Greek Philosophy Quotes
435 quotes
Greek Philosophy
Ancient Greek wisdom from the founders of Western thought
435 Quotes
Wisdom begins in wonder
— as quoted in Plato's Theaetetus
Withdraw into yourself and look. And if you do not find yourself beautiful yet, act as does the creator of a statue
— Enneads I.6.9
Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back.
— Symposium
Mind is the measure of all things that are, that they are, and of things that are not, that they are not
— Cited in Plato’s Theaetetus
Time is the wisest counselor of all
— As reported by Plutarch, Life of Pericles
Character is destiny
— Fragment 119
Let no one be slow to seek wisdom when he is young nor weary in the search thereof when he is grown old
— Letter to Menoeceus
Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge
— Attributed in various dialogues; source not definitively known
The wise man belongs to all countries, for the home of a great soul is the whole world
— Fragment 247, DK B247
The sea washes away the evils of all men
— Helena
Question everything. Learn something. Answer nothing
— Fragment 910
Be guided by reason, for by this the gods themselves are governed
— Memorabilia, Book IV
All speech is vain and empty unless it be accompanied by action
— Oration On the Crown
There is a harmony in the universe which only a disciplined mind can perceive
— Attributed, fragments
Grant me beauty in the inward soul; and may the outward and the inward man be at one
— Phaedrus
He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart
— Agamemnon, lines 177–179
To find fault is easy; to do better may be difficult
— Moralia
It is the mark of a great mind to relish simple pleasures
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 110
Nothing exists save atoms and their movements
— Quoted in Diogenes Laërtius, Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, Book IX
We are not separated from wisdom by a wall, but by a veil
— The Enneads, Fifth Tractate
Even on the journey to Hades, there is still room for song
— Fragment 95 (as numbered by Lobel-Page)
Drop the weights of passion, and the mind stands clear to see the world as it is
— Phaedrus (dialogue, general theme)
When desire ends, tranquility begins
— Letter to Menoeceus
Courage is knowing what not to fear
— Republic, Book III
The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be
— Attributed by Plato; possibly in Xenophon's 'Memorabilia'
No human thing is of serious importance
— The Republic, Book X
To the wise, life is a journey upward; the foolish are carried along by the stream
— Later tradition/testimonia attributed to Pythagoras
He who cannot use the little, will not use the much
— Discourses, Book I, Chapter 18
All things come out of the one and the one out of all things
— Fragment 10 (various ancient sources)
No evil can happen to a man unless he be conscious of it
— Discourses, Book II
To attain any assured knowledge about the soul is one of the most difficult things in the world
— De Anima (On the Soul), Book I
Opinions are the fountains of sorrow; wisdom dries them up
Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises
— Olynthiac 1
Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best
— Golden Verses
Nothing can harm a good man either in life or after death
— As reported in Plato's Apology
Well-being is attained little by little, and nevertheless is no little thing itself
— As quoted in Stobaeus, Anthology
Be ruled by reason, not by passion
— Discourses, Book I
Custom becomes law to multitudes
— Fragment 114
It is not living that matters, but living rightly
— As reported in Plato's 'Crito'
Fortune favors the audacious
— Fragment reported by Stobaeus
Great deeds are usually wrought at great risks
— Histories, Book 1, Chapter 189
To throw away a shield in battle is to lose oneself before the fight has ended
— Funeral Oration (as recorded by Thucydides)
Hope is the only good god remaining among mankind; the others have left and gone to Olympus
— Theognidea, lines 1135–1136
If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid
— Enchiridion, Section 13
The greatest error is to imagine that we know what we do not know
— as reported by Xenophon, Memorabilia
One must learn by doing the thing; for although you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try
— Trachiniae (The Women of Trachis), line 625
It is the privilege of wisdom to listen, the task of wit to answer, but the true work of virtue is to understand
— . Fragment (as quoted by later authors)
The truth is not for all men, but only for those who seek it
— Attributed in various ancient sources
Thought is the wind, knowledge the sail, and mankind the vessel
— Guesses at Truth, 1827
No one that encounters prosperity does not also encounter danger
— Fragment 125 (Diels–Kranz)
The fairest thing is justice, but best is health; pleasantest is the attainment of one's desires, but the best of all is to win.
— Elegiac Poems, Fragment 255
Fire is the test of gold; adversity, of strong men
— On Providence, 5.4
Night, which comes at the end of every pleasure, is a debtor ever repaying the borrowed light of the day
— Olympian Odes, Olympian 1
The world is in constant change and nothing remains the same
— Fragment 41, attributed to Heraclitus by Simplicius
A friend to all is a friend to none
— Nicomachean Ethics, Book VIII
Justice is the order which gives each thing its perfect place and function
— The Republic, Book IV
As the same fire shapes both gold and iron, so does trial reveal the worth of every soul
— Discourses (general teaching)
Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world
— Quoted by Pappus of Alexandria in Synagoge, Book VIII
The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it
— Fragments
Self-control is the chief element in self-respect, and self-respect is the chief element in courage
— History of the Peloponnesian War, Book II
Nothing is more hostile to learning than arrogance
— Discourses, Book 2, Chapter 17
Learning is an ornament in prosperity, a refuge in adversity, and a provision in old age
— Fragment 203 (as cited by Diogenes Laërtius)
The mind is a powerful charioteer, but the passions are its wild horses
— Phaedrus
The whole is more than the sum of its parts
— Metaphysics, Book VIII
You will not, by splitting things apart or joining them together, find a heart to the world that beats alone
— Fragments, DK B17 (paraphrased summary)
The beginning and the end are common in the circumference of the circle
— Preserved by Simplicius, Commentary on Aristotle's Physics
No wind is favorable to the man who does not know where he is going
— Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium
A multitude of books distracts the mind
— Quoted by Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts
— Meditations, Book V
The tongue is the rudder of the mind
— Quoted in Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
Nothing in excess – since excess brings its own punishment
— Fragment (traditional maxim inscribed at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi)
As iron sharpens iron, so does one mind sharpen another
— Moralia (paraphrased concept)
If you seek tranquility, do less. Or do what’s essential—what the logos of a social being requires, and in the requisite way. Which brings a double satisfaction: to do less, better
— Meditations, Book 4
To perceive is to suffer
— Metaphysics, Book XII
By desiring little, a poor man makes himself rich
The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions.
— The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table (1858)
To be angry is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way—that is not easy
— Nicomachean Ethics, Book II
Nature is pleased with simplicity. And nature is no dummy.
— Letter to Robert Hooke, 1676
Big results require big ambitions
— Fragment 30 (various sources)
The measure of a man is the things he strives for
— . Fragment 20
Nothing will come of nothing.
— King Lear, Act I, Scene I
The most perfect soul is the one that most readily admits the truth and conforms itself to it
— Enneads, I.2.4
Appearances are a glimpse of the unseen
— Fragment 21b
The difficult we do at once; the impossible takes a little longer
— Fragmentary sayings collected in The Discourses
He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior
— Analects (approximate translation); context debated
In anger we should refrain both from speech and action
— As quoted by Iamblichus, Life of Pythagoras
To understand the nature of things, examine them in their causes
— Metaphysics, Book I
Good character is formed not in a week or a month, but little by little; protracted and patient effort is needed
— .
No man should bring children into the world who is unwilling to persevere to the end in their nurture and education
— Republic, Book V
Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it
— Fragments (probable attribution)
Nature does nothing uselessly
— Aristotle, Politics, Book I
Men do not care how nobly they live, but only how long, although it is within the reach of every man to live nobly, but within no man's power to live long
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 22
No man ever became wise by chance
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter LXXVI
Measure is best in all things
— Maxim inscribed at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi
Nothing becomes what it is meant to be without first enduring change
— Fragments (general)
We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act but a habit
— The Story of Philosophy (interpreting Aristotle)
Every man takes the limits of his own vision for the limits of the world
— Parerga and Paralipomena, Volume II
The arrow that has left the bow never returns, nor does the word once spoken
To find the origin of all things, seek that which changes least
— Fragmentary testimonia (Diogenes Laërtius I.35)
The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent upon it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do
— Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems
He who knows how to ask does not stray far from wisdom
— Moralia, On Listening to Lectures
The soul takes nothing with her to the next world but her education and her culture
— As later recorded by Plato, Phaedo
Life is short and art is long, opportunity fleeting, experiment dangerous, and judgment difficult
— Aphorismi, Section 1
The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled
— On Listening to Lectures
To do injustice is more disgraceful than to suffer it
— Gorgias, 469b
The beginning is half of the whole
— Attributed in Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, but because we do not dare, things are difficult
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 104
If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development
— Metaphysics, Book II
As a city is composed of different kinds of men, similar to the body, so too is the soul a harmony of parts working together
— Republic, Book IV
Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere
— Popular proverb, origin uncertain
True progress is measured not by outward possessions, but by the quiet conquests within the soul
— Discourses (approximate sentiment)
No burden is so heavy for a man to bear as a succession of happy days
— Fragment 236
He who knows does not speak; he who speaks does not know
— Tao Te Ching, Chapter 56
He who would rule must first learn to serve
— Attributed by ancient historians; context not precisely known
Opinions are the fountains of sorrow; wisdom dries them up
— Stobaeus, Florilegium, Book III, 13.52
To write well, express yourself like the common people, but think like a wise man
— Attributed, Nicomachean Ethics (indirect reference)
Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred
— I Have a Dream Speech, 1963
He who commits injustice is ever made more wretched than he who suffers it
— Gorgias, 469c
Better a short life in which something is done than a long one in which nothing is done
— Lecture fragments, preserved by his student Epictetus
The sun is so large that if it were hollow, it could contain more than a million worlds like ours
— As recorded in the doxographical tradition, e.g., Simplicius, On the Heavens 558.24
Learning is a kind of recollection
— Phaedo
All men’s souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are immortal and divine
— Apology (as reported by Plato)
To be even-minded is the greatest virtue; wisdom is to speak the truth and act in accordance with nature, paying heed
— . Fragment 112 (various compilations)
There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot
— Attributed to Plato; context not fully known
Bodies, like plants, grow from nourishment, and souls from wisdom
— Moralia
That which can be destroyed, must be destroyed—so that which is true may be revealed
— Philosophical paraphrase based on discussions in Aristotle's Physics VII.250a19
You must become as ignorant of what you are going to be as of what you have been to attain to what you are
— Enneads, V.8.9
Wherever the human soul is there is the trace of truth
— Enneads, VI.9.9
It is quite impossible to think at all those things which are not, nor to speak of them; for thought and being are the same
— Fragment 3, On Nature
Wine can of their wits the wise beguile, make the sage frolic, and the serious smile.
— The Odyssey, Book 14
In everything, moderation, for nothing brings happiness in excess
— Reported in Diogenes Laërtius, 'Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers'
If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter LXXI
Everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be
— Meditations, Book IV
All objects are by nature in motion and nothing remains at rest
— Fragments, as quoted by later thinkers
Eyes and soul have the same joy: to open to light
— Fragment 123 DK (as preserved by Simplicius)
There is nothing permanent except change
— Fragments (DK 22B91)
Learning is ornament in prosperity, a refuge in adversity, and provision in old age
— Diogenes Laertius, Lives of the Eminent Philosophers, Book V, Section 18
Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all
— Traditionally attributed; precise source disputed
Light is the shadow of God.
— Allegorical interpretation attributed to the Timaeus (context debated)
No man ever chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks
— A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792)
For desire for gain must be measured in relation to the loss it brings, for the greater part of life’s blessings have been exchanged for gold
— Fragment 230, as collected by Stobaeus
Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants
— Discourses, Book I
Nothing prevents us from becoming good except unwillingness
— Discourses, Book IV, Chapter 1
A multitude of words is no proof of a prudent mind
— Quoted in Diogenes Laertius, Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers
All is number
— Attributed in later ancient sources (e.g., Aristotle's Metaphysics)
Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence
— Nicomachean Ethics, Book I
Life must be lived as play
— Laws, Book VII
Whoever wishes to arrive at the knowledge of the truth should doubt, as far as possible, all things
— . Quoted by Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
Every action aims at some good, and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim
— Nicomachean Ethics, Book I
Fate is woven with many threads, yet each man must choose his own path through the tapestry
— Fragment (paraphrase; preserved through later sources)
When the wise man opens his lips, the beauty of his mind shines through
— Iamblichus, Life of Pythagoras
Bear in mind that the measure of a man is the worth of the things he cares about
— Meditations, Book VII
Wisdom outweighs any wealth
— 'Antigone'
When the soul looks inward, it finds a universe no less vast than the stars
— Enneads, VI.4
Nothing is so difficult as to see a thing as it is, and not as it appears to us
— Discourses, Book I
At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet
— Symposium
The point of philosophy is to start with something so simple as not to seem worth stating, and to end with something so paradoxical that no one will believe it
— The Philosophy of Logical Atomism (Lecture I, 1918)
To enjoy the things we ought and to hate the things we ought has the greatest bearing on excellence of character
— Nicomachean Ethics
We ought not to seek to please but to benefit our friends
— Fragment (Vatican Sayings, 66)
The easiest and noblest way is not to be crushing others, but to be improving yourselves
— Attributed to Socrates (reported by Xenophon)
The best proof of wisdom is less pretension and more contemplation
— Discourses, Book I
Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for
— Letter to Menoeceus
Nothing is more difficult than to know oneself
— Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
If you seek justice, choose truth for your companion; for justice is rooted in truth
— Fragments
Change is never painful, only the resistance to change is painful
— attributed, context uncertain
No man willingly does wrong
— Plato, Protagoras
Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us
— Xenophon, Memorabilia, Book III
He who restrains his anger prevents many sorrows
— .
One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: that word is love
— Antigone (play)
No one is free who has not learned to master himself
— Reported by Iamblichus, Life of Pythagoras
Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech
— Moralia, 'Of Bashfulness'
If you wish to be a writer, write
— Discourses, Book II, Chapter 17
No one can escape their heart; so it is better to listen to what it has to say
— Fragment as preserved by later sources
Truth is the beginning of every good to the gods, and of every good to man
— Laws, Book 5
If one does not expect the unexpected, one will not find it; for it is hard to be sought out, and difficult
— Fragment 18 (as preserved by Clement of Alexandria)
Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued
— As cited in Plato's dialogues
He who is not a good servant will not be a good master
— Menexenus (dialogue)
The unexamined life is not worth living
— As cited in Plato's Apology, 38a
He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it
— Analects, Book II
The road uphill and the road downhill are one and the same
— Fragments (B60)
Happiness depends upon ourselves
— Nicomachean Ethics, Book I
Thus every man, through his own thought, can make himself happy or unhappy.
— Fragment DK68B174
We become what we contemplate
— Enneads, Book I
The best life is that which most resembles play
— Politics, Book VIII
The vine that has grown around the tree will always seek the sun
— Discourses (context uncertain; commonly attributed to Epictetus’ themes)
Anger begins with folly and ends with regret
— Ascribed Pythagorean maxim (Stobaeus Anthology)
No man can cross the same river twice, because neither the man nor the river are the same
— Fragments (as preserved by Plato and others)
Of all things which wisdom provides to make us entirely happy, much the greatest is the possession of friendship
— Letter to Menoeceus
It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little
— Attributed by Stobaeus, Florilegium
All things are full of gods
— Aristotle, De Anima 411a7
The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken
— Attributed, not in primary Greek sources
The chain of habit can only be broken by strong will
— 'Enchiridion'
The mind is ever the most powerful force in our lives, shaping even the fate that seems to come from without
— Enneads, Book II
Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempest
— Discourses, Book II
To live is to act, and in the realm of action, knowledge is but the beginning
— Ethics (general theme)
He who has a why to live can bear almost any how
— Twilight of the Idols, Maxims and Arrows, 12
Excess of grief for the dead is madness, for it is an injury to the living, and the dead know it not
— Memorabilia
Speech is the shadow of action
— Fragments, as quoted by Stobaeus
The wise man does not expose himself needlessly to danger, since there are few things for which he cares sufficiently
— Nicomachean Ethics, Book III
All men by nature desire to know
— Metaphysics, Book I
As the soil, however rich it may be, cannot be productive without cultivation, so the mind without culture can never produce good fruit
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter LXXVI
I am not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens
— Anecdotal, ancient biographical sources (Diogenes Laërtius)
For the wise, life is a journey toward understanding, not a destination of certainty
— Fragment DK68B164
Contemplation is the greatest joy of the wise man
— Theaetetus
In investigating nature, strive always for balance; excess, whether in reason or desire, breeds error and disharmony
— Enneads
The beginning is the most important part of the work
— Republic, Book II
The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it
— Meditations, Book IV
Nothing exists except by virtue of a cause, and nothing is called into being without reason
— Fragment B12, collected by Simplicius
In everything, moderation, for nothing brings happiness in excess
— . Fragment B 235
Silence is a friend who will never betray
— Analects
To listen well is as powerful a means of communication as to talk well
— .
