150 Best Quotes by Socrates: Timeless Wisdom from the Father of Philosophy
Introduction
Socrates (470-399 BCE) stands as one of the most influential philosophers in human history, despite never writing a single word. Known as the father of Western philosophy, this ancient Greek thinker revolutionized how we approach knowledge, ethics, and the very meaning of life. His method of questioning, known as the Socratic method, continues to shape education and critical thinking today.
Born in Athens during its golden age, Socrates spent his life engaging fellow citizens in philosophical discussions, challenging their assumptions, and encouraging them to examine their lives. His famous declaration that "the unexamined life is not worth living" encapsulates his belief that self-knowledge and moral reflection are essential to human flourishing.
Though he was ultimately sentenced to death for "corrupting the youth" and "impiety," Socrates faced his execution with remarkable courage and dignity. His teachings, preserved through the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, continue to inspire seekers of wisdom across cultures and centuries.
This collection of 150 quotes captures the essence of Socratic wisdom, offering timeless insights on knowledge, virtue, happiness, and the art of living well.
Table of Contents
- Wisdom and Knowledge
- Self-Knowledge and Examination
- Virtue and Ethics
- Life and Death
- Education and Learning
- Love and Relationships
- Society and Leadership
- Philosophy and Truth
Wisdom and Knowledge
The cornerstone of Socratic philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom through acknowledging our ignorance. These quotes reveal Socrates' revolutionary approach to knowledge and understanding.
"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." - Socrates
"I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing." - Socrates
"One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing." - Socrates
"I only know that I know nothing." - Socrates
"Wonder is the beginning of wisdom." - Socrates
"The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms." - Socrates
"I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing." - Socrates
"True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us." - Socrates
"Wisdom begins in wonder." - Socrates
"The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be." - Socrates
"Understanding a question is half an answer." - Socrates
"I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think." - Socrates
"Surely this is the objectionable kind of ignorance, to think one knows what one does not know?" - Socrates
"The greatest blessing granted to mankind come by way of madness, which is a divine gift." - Socrates
"I decided that it was not wisdom that enabled poets to write their poetry, but a kind of instinct or inspiration, such as you find in seers and prophets who deliver all their sublime messages without knowing in the least what they mean." - Socrates
"I soon realized that poets do not compose their poems with knowledge, but by some inborn talent and by inspiration, like seers and prophets who also say many fine things without any understanding of what they say." - Socrates
"If a man comes to the door of poetry untouched by the madness of the Muses, believing that technique alone will make him a good poet, he and his sane compositions never reach perfection, but are utterly eclipsed by the performances of the inspired madman." - Socrates
"For the poet is a light and winged and holy thing, and there is no invention in him until he has been inspired and is out of his senses, and the mind is no longer in him: when he has not attained to this state, he is powerless and is unable to utter his oracles." - Socrates
"Mankind is made of two kinds of people: wise people who know they're fools, and fools who think they are wise." - Socrates
Self-Knowledge and Examination
Socrates believed that knowing oneself was the foundation of all wisdom and virtue. These quotes explore the importance of self-examination and personal growth.
"Know thyself." - Socrates
"The unexamined life is not worth living." - Socrates
"My friend...care for your psyche...know thyself, for once we know ourselves, we may learn how to care for ourselves." - Socrates
"Let him who would move the world first move himself." - Socrates
"Are you not ashamed of caring so much for the making of money and for fame and prestige, when you neither think nor care about wisdom and truth and the improvement of your soul?" - Socrates
"To find yourself, think for yourself." - Socrates
"The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear." - Socrates
"Be as you wish to seem." - Socrates
"An honest man is always a child." - Socrates
"The greatest of all mysteries is man." - Socrates
"I pray thee, O God, that I may be beautiful within." - Socrates
"Give me beauty in the inward soul; and may the outward and inward man be at one." - Socrates
"The mind is everything; what you think you become." - Socrates
"Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people." - Socrates
"He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have." - Socrates
"He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature." - Socrates
"Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty." - Socrates
"From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate." - Socrates
"Envy is the ulcer of the soul." - Socrates
Virtue and Ethics
For Socrates, virtue was knowledge, and living ethically was the highest goal of human existence. These quotes illuminate his moral philosophy.
