Socrates Quotes

If you knew what is right to do, would you do it?

No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training; it is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable

Think not so much of what you have not as of what you have

A life without search for truth and goodness is not a life of a human being

Regard your good name as the richest jewel you can possibly be possessed of

From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate

Get not your friends by bare compliments, but by giving them sensible tokens of your love

If I had engaged in politics, I should have perished long ago and done no good to either you or myself

To fear death, gentlemen, is no other than to think oneself wise when one is not

Death is either a state of nothingness and utter unconsciousness, or, as men say, there is a change and migration of the soul from this world to another

He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have

The greatest way to live with honor is to be what we pretend to be

The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance

I am a gadfly, sent by the god upon the state

When the debate is over, slander becomes the tool of the loser

You are mistaken, my friend, if you think that a man who is worth anything ought to spend his time weighing up the prospects of life and death; he has only one thing to consider in performing any action—that is, whether he is acting rightly or wrongly

He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have

If you want to be a good saddler, saddle the worst horse; for if you can tame one, you can tame all

By all means, marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher

How many things are there which I do not want

Let us examine the question together, and if either of us sees the truth more clearly, let him speak and not be silent

I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think

It is not difficult to avoid death, gentlemen; it is much more difficult to avoid wickedness, for it runs faster than death

May it be that death is like a dreamless sleep, which would surely be a great gain

Are not all things which have opposites generated out of their opposites?

Bad men live that they may eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live

Well, although I do not suppose that either of us knows anything really beautiful and good, I think that one man is just as ignorant as the other; if I do not know more than he, at any rate I do not think that I know what I do not know

Let him who would move the world first move himself

Do not be angry with me if I tell you the truth

If a man is proud of his wealth, he should not be praised until it is known how he employs it

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

The nearest way to glory is to strive to be what you wish to be thought to be

Beware the barrenness of a busy life

For the soul is like a winged charioteer, and the horses and charioteer must struggle to capture truth and ascend to the divine

Let us follow the argument wherever, like a wind, it seems to carry us

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

If I tell you that to do as you say would be a disobedience to a divine command, and therefore I will not make any defense at all, what will you do with me?

Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions, but those who kindly reprove thy faults

Let us seek the truth together, and if any of us discovers it, let him impart it to the others

There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance

To find yourself, think for yourself

I know that I know nothing

I would rather be proved wrong than to prove wrong, and by so doing to be freed from the greatest evil: ignorance

It is not living that matters, but living rightly

No wealth can ever make a bad man at peace with himself

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

Wisdom begins in wonder

The greatest way to live with honor is to be what we pretend to be

Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live

From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate

I am not wise, nor have I any wise thing to say

One ought not to return a wrong or an injury to any person, whatever the provocation

Let us consider the matter calmly, and listen to one another before we act

I am persuaded that I speak nothing but the truth; and yet if I am mistaken, it is involuntary and not intentional

The unexamined life is not worth living for men

Let us therefore, Crito, act in this way, since the god points out the way

Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people

Let us take the argument wherever it leads

Once made equal to man, woman becomes his superior

An honest man is always a child

The difficulty, my friends, is not in avoiding death, but in avoiding unrighteousness

I would rather suffer wrong than do wrong

The greatest blessing granted to mankind is reason

Virtue does not come from wealth, but wealth, and every other good thing which men have, comes from virtue

Let us take the argument wherever it leads

No wealth can ever make a bad man at peace with himself

I was really too honest a man to be a politician and live

Wonder is the beginning of wisdom

The greatest way to live with honour in this world is to be what we pretend to be

The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be

No one does wrong willingly

My plainness of speech makes them hate me, and what is their hatred but a proof that I am speaking the truth

All wars are undertaken for the acquisition of wealth

Remember that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore avoid undue elation in prosperity, or undue depression in adversity

All I desire is, that men should place true justice before their eyes, and not regard custom and expediency

I am and always have been a man who listens to nothing within me but the reasoning which on reflection seems to me the best

If a man comes to the doors 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

Envy is the ulcer of the soul

No one who is unjust is happy

Let us follow the argument wherever, like a wind, it seems to carry us

To find yourself, think for yourself

The only thing I cannot teach is courage, for courage must come from within

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit

The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our own ways—I to die, and you to live. Which is better, God only knows

I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world

He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature

I follow nothing but reason, wherever it may lead

The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be

Is not living shamefully worse than dying?

I pray Thee, O God, that I may be beautiful within

If a man is proud of his wealth, he should not be praised until it is known how he employs it

Remember that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore avoid undue elation in prosperity, or undue depression in adversity

Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions, but those who kindly reprove thy faults

The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be

An unexamined life is not worth living

Let us follow the argument wherever, like a wind, it seems to carry us

Happiness is unrepentant pleasure

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

The shortest and surest way to live with honour in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be

The unexamined life is not worth living for a human being

Let us therefore, men of Athens, deliberate calmly and not be carried away by our passions

Let him who would move the world first move himself

Are not all things which have opposites generated out of their opposites?