The greatest wealth is to live content with little
— Plato, Apology (sometimes misattributed, but contextually true)
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it
— Metaphysics (Book IV)
Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something
— Attributed (apocryphal—often cited in discussions of Platonic ideas)
Memory is the scribe of the soul
— De Anima (On the Soul), Book III
Fortune favors the bold, but the wise shape their own destiny
— Paraphrase of sentiment attributed to Democritus in various fragments
Hope is the dream of a waking man
— Rhetoric, Book 1
The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing
— Fragment 201, attributed in various ancient sources
No man ever wetted clay and then left it, as if there would be bricks by chance and fortune
— Memorabilia IV.2.6
The sun is new every day
— Fragment 6 (Diels–Kranz)
It is not the abundance of things, but their right use, that brings happiness
— Nicomachean Ethics, Book I
All things are produced by fire, and in turn give themselves back to fire in due order
— Fragment 30, Diels–Kranz
Man is the measure of all things
— As cited in Plato’s Theaetetus, 152a
Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them
— Enchiridion, Chapter 5
The highest good is in harmony with reason
— Fragments, cited by later writers (Diogenes Laërtius)
Dare to know! Have the courage to use your own understanding
— Essay: An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment? (1784)
He who learns but does not think is lost; he who thinks but does not learn is in great danger
— Analects, Book II
To seek is to suffer. To seek nothing is bliss
— Fragment, as preserved by Stobaeus
By desiring the unattainable, we make ourselves miserable
— as preserved in collections of his fragments
The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits
— Moralia, Quomodo adulator ab amico internoscatur
No one is free who has not obtained the empire of himself
— Fragment attributed by Iamblichus, Life of Pythagoras
No mortal thing has a beginning, nor does it end in death
— Fragment B1 DK
Be not hasty in thy tongue, nor impetuous in thy actions, for thy words and deeds are as arrows shot forth, which thou canst not call back
— Quoted in various ancient sources
The world is in perpetual flight, shifting and changing as the river flows, and our knowledge must learn to follow its own movement
— Fragments, DK B91 (paraphrased summary of fragment style)
The best way to keep good acts in memory is to refresh them with new ones
— From Plutarch's 'Moralia', Sayings of Cato the Elder
Withdraw into yourself and look. And if you do not find yourself beautiful yet, act as does the creator of a statue
— Enneads, I.6.9
Custom becomes law to multitudes
— Fragments of Solon's poetry
Even if the gods exist, it makes no difference, for our virtue is in our own hands
— Fragments
Let sleep be grateful to thee, but let thy days be more grateful; for sleep but leaves thee for death, and a day for eternity
— Quoted by Iamblichus in 'Life of Pythagoras'
The eye is more accurate witness than the ear
— Quoted in Plutarch, De Sollertia Animalium
Even on the journey to Hades, there is still room for song
— Pythian Odes, Pythian 4
Better a short life in which something is done than a long one in which nothing is done
— Discourses, fragment 7
To seek after the truth is the greatest adventure, for with each answer we discover another question
— Paraphrase from Metaphysics (general thematic expression)
We must not only gain wisdom, but also be able to use it
— Pro Archia, VII
The frog in the well does not know the great sea
— Zhuangzi, Chapter 17 (Autumn Floods)
It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere
— .
There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance
— Attributed by Plato, various dialogues
We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more in imagination than in reality
— Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium, Letter 13
To be good is to be in harmony with oneself
— Fragment 213 (various translations)
Philosophy begins in wonder
— Theaetetus, 155d
Custom becomes law to multitudes
— Attributed by Iamblichus, Life of Pythagoras, Chapter 31
He who wishes to be rich in a day will be hanged in a year
— .
Reason is immortal, all else mortal
— Quoted by Diogenes Laërtius, Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, Book VIII
I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think
— Attributed by Xenophon and others; no direct writings by Socrates
Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not
— Epicurus, Letter to Menoeceus
The roots of injustice are ignorance and lack of understanding
— As recorded by Xenophon, Memorabilia
No evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death
— Apology, Plato
A single lifetime, even entirely devoted to the sky, would not suffice for all that can be learned about the stars
— Fragment cited by later commentators; reported in Ptolemy's Almagest
To fear death, gentlemen, is no other than to think oneself wise when one is not, to think one knows what one does not know
— Apology, Plato (ca. 399 BC)
Death may be the greatest of all human blessings
— Plato, Apology
Each man’s life is what he makes it, and the circumstances are merely its landscape
— Discourses, Book II
Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food
— Attributed, ancient texts associated with Hippocrates
Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times
— 'Agamemnon'
No man ever became wise by chance
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter LXXVI
