without hesitation, as he did not fear death.
Here are 45 Socrates quotes to get to know yourself a little better:
1. "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."
2. "There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance."
3. "The unexamined life is not worth living."
4. "Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel."
5. "He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have."
6. "Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down."
7. "When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser."
8. "True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us."
9. "The easiest and noblest way is not to be crushing others, but to be improving yourselves."
10. "My friend…care for your psyche…know thyself, for once we know ourselves, we may learn how to care for ourselves."
11. "Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly reprove thy faults."
12. "It is better to change an opinion than to persist in a wrong one."
13. "Be of good cheer about death, and know this of a truth, that no evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death."
14. "By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you’ll become happy; if you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher."
15. "I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think"
16. "Wonder is the beginning of wisdom."
17. "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
18. "To find yourself, think for yourself."
19. "Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people."
20. "Be slow to fall into friendship, but when you are in, continue firm and constant."
21. "Your mind is your predicament. It wants to be free of change. Free of pain, free of the obligations of life and death. But change is law and no amount of pretending will alter that reality."
22. "Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty."
23. "The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new."
24. "Prefer knowledge to wealth, for the one is transitory, the other perpetual."
25. "Understanding a question is half an answer"
26. "If you want to be a good saddler, saddle the worst horse; for if you can tame one, you can tame all."
27. "I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing."
28. "He is a man of courage who does not run away, but remains at his post and fights against the enemy."
29. "He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature."
30. "False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil."
31. "A system of morality which is based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar conception which has nothing sound in it and nothing true."
32. "Once made equal to man, woman becomes his superior."
33. "The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be."
34. "Death may be the greatest of all human blessings."
35. "All men's souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are immortal and divine."
36. "Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live."
37. "Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for."
38. "Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us."
39. "If all misfortunes were laid in one common heap whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be contented to take their own and depart."
40. "Ordinary people seem not to realize that those who really apply themselves in the right way to philosophy are directly and of their own accord preparing themselves for dying and death."
41. "No evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death. He and his are not neglected by the gods."
42. "Where there is reverence there is fear, but there is not reverence everywhere that there is fear, because fear presumably has a wider extension than reverence."
43. "The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear."
44. "If a man is proud of his wealth, he should not be praised until it is known how he employs it."
45. "From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate."
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