65 Aesop Quotes (On Wisdom, Humility, Friendship)

Top 10 QuotesShort QuotesDeep QuotesWisdomHumilityFriendshipTakeawaysVisualFurther Readings

aesop quotes wisdom
65 of the best Aesop quotes.

Why did I choose Aesop?

Because I guarantee you’ll learn vital stuff.

Like:

  • The importance of perseverance
  • The value of friendship
  • The dangers of greed
  • And more

But who was Aesop (620 – 564 BCE)?

  • A storyteller and fabulist from ancient Greece
  • He is famous for his collection of fables including The Tortoise and the Hare
  • His work became a foundational part of Western literary education

Even Aristotle referred to Aesop’s fables.

In sum, I hope you’ll love these memorable quotes by Aesop.

Enjoy!

Top 10 Aesop Quotes

aesop quotes better starve free fat slave wisdom

Better to starve free than be a fat slave. Aesop

Gratitude turns what we have into enough. Aesop

Be content with your lot; one cannot be first in everything. Aesop

Beware the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Aesop

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. Aesop

aesop quotes outside show inner worth wisdom

Outside show is a poor substitute for inner worth. Aesop

The grateful heart will always find opportunities to show its gratitude. Aesop

The smaller the mind the greater the conceit. Aesop

Every man should be content to mind his own business. Aesop

It is easy to despise what you cannot get. Aesop

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Short Aesop Quotes

aesop quotes gods help themselves wisdom

The gods help them that help themselves. Aesop

Don’t cry over spilt milk. Aesop

Any excuse will serve a tyrant. Aesop

Appearances often are deceiving. Aesop

Gratitude is the sign of noble souls. Aesop

Familiarity breeds contempt. Aesop

Once a wolf, always a wolf. Aesop

Deep Aesop Quotes

aesop quotes poverty security wisdom

Poverty with security is better than plenty in the midst of fear and uncertainty. Aesop

Good things come in small packages. Aesop

It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds. Aesop

Our insignificance is often the cause of our safety. Aesop

Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow. Aesop

Those who cry the loudest are not always the ones who are hurt the most. Aesop

The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny, and it is useless for the innocent to try by reasoning to get justice, when the oppressor intends to be unjust. Aesop

Always stop to think whether your fun may be the cause of another’s unhappiness. Aesop

You can fool people some of the time, but you can’t fool them all of the time. Aesop

Men often applaud an imitation and hiss the real thing. Aesop

We would often be sorry if our wishes were gratified. Aesop

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Aesop Quotes On Wisdom

aesop quotes slow steady wins race wisdom

Slow and steady wins the race. Aesop

Never trust the advice of a man in difficulties. Aesop

It is thrifty to prepare today for the wants of tomorrow. Aesop

Fine clothes may disguise, but silly words will disclose a fool. Aesop

A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety. Aesop

It is one thing to conceive a good plan, and another to execute it. Aesop

After all is said and done, more is said than done. Aesop

It is best to prepare for the days of necessity. Aesop

We should look to the mind, and not to the outward appearance. Aesop

Better be wise by the misfortunes of others than by your own. Aesop

It is possible to have too much of a good thing. Aesop

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Aesop Quotes On Humility And Pride

aesop quotes pride before destruction wisdom

Pride goes before destruction. Aesop

There is always someone worse off than yourself. Aesop

Do not count your chickens before they are hatched. Aesop

Destroy the seed of evil, or it will grow up to your ruin. Aesop

It is in vain to expect our prayers to be heard, if we do not strive as well as pray. Aesop

Those who voluntarily put power into the hands of a tyrant must not wonder if it be at last turned against themselves. Aesop

The shaft of the arrow had been feathered with one of the eagle’s own plumes. We often give our enemies the means of our own destruction. Aesop

aesop quotes easy brave safe distance wisdom

It is easy to be brave from a safe distance. Aesop

Thinking to get at once all the gold the goose could give, he killed it and opened it only to find nothing. Aesop

If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all. Aesop

Self-conceit may lead to self-destruction. Aesop

Put your shoulder to the wheel. Aesop

Example is the best precept. Aesop

Aesop Quotes On Friendship And Relationships

aesop quotes being good example wisdom

Being a good example teaches others to be good. Aesop

Union gives strength. Aesop

United we stand, divided we fall. Aesop

A man is known by the company he keeps. Aesop

The unhappy derive comfort from the misfortunes of others. Aesop

He that always gives way to others will end in having no principles of his own. Aesop

People often grudge others what they cannot enjoy themselves. Aesop

Betray a friend, and you’ll often find you have ruined yourself. Aesop

In critical moments even the very powerful have need of the weakest. Aesop

He is not to be trusted as a friend who illtreats his own family. Aesop

Persuasion is often more effectual than force. Aesop

Please all, and you will please none. Aesop

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Key Takeaways

  • Persevere. Aesop believed in consistency. Remember: it’s not what you do once that will make the difference. It’s what you do daily. “Slow and steady wins the race”
  • Be grateful. Aesop told us we should be content with what we already have. And what we receive from others. Even the smallest things. So take some time today to be grateful for at least one thing: your body, your family, your friends, your house, your clothes. “Gratitude turns what we have into enough”
  • Stay humble. Aesop warned us about pride. He said that it was, in fact, a weakness. And that humility was a strength. So admit your limitations. Don’t pretend. Don’t be arrogant. And stay open. “Pride goes before destruction”
  • Work. In his fable “The Ant and The Grasshopper“, Aesop tells us about the importance of work, preparation, and the danger of laziness. Remember: there’s a time to play, and there’s a time to work. “It is best to prepare for the days of necessity”, “It is one thing to conceive a good plan, and another to execute it”
  • Lead. Aesop talked about unity and harmony in his fables. He believed a good leader is honest, trustworthy, and leading by example.  “Being a good example teaches others to be good”

Visual For Publilius Syrus

aesop quotes visual impossible cant again wisdom

Little by little does the trick. Aesop

Just because it’s labeled “impossible” doesn’t make it even remotely impossible. Tim Ferriss

Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Further Readings

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aesop quotes humility friendship wisdom quotesaesop quotes humility friendship wisdom

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