For a thing to be truly known, it must be known in relation to all else
— Parmenides, 135D
The rainbow appears only when the sun and rains meet; let your understanding emerge from the union of reason and experience
— General Aristotle-like aphorism (not a direct citation)
Nature loves to hide
— Fragment 123
It is the nature of the wise to resist pleasures, but the foolish to be a slave to them
— Letter to Menoeceus
To find yourself, think for yourself
— Attributed by Plato, but not in surviving texts
All men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights
— Fragment 234 (collected fragments)
No mortal thing has a beginning, nor does it end in death
— Fragment 12 (DK 31 B12)
Wise men argue causes; fools decide them
— . Fragment attributed by Diogenes Laërtius
Withdraw into yourself; it is in the inner man that truth dwells
— Enneads, Book I, Tractate 8
The arrow that has left the bow never returns, nor does the word once spoken
— ascribed in later Pythagorean fragments
Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion
— Fragment 125 (Diels–Kranz)
The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand
— God Emperor of Dune (though echoes Greek philosophical tradition)
To ask the proper question is half of knowing
— Metaphysics, Book II
The soul, like the body, accepts by practice whatever habit one wishes it to contact and possess
— Plato, Republic, Book III
We are but guests at the table of the world, and wisdom lies in knowing when to rise
— Letter to Idomeneus (paraphrased fragment)
To do is to be
— Tradition, aphorism attributed to Pittacus
If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid
— Discourses, Book I, Chapter 21
Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant
— as recorded in Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
He who has a why to live can bear almost any how
— Discourses, Book I, Chapter 21
No man ever threw away life while it was worth keeping
— Ajax (play)
The physician heals, nature makes whole
— Aphorisms
If you seek justice, choose truth for your companion; for justice is rooted in truth
— Uncertain, attributed; theme common in Republic
Nothing endures but change
— . Fragment 41 (various ancient sources)
Dogs bark at a person whom they do not know
— Reported in Diogenes Laërtius, Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers
Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion
— Fragments (as preserved by later authors)
Walls for the body, but not for the mind
— Attributed, historical context unclear
No great thing is created suddenly
— Discourses, Book I
There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind
— Discourses, Book II (paraphrased translation)
Learning is sweet to those who love to seek it, and laborious to those forced to hear it
— .
The reed that bends in the wind is stronger than the oak that breaks in the storm
— Recorded in Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
By desiring little, a poor man makes himself rich
— Ethical fragments (Stobaeus, Florilegium)
He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind
— Fragment, as preserved by later sources
It is the same thing to think and to be
— Fragment 3 (DK 28 B3)
No one is truly free except the wise
— Discourses, Book IV, Chapter 1
You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation
— Attributed, ancient sources; sometimes cited from 'The Republic'
No one is free who has not obtained mastery over himself
— As quoted in Iamblichus, Life of Pythagoras
The eyes are more exact witnesses than the ears
— Fragment 101 (translated by various scholars)
Reason is a light that God has kindled in the soul
— Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, Book VII
To live happily is an inward power of the soul
— Meditations, Book 7
If you wish to be a philosopher, prepare yourself to be ridiculed and hated, and be ready, in the end, to be envied by those who once laughed at you
— Discourses, Book III
Let no day pass without discussing goodness and all the other subjects about which you hear me talking and examining both myself and others
— Plato, Apology
Custom becomes law to multitudes
— Fragment DK B175
The most useful and honorable thing you can do is to serve the public good
— Fragment, as cited by Plutarch in 'Life of Solon'
Reason is immortal, all else mortal
— As attributed by Iamblichus, Life of Pythagoras
The wise man delights in waters, the virtuous man delights in hills; the wise move, the virtuous are still
— Analects, 6:21
Wisdom begins in wonder
— Plato, Theaetetus, 155d
Nothing is more active than thought, for it travels over the universe, and nothing is stronger than necessity, for all must submit to it
— As cited by Plutarch, On the E at Delphi
No one is free who has not learned to govern himself
— Fragment, as cited by Iamblichus
The sun is but a morning star
— Fragment 8 (as recorded by later authors)
No man ever reaches the borders of his knowledge; the farther he advances, the greater the horizon seems
— Fragment (reported by later commentators)
The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms
— as quoted by Plato in Phaedrus
Wise men listen to reason, but fools only to themselves
— The Wasps
No evil is honorable; but death is honorable; therefore death is not evil
— Diogenes Laertius, Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, Book VII
No man can become rich in virtue all at once
— Nicomachean Ethics, Book X
The measure of a man is what he does with power
— Republic, Book IX
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
— Plato, Euthyphro, 12a
If you wish to be loved, love.
