Socrates was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Western philosophy. Socrates became known for his contributions to the ethics field, being the first moral philosopher in the Western ethical tradition of thought. May these famous Socrates quotes become your tool to learn about his ideals that will help you grasp a more meaningful life.
1. “Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.” – Socrates
2. “Be as you wish to seem.” – Socrates
3. “False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.” – Socrates
4. “Beauty is a short-lived tyranny.” – Socrates
5. “True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.” – Socrates
6. “All men's souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are immortal and divine.” – Socrates
7. “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.” – Socrates
8. “False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.” – Socrates
9. “The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.” – Socrates
10. “From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate.” – Socrates
11. “The hottest love has the coldest end.” – Socrates
12. “If a man is proud of his wealth, he should not be praised until it is known how he employs it.” – Socrates
13. “He is a man of courage who does not run away, but remains at his post and fights against the enemy.” – Socrates
14. “Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us.” – Socrates
15. “No evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death. He and his are not neglected by the gods.” – Socrates
16. “The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates
17. “Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.” – Socrates
18. “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
19. “Be slow to fall into friendship, but when you are in, continue firm and constant.” – Socrates
20. “The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.” – Socrates
21. “Death may be the greatest of all human blessings.” – Socrates
22. “Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.” – Socrates
23. “Remember, no human condition is ever permanent. Then you will not be overjoyed in good fortune nor too scornful in misfortune.” – Socrates
24. “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
25. “The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” – Socrates
26. “When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser.” – Socrates
27. “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
28. “The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.” – Socrates
29. “He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.” – Socrates
30. “To move the world, we must move.” – Socrates
More Quotes by Socrates
31. “Life contains but two tragedies. One is not to get your heart’s desire; the other is to get it.” – Socrates
32. “There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.” – Socrates
33. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” – Socrates
34. “He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.” – Socrates
35. “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.” – Socrates
36. “Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty.” – Socrates
37. “Prefer knowledge to wealth, for the one is transitory, the other perpetual.” – Socrates
38. “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
39. “Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” – Socrates
40. “Understanding a question is half an answer.” – Socrates
41. “Envy is the ulcer of the soul.” – Socrates
42. “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.” – Socrates
43. “I only wish that ordinary people had an unlimited capacity for doing harm; then they might have an unlimited power for doing good.” – Socrates
44. “Once made equal to man, woman becomes his superior.” – Socrates
45. “If you want to be a good saddler, saddle the worst horse; for if you can tame one, you can tame all.” – Socrates
46. “Beauty is the bait which with delight allures man to enlarge his kind.” – Socrates
47. “The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms.” – Socrates
48. “The easiest and noblest way is not to be crushing others, but to be improving yourselves.” – Socrates
49. “In all of us, even in good men, there is a lawless wild-beast nature, which peers out in sleep.” – Socrates
50. “If all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be content to take their own and depart.” – Socrates
51. “An honest man is always a child.” – Socrates
52. “The greatest blessing granted to mankind come by way of madness, which is a divine gift.” – Socrates
53. “Children nowadays are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food, and tyrannies their teachers.” – Socrates
54. “I know you won't believe me, but the highest form of human excellence is to question oneself and others.” – Socrates
55. “Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.” – Socrates
56. “The highest realms of thought are impossible to reach without first attaining an understanding of compassion.” – Socrates
57. “The mind is everything; what you think you become.” – Socrates
58. “Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued.” – Socrates
59. “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
60. “Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly reprove thy faults.” – Socrates
Share these Philosophy Socrates Quotes on Love, Intelligence, Success, Knowledge, and About Self with your friends, family, and loved ones to inspire them as well.
1. “Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.” – Socrates
2. “Be as you wish to seem.” – Socrates
3. “False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.” – Socrates
4. “Beauty is a short-lived tyranny.” – Socrates
5. “True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.” – Socrates
6. “All men's souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are immortal and divine.” – Socrates
7. “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.” – Socrates
8. “False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.” – Socrates
9. “The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.” – Socrates
10. “From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate.” – Socrates
11. “The hottest love has the coldest end.” – Socrates
12. “If a man is proud of his wealth, he should not be praised until it is known how he employs it.” – Socrates
13. “He is a man of courage who does not run away, but remains at his post and fights against the enemy.” – Socrates
14. “Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us.” – Socrates
15. “No evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death. He and his are not neglected by the gods.” – Socrates
16. “The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates
17. “Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.” – Socrates
18. “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
19. “Be slow to fall into friendship, but when you are in, continue firm and constant.” – Socrates
20. “The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.” – Socrates
21. “Death may be the greatest of all human blessings.” – Socrates
22. “Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.” – Socrates
23. “Remember, no human condition is ever permanent. Then you will not be overjoyed in good fortune nor too scornful in misfortune.” – Socrates
24. “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
25. “The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” – Socrates
26. “When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser.” – Socrates
27. “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
28. “The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.” – Socrates
29. “He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.” – Socrates
30. “To move the world, we must move.” – Socrates
More Quotes by Socrates
31. “Life contains but two tragedies. One is not to get your heart’s desire; the other is to get it.” – Socrates
32. “There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.” – Socrates
33. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” – Socrates
34. “He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.” – Socrates
35. “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.” – Socrates
36. “Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty.” – Socrates
37. “Prefer knowledge to wealth, for the one is transitory, the other perpetual.” – Socrates
38. “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
39. “Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” – Socrates
40. “Understanding a question is half an answer.” – Socrates
41. “Envy is the ulcer of the soul.” – Socrates
42. “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.” – Socrates
43. “I only wish that ordinary people had an unlimited capacity for doing harm; then they might have an unlimited power for doing good.” – Socrates
44. “Once made equal to man, woman becomes his superior.” – Socrates
45. “If you want to be a good saddler, saddle the worst horse; for if you can tame one, you can tame all.” – Socrates
46. “Beauty is the bait which with delight allures man to enlarge his kind.” – Socrates
47. “The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms.” – Socrates
48. “The easiest and noblest way is not to be crushing others, but to be improving yourselves.” – Socrates
49. “In all of us, even in good men, there is a lawless wild-beast nature, which peers out in sleep.” – Socrates
50. “If all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be content to take their own and depart.” – Socrates
51. “An honest man is always a child.” – Socrates
52. “The greatest blessing granted to mankind come by way of madness, which is a divine gift.” – Socrates
53. “Children nowadays are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food, and tyrannies their teachers.” – Socrates
54. “I know you won't believe me, but the highest form of human excellence is to question oneself and others.” – Socrates
55. “Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.” – Socrates
56. “The highest realms of thought are impossible to reach without first attaining an understanding of compassion.” – Socrates
57. “The mind is everything; what you think you become.” – Socrates
58. “Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued.” – Socrates
59. “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
60. “Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly reprove thy faults.” – Socrates
Share these Philosophy Socrates Quotes on Love, Intelligence, Success, Knowledge, and About Self with your friends, family, and loved ones to inspire them as well.