I had first read about Socrates in a philosophy class I had taken in 2009. I was fascinated by his way of living. One of his core philosophical concepts was that a wise man knows his areas of ignorance. He loved questioning the authorities on their fields of speciality, and often left them confused with his dialectic and critical reasoning. Sadly, due to this very reason he was disliked by many. He was sentenced to death by the Athenian court.
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| Socrates before drinking the poison |
1. "Know Thyself"
In other words, "Know Yourself." Clearly, his best quote. Socrates believed that a person's first duty is self-knowledge. One must know his weaknesses and strengths in order to know where he stands.
2. "Only one thing I know, and that is that I know nothing"
Socrates was considered the wisest man during his time, but he initially questioned this claim. Eventually he realized that all the authorities including the priests, lawmakers and saints who claimed to know their areas of speciality backed out & lost conversations with him. He believed that because he was the only one who knew that he knew nothing, he probably was the wisest among all. This quote is inspirational because it reminds us that nobody is perfect and there are areas we all ignore in our lives.
3. "I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think"
Our primary purpose is to be a thoughtful and compassionate human being. This quote is powerful because Socrates loved to make people think and re-think about their lives & relationship with the rest of the world. A true teacher is the one who goes beyond just teaching where to go. He prepares the students on how to be there.
4. "The unexamined life is not worth living"
True. We must examine our lives constantly. Ask yourself frequently- Who am I? Where am I? Where do I want to go from here? What do I need to change? DO NOT EVER SETTLE FOR LESS. Always think about ways to improve & inspire yourself. This is the secret to positive living.
5. "Let him that would move the world, first move himself"
This one relates back to the first quote: know yourself. We can't act on our dreams of improving the world when we are not even able to improve ourselves. Live by example, not just by words. Show others what you want through your actions. Self-improvement is the best example you can show to the world. You are unique, smart and capable, now what are you waiting for?
6. "I am not an Athenian or a Greek, I am a citizen of the world"
I love, love, LOVE this quote! On one hand I agree that nationalism brings people together, but on the other hand we must also remember that we are the citizens of the world. The whole earth is our home, we belong to the world. Every person in this world is equal and well-deserving of love and compassion.
7. "There is only one good - Knowledge, and only one evil - Ignorance"
This quote leaves me in a deep-thinking state. Socrates believed that knowledge is good & ignorance is evil. However, he also believed that one must know his areas of ignorance in order to be wise. Therefore, I translate this quote this way: Knowledge of our areas of ignorance is good, but ignoring the areas of our ignorance is bad.
8. "The hour of departure has arrived and we go our ways - I to die and you to live. Which is better? Only God knows"
Socrates said this right after he was sentenced to death by poison. Because Socrates was outspoken and courageous enough to question the authorities, he was accused of corrupting the Athenian youths. He could have easily escaped the death sentence by pleading guilty, but he refused to do so. He would rather die happily with his pride still intact. In this quote, he is claiming that his death is better than the lives of the people who sentenced him for a wrong reason.
9. "The nearest way to glory is to strive to be what you wish to be thought to be"
Act the way you want to be treated. If you wish to be thought as likable, you gotta start doing likable things. Just wishing is not enough, you must act. Without action, there is no result. Remember that.
10. "No human condition is ever permanent"
Whether it is a good situation or a bad situation, it is never going to be permanent. Our lives are always changing, and so is the meaning in our lives. We must never lose our control when we are powerful. We must never give up when we are weak. Balance is the key. Breathe in, breathe out. Stay peaceful.
Hope you all liked this post! Thank you for reading!! :)
Until next time everyone,
Beautiful Life T2 XOXO