— Moral Letters to Lucilius, Letter 9
Nature loves to hide
— Fragment 123 (Diels–Kranz)
No one entrusts a secret to a drunken man; but one will entrust a secret to a good man; therefore the good man will not get drunk
— On Drunkenness (fragmentary moral essay)
The most useful piece of learning for the uses of life is to unlearn what is untrue
— Stobaeus, Florilegium, Book III, 18.83
The whole earth is the brave man's country
— Fragment 971
The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook
— The Principles of Psychology (1890)
Contempt for wealth, as it is usually acquired, is one of the hallmarks of virtue
— Fragment, quoted in Diogenes Laërtius, 'Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers'
Nothing is more difficult than competing with a man who has nothing to lose
— Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of the Eminent Philosophers, Book VII
Wisdom alone is the science of other sciences
— Sophist, 257a
The harmony of the soul is like the tuning of a lyre, fragile and constantly in need of adjustment
— Phaedo
To live is to think, to think well is to live well
— Outlines of Pyrrhonism
What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality
— Moralia
You will never find truth by merely seeking it; it is the act of questioning that brings understanding
— Phaedrus (implied Socratic method)
He who commits injustice is ever made more wretched than he who suffers it
— Gorgias
We live in the hope of becoming the contemplators of the beautiful
— Elements of Theology
No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness
— Problemata, Book XXX, 953a
The harmony invisible to us is stronger than the harmony which we perceive
— attributed in Pythagorean fragments, later commentators
If you want to be proud of yourself, then do things in which you can take pride
— As related by Xenophon, Memorabilia
No one encounters the same fate twice, for both the man and the hour have changed
— Fragments, context uncertain
The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet
— Quoted in Diogenes Laërtius, Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers
He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals
— Lectures on Ethics
Appearances are a glimpse of the unseen
— Fragment 21B, Diels–Kranz
If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter LXXI
Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart
— Possibly inspired by Symposium (attributed in spirit, but not a direct citation)
He who neglects learning in his youth loses the past and is dead for the future
— Fragment 1079
History is philosophy teaching by example
— Roman Antiquities, Book I
The most useful piece of learning for the uses of life is to unlearn what is untrue
— Fragments (reported by Diogenes Laërtius)
Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul
— .
The tongue is the best of things when used aright, but when abused, it is the worst
— Stobaeus, Florilegium, 3.79.2
Well begun is half done
— Nicomachean Ethics, Book I
He who thinks great thoughts, often makes great errors.
— Introduction to Metaphysics (1935)
To live according to nature is to be content with little and to fear nothing
— As quoted by Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
Hope is the only universal liar who never loses his reputation for veracity
— As quoted in Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of the Eminent Philosophers, Book VI
There is a certain madness to thinking that ignites both genius and folly
— Fragment 155
A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in
— Ancient Greek proverb
Appearances are a glimpse of the unseen
— Fragment 21B21a (from Simplicius)
Practice yourself, for heaven’s sake, in little things; and thence proceed to greater
— Discourses, Book I, Chapter 18
The harmony invisible to us is stronger than the harmony which we perceive
— Fragment DK B54
In seeking truth you have to get both sides of a story
— Phaedrus, dialogue
Beauty is a short-lived tyranny
— Quoted in Diogenes Laërtius, Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers (Book II)
Opinions are the fountains of sorrow; wisdom dries them up
— Fragment 46 (Diels–Kranz)
It is harder to fight against pleasure than against anger, for pleasure always consents with what we desire
— Nicomachean Ethics, Book II
To teach is to learn twice
— Letters to Lucilius, Letter 7
It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live
— Meditations, Book 6
To be surprised, to wonder, is to begin to understand
— Meditations on Quixote (1914)
Observe how the bee hovers among flowers, gathering only the nectar it can use, leaving the rest for nature to reclaim
— Fragment (reported by Stobaeus)
Let us train our minds to desire what the situation demands
— Discourses, Book 2, Chapter 2
To deceive oneself is the most dangerous of all deceits
— . Fragment DK 68 B117
Happiness depends upon ourselves
— Nicomachean Ethics, Book I
The chain of habit can only be broken by strong will
— Discourses, Book 2, Chapter 18
A man’s character is his fate
— Fragment 119
Make a habit of two things: to help; or at least to do no harm
— Of the Epidemics, Book I, Section XI
Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart
— Meditations, Book VI
It is necessary to learn the art of mastering ourselves; for only thus can we be free
— Discourses, Book II
Everything changes and nothing remains still
— As cited by Plato in Cratylus, fragment DK22B91
To attain any assured knowledge about the soul is one of the most difficult things in the world
— De Anima (On the Soul), Book I
Time is a moving image of eternity
— Timaeus
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing
— Attributed by Plato, Apology
Do not try to be wise in words, be wise in deeds
— . Fragments (Anecdotal tradition)
Life has more imagination than we carry in our dreams
— Fragment 70 (as numbered by Diels-Kranz)