"Virtue is not given by money, but that from virtue comes money and every other good of man, public as well as private." - Socrates
"Knowledge is the only virtue, because once a man knows good from evil, nothing on earth can compel him to act against that knowledge." - Socrates
"Once a man knows good from evil, nothing on earth can compel him to act against that knowledge." - Socrates
"Wealth does not bring goodness, but goodness brings wealth and every other blessing, both to the individual and to the state." - Socrates
"We cannot live better than in seeking to become better." - Socrates
"The really important thing is not to live, but to live well... and to live well means the same thing as to live honourably or rightly." - Socrates
"I am convinced that I never wrong anyone intentionally." - Socrates
"Man's greatest privilege is the discussion of virtue." - Socrates
"The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be." - Socrates
"Prefer knowledge to wealth, for the one is transitory, the other perpetual." - Socrates
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance." - Socrates
"There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance." - Socrates
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." - Socrates
"Do not do to others what angers you if done to you by others." - Socrates
"The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less." - Socrates
"Remember that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore avoid undue elation in prosperity, or undue depression in adversity." - Socrates
"The greatest blessing granted to mankind come by way of madness, which is a divine gift." - Socrates
"If you want to be a good saddler, saddle the worst horse; for if you can tame one, you can tame all." - Socrates
Life and Death
Socrates faced death with remarkable courage and philosophical acceptance. These quotes reveal his profound insights on mortality and the meaning of life.
"The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our separate ways, I to die, and you to live. Which of these two is better only God knows." - Socrates
"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." - Socrates
"Death may be the greatest of all human blessings." - Socrates
"The really important thing is not to live, but to live well." - Socrates
"Life contains but two tragedies. One is not to get your heart's desire; the other is to get it." - Socrates
"Men are put in a sort of guard-post, from which one must not release one's self or run away." - Socrates
"I do not know well enough about what happens in the house of Hades, so I do not think I know." - Socrates
"Living well and beautifully and justly are all one thing." - Socrates
"The easiest and noblest way is not to be crushing others, but to be improving yourselves." - Socrates
"True perfection is a bold quest to seek. Only the willing and true of heart will seek the betterment of many." - Socrates
"Regard your good name as the richest jewel you can possibly be possessed of." - Socrates
"Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued." - Socrates
"The difficulty, my friends, is not in avoiding death, but in avoiding unrighteousness." - Socrates
"No one knows whether death may not be the greatest of all blessings for a man." - Socrates
"To fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise, without being wise: for it is to think that we know what we do not know." - Socrates
"The end of life is to be like God, and the soul following God will be like Him." - Socrates
"A life without examination is not worth living." - Socrates
"Remember, no human condition is ever permanent. Then you will not be overjoyed in good fortune nor too scornful in misfortune." - Socrates
Education and Learning
Socrates revolutionized education through his method of questioning. These quotes capture his approach to teaching and learning.
"Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel." - Socrates
"Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings so that you shall come easily by what others have labored hard for." - Socrates
"I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think." - Socrates
"The only true wisdom is knowing that you know nothing." - Socrates
"Wisdom begins with wonder." - Socrates
"Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, stupid people already have all the answers." - Socrates
"Let him that would move the world first move himself." - Socrates
"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new." - Socrates
"Falling down is not a failure. Failure comes when you stay where you have fallen." - Socrates
"If you don't get what you want, you suffer; if you get what you don't want, you suffer; even when you get exactly what you want, you still suffer because you can't hold on to it forever." - Socrates
"Every action has its pleasures and its price." - Socrates
"Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live." - Socrates
"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise." - Socrates
"Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly reprove thy faults." - Socrates
"When the debate is over, slander becomes the tool of the loser." - Socrates
"The beginning of wisdom is a definition of terms." - Socrates
"Understanding a question is half the answer." - Socrates
"Prefer knowledge to wealth, for the one is transitory, the other perpetual." - Socrates
Love and Relationships
Socrates had unique perspectives on love, marriage, and human relationships. These quotes reveal his wit and wisdom on matters of the heart.