Death may be the greatest of all human blessings

If one knows the good, one will do the good

The greatest way to live with honour in this world is to be what we pretend to be

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for

Wealth does not bring goodness, but goodness brings wealth and every other blessing, both to the individual and to the state

The mind is everything; what you think you become

No one ever errs willingly

To be is to do

Understanding a question is half an answer

The only thing I know is that I know nothing, and I am wiser than those who think they know what they do not

False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil

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

The difficulty, my friends, is not in avoiding death, but in avoiding unrighteousness

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing, but it is not ignorance, it is awareness of your own limits

Be sure that in the next world, if indeed there is one, I shall be equally opposed to wrong-doing as in this life

The greatest way to live with honor is to be what we pretend to be

My advice to you is to get married: if you find a good wife you’ll be happy; if not, you’ll become a philosopher

I must first know myself, as the Delphic inscription says

No evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death

I care not for what most men care about—offices, magistracies, political clubs, and public dinners; I desire only to know the truth

If a man is proud of his wealth, he should not be praised until it is known how he employs it

How many things are there which I do not want

If all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap whence each must take an equal portion, most people would be content to take their own and depart

The fewer our wants the nearer we are to the gods

Let him who would move the world first move himself

It is better to suffer wrong than to do wrong

Let him that would move the world first move himself

Let him who would move the world first move himself

I do nothing but go about persuading you all, old and young alike, not to care for your bodies and your wealth in preference to, or as strongly as, for the best possible state of your soul

One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing

It is not permitted to return harm for harm, or to do evil to anyone, no matter what injury one has suffered

When desire, having rejected reason and driven by foolish passion, rules over us, it can make us do anything

The unexamined life is not worth living

One ought not to return a wrong or an injury to any person, whatever the provocation

The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be

Let him who would move the world first move himself

The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be

I was afraid that as soon as I left school I should be classed with the Sophists

No one knows whether death may not be the greatest good that can happen to a man

If I save my life, how shall I save it for the best advantage if I go out of the city a fugitive and an exile?

Let us discuss, then, whether any such thing as absolute justice or injustice exists

An unexamined life is not worth living for a human being

If a man comes to the doors 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

The hottest love has the coldest end

To fear death, gentlemen, is no other than to think oneself wise when one is not

The mind is everything; what you think you become

The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be

The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance

Let him that would move the world, first move himself

Be as you wish to seem

I am far from admitting that I am wise in anything, great or small; what then can be the meaning of this?

Think not so much of what you have not as of what you have

I am far from being wise, for I have never yet been able to discover the nature of virtue

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing

If a man comes to the doors 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

Let him who would move the world first move himself

Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions, but those who kindly reprove thy faults

I am not wise, nor have I any wise thing to say

If a man who is under the necessity of practicing philosophy correctly, not merely seeming to do so, were to come into contact with politics, he would perish and his cause with him

Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant

Get not your friends by bare compliments, but by giving them sensible tokens of your love

No man voluntarily pursues evil or what he thinks to be evil; to do so is against human nature

Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant

If a man comes to the doors 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

The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our separate ways—I to die, and you to live. Which is better God only knows

Those who are hardest to love need it the most

Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel

The hottest love has the coldest end

No wealth can ever make a bad man at peace with himself

I would rather die having spoken after my manner, than speak in your manner and live

I shall never fear or avoid things of which I do not know, whether they may not be good rather than evil

No one is a friend to his friend who does not love in return

Do not do to others what angers you if done to you by others

Wealth does not bring about excellence, but excellence makes wealth and everything else good for men, both individually and collectively

I pray Thee, O God, that I may be beautiful within

To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge

If all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap whence each must take an equal portion, most people would be content to take their own and depart

Get not your friends by bare compliments, but by giving them sensible tokens of your love

Let us examine the matter together, and see whether the thing is so or not

The difficulty, my friends, is not in avoiding death, but in avoiding unrighteousness

We cannot live better than in seeking to become better

Be as you wish to seem

The unexamined life is not worth living for men

They are wise who know they are not wise

Let us seek the truth together, my friend, and if either of us discovers it, let him impart it to the other

No one errs or does wrong willingly or knowingly

The unexamined life is not worth living

When persons talk badly about you, live so that nobody will believe them

No one errs or does wrong willingly or knowingly

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

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for

Nothing is to be preferred before justice

False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil

Beware lest you think you are free from error when you are not

One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing

Beware lest you think you are free from error when you are not

Envy is the ulcer of the soul

The easiest and noblest way is not to be crushing others, but to be improving yourselves

I was really too honest a man to be a politician and live

Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant

Let him who would move the world first move himself

Know thyself

Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions, but those who kindly reprove thy faults

Get not your friends by bare compliments, but by giving them sensible tokens of your love

I pray Thee, O God, that I may be beautiful within

False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil

He who commits injustice is ever made more wretched than he who suffers it

I pray Thee, O God, that I may be beautiful within

It is not permitted to return harm for harm, or to do evil to anyone, no matter what injury one has suffered

No evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death

To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge

How many things are there which I do not want

False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil

If any one wants the real answer, let him compare our words with our conduct

Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant

No wealth can ever make a bad man at peace with himself

I cannot do wrong because I am afraid of death; but I fear to do wrong, and for that reason will not do wrong

Let us then, my friend, consider carefully and not act without due reflection

When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for

He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying

He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have

If I had engaged in politics, I should have perished long ago and done no good to either you or myself

All men's souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are both immortal and divine

All men's souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are immortal and divine

Call no man happy until he is dead

The easiest and noblest way is not to be crushing others, but to be improving yourselves

There is only one good, knowledge; and only one evil, ignorance

My friend, care for your soul, and leave the many things which seem to you important alone

The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing

Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant

Wonder is the beginning of wisdom

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

Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant

No evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death

Every action has its pleasures and its price

I pray thee, O God, that I may be beautiful within

Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live

Let us discuss, then, whether any such thing as absolute justice or injustice exists

I do nothing but go about persuading you all, old and young alike, not to care for your bodies and your wealth in preference to, or as strongly as, for the best possible state of your soul

My friend, care for your soul; and leave the rest to itself