Wise men are those who, seeing the shadows on the wall, seek the source of the light
— The Republic (metaphor of the cave, Book VII)
To do nothing is also a good remedy
— Aphorisms
The universe is not indifferent to our thoughts and actions; it is woven together with mind
— fragments, as collected by Simplicius
Life is like a play: it’s not the length, but the excellence of the acting that matters
— Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium, Letter 77
As a rock that remains unmoved by the winds, so too the wise remain unchanged by praise or blame
— Attributed by Diogenes Laërtius, Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers
The roots of all good lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness
— possibly inspired by The Republic
Knowledge of the world can only be grounded in experience, which never deceives, while judgment jumps ahead of the evidence
— Outlines of Pyrrhonism
Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom
— Metaphysics
Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel
— Ascribed by Plutarch, Moralia, "On Listening to Lectures"
The physician heals, but nature alone completes the cure
— Attributed, medical writings
Appearances are a glimpse of the unseen
— Fragments
To attain knowledge, add things every day; to attain wisdom, subtract things every day
— Tao Te Ching
You will never know the virtue of a man until you see him tested by adversity
— Quoted in Stobaeus, Anthology, III.80.33
It is the privilege of the gods to want nothing, and of godlike men to want little
— Anecdotes quoted in Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Book VI
The energy of the mind is the essence of life
— Metaphysics, Book XII
Thought is invisible nature; nature is visible thought
— Fragment 21B
Well-being is realized by small steps, but is truly no small thing
— Fragment from Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
No human soul is voluntarily deprived of truth; we are all seeking it, sometimes in darkness, sometimes following a faint glimmer
— Outlines of Pyrrhonism
The world is in flux, and in so much as we are part of it, we must be willing to change with it
— . Fragment (paraphrased from ancient testimonia)
The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself
— Republic, Book IV
No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man
— Fragment 41, DK B41
Where the mind is free, there shall be no prison
— Attributed in Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it
— As quoted by Joseph Joubert, attributed to Socrates
The way up and the way down are one and the same
— Fragment 60 (Diels–Kranz)
The path up and down are one and the same
— Fragment DK22B60
The laws of nature are but the mathematical thoughts of God
— Attributed in later sources; not from Euclid's Elements
Rashness belongs to youth; prudence to age
— Apophthegmata (Sayings), cited in Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
What is honored in a country will be cultivated there
— Laws, Book VII
The sun is new each day
— as cited by Aristotle in Meteorologica
To seek truth is to seek the divine, for in truth lies the nature of all things
— Enneads (paraphrased concept from multiple treatises)
No man can outrun his own understanding
— Fragment 21b, various translations
The most virtuous are those who content themselves with being virtuous without seeking to appear so
— Republic, Book II
One cannot step twice in the same stream
— . Fragment 41, DK B41
The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart
There is nothing in the world more soft and weak than water, and yet for attacking things that are hard and strong there is nothing that can take precedence of it
— Fragment cited in Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Book I
Man is disturbed not by things, but by the views he takes of them
— Enchiridion, Section 5
The wise man, even when he travels alone, is never without friends, for he carries the companionship of the virtuous within himself
— Discourses, Book I, Chapter 25
Sight reveals what is visible but insight reveals what is invisible
— Fragment DK22B54
Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree
— Attributed, imitating the spirit of Greek Cynics
No evil is honorable; but death is honorable; therefore death is not evil
— Diogenes Laërtius, Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, Book VII
The most beautiful order of the world is still a random gathering of things insignificant in themselves
— Fragments (DK B124)
No evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death
— Plato, 'Apology'
Fate leads the willing and drags along the reluctant
— Anthology of Stobaeus
It is better to rise from life as from a banquet, neither thirsty nor drunken
— Nicomachean Ethics, Book II
The sun is new each day
— Fragment DK22B6
The unjust man is always in discord with himself
— Enneads, Book I
To enjoy the things we ought and to hate the things we ought has the greatest bearing on excellence of character
— Nicomachean Ethics, Book II
Examine then if what you have is truly your own or something borrowed from another
— Discourses, Book I, Chapter 1
The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself
— :Reported by Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for
— Letter to Menoeceus (fragment)
Difficult things are not achieved through hope alone, but by ceaseless labor and study
— Antidosis
A multitude of friends is not companionship, for when adversity comes, they are seldom found
— Quoted in Stobaeus, Florilegium 3.78.9
There is hope for those who dare to look beyond the walls of custom and habit
— Anecdotes preserved in Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of the Eminent Philosophers
He who is brave is free
— Letters to Lucilius
To enjoy the things we ought and to hate the things we ought has the greatest bearing on excellence of character
— Nicomachean Ethics, Book II