"My advice to you is get married: if you find a good wife you'll be happy; if not, you'll become a philosopher." - Socrates
"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." - Socrates
"Be slow to fall into friendship, but when you are in, continue firm and constant." - Socrates
"Once made equal to man, woman becomes his superior." - Socrates
"The hottest love has the coldest end." - Socrates
"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." - Socrates
"As to marriage or celibacy, let a man take which course he will, he will be sure to repent." - Socrates
"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." - Socrates
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." - Socrates
"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light." - Socrates
"Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down." - Socrates
"To express oneself badly is not only faulty as far as the language goes, but does some harm to the soul." - Socrates
"The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear." - Socrates
"I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world." - Socrates
"He is a man of courage who does not run away, but remains at his post and fights against the enemy." - Socrates
"Regard your good name as the richest jewel you can possibly be possessed of." - Socrates
"The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be." - Socrates
"False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil." - Socrates
Society and Leadership
Socrates was deeply concerned with justice, leadership, and the health of society. These quotes reflect his political and social philosophy.
"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers." - Socrates
"Some of the opinions which people entertain should be respected, and others should not." - Socrates
"I was really too honest a man to be a politician and live." - Socrates
"The nearest way to glory is to strive to be what you wish to be thought to be." - Socrates
"He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god." - Socrates
"Bad men live that they may eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live." - Socrates
"If a man is proud of his wealth, he should not be praised until it is known how he employs it." - Socrates
"Remember what is unbecoming to do is also unbecoming to speak of." - Socrates
"Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly reprove thy faults." - Socrates
"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." - Socrates
"Those who are hardest to love need it the most." - Socrates
"Beware the barrenness of a busy life." - Socrates
"Nature has given us two ears, two eyes, and but one tongue-to the end that we should hear and see more than we speak." - Socrates
"Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for." - Socrates
"The unexamined life is not worth living for a human being." - Socrates
"I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance." - Socrates
"Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued." - Socrates
"Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us." - Socrates
Philosophy and Truth
These quotes capture Socrates' approach to philosophy and his relentless pursuit of truth through dialogue and questioning.
"Do not trouble about those who practice philosophy, whether they are good or bad; but examine the thing itself well and carefully. And if philosophy appears a bad thing to you, turn every man from it, not only your sons; but if it appears to you such as I think it to be, take courage, pursue it, and practice it, as the saying is, 'both you and your house.'" - Socrates
"God takes away the minds of poets, and uses them as his ministers, as he also uses diviners and holy prophets, in order that we who hear them may know them to be speaking not of themselves who utter these priceless words in a state of unconsciousness, but that God himself is the speaker, and that through them he is conversing with us." - Socrates
"God would seem to indicate to us and not allow us to doubt that these beautiful poems are not human, or the work of man, but divine and the work of God; and that the poets are only the interpreters of the Gods." - Socrates
"Philosophy is the highest music." - Socrates
"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." - Socrates
"Wisdom is knowing what you don't know." - Socrates
"I know that I know nothing." - Socrates
"The unexamined life is not worth living." - Socrates
"To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge." - Socrates
"The greatest blessing granted to mankind come by way of madness, which is a divine gift." - Socrates
"I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think." - Socrates
"Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people." - Socrates
"Wonder is the beginning of wisdom." - Socrates
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." - Socrates
"The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less." - Socrates
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance." - Socrates
"He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature." - Socrates
"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." - Socrates
"The unexamined life is not worth living." - Socrates
"Know thyself." - Socrates
Conclusion
The wisdom of Socrates continues to resonate across millennia, offering timeless insights into the human condition. His revolutionary approach to knowledge—acknowledging ignorance as the beginning of wisdom—challenged the assumptions of his time and continues to challenge us today.
Through his unwavering commitment to truth, virtue, and self-examination, Socrates established principles that remain foundational to Western philosophy and ethics. His courage in facing death, his dedication to questioning authority, and his belief in the power of dialogue to uncover truth have inspired countless thinkers, educators, and seekers of wisdom.
Perhaps most importantly, Socrates reminds us that philosophy is not an abstract academic discipline but a way of life. His insistence that "the unexamined life is not worth living" calls each of us to engage in continuous self-reflection and moral improvement. In our age of rapid technological change and social upheaval, the Socratic emphasis on knowing oneself, pursuing virtue, and questioning assumptions is more relevant than ever.
As we reflect on these 150 quotes, we are invited not merely to admire Socrates' wisdom but to embody it—to question boldly, to seek truth relentlessly, and to live with integrity and purpose. For in the end, as Socrates taught us, it is not enough to live; we must strive to live well.
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