By Maxime Lagacé
Maxime is the founder of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm and peaceful mind. Learn more about him on his about page.
Best Quotes – Wisdom – Thinking – Virtue – Friendship – Takeaways
I’ve gathered the top 61 Socrates quotes on this page.
Here’s my guarantee:
If you read them, think, and apply them, you’ll sharpen your mind and improve your life (fast).
Socrates was one of the first philosophers I discovered back in 2004.
And I was fascinated by his 2-word quote “Know thyself”.
Or this one: “To find yourself, think for yourself”.
I was wondering, why should I “find myself” and “know myself”?
What did Socrates mean exactly?
But now, who is Socrates?
- A Greek philosopher (470 BC – 399 BC)
- A teacher to the famous philosopher Plato
- Credited as the founder of the Western philosophy
- One of the most influential philosophers of all time
What will you learn exactly from Socrates?
- The importance of thinking for yourself
- The importance of knowledge, wisdom, and questions
- The importance of living with virtue, logic, and self-reflection
So, are you ready to think and transform yourself?
Let’s begin!
The Best Socrates Quotes
I would rather die having spoken in my manner, than speak in your manner and live. Socrates
Anyone who holds a true opinion without understanding is like a blind man on the right road. Socrates
The inexperienced in wisdom and virtue, ever occupied with feasting and such, are carried downward. Socrates
The unexamined life is not worth living for a human being. Socrates
Bad men live that they may eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live. Socrates
May the inward and the outward be one. Socrates
If you want to be wrong then follow the masses. Socrates
He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have. Socrates
The years wrinkle our skin, but lack of enthusiasm wrinkles our soul. Socrates
Falling down is not a failure. Failure comes when you stay where you have fallen. Socrates
The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be. Socrates
I don’t care what people say about me. I do care about my mistakes. Socrates
I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world. Socrates
Know thyself. Socrates
Socrates Quotes On Wisdom and Knowledge
The only true wisdom is in knowing that you know nothing. Socrates
There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance. Socrates
Prefer knowledge to wealth, for the one is transitory, the other perpetual. Socrates
I only wish that wisdom were the kind of thing that flowed … from the vessel that was full to the one that was empty. Socrates
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 (This is exactly what you’re doing now by reading Socrates!)
It would be better for me… that multitudes of men should disagree with me rather than that I, being one, should be out of harmony with myself. Socrates
Each of these private teachers who work for pay… inculcates nothing else than these opinions of the multitude which they opine when they are assembled and calls this knowledge wisdom. Socrates
Remember, no human condition is ever permanent. Then you will not be overjoyed in good fortune nor too scornful in misfortune. Socrates
The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less. Socrates
It is better to make a mistake with full force of your being than to carefully avoid mistakes with a trembling spirit. Socrates
I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance. Socrates
True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us. Socrates
Sometimes you have to let go to see if there was anything worth holding onto. Socrates
Silence is a profound melody, for those who can hear it above all the noise. Socrates
An honest man is always a child. Socrates
Related
- 87 Timeless Quotes by Aristotle
- 80 Lao Tzu Quotes (On Life, Wisdom, Love)
- 135 Rumi Quotes That Will Take Your Breath Away
Socrates Quotes On Thinking
To find yourself, think for yourself. Socrates
We are what we think we are. Socrates
We cannot live better than in seeking to become better. Socrates
Why should we pay so much attention to what the majority thinks? Socrates
Wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder. Socrates
To believe without evidence and demonstration is an act of ignorance and folly. Socrates
Are you not ashamed of your eagerness to possess as much wealth, reputation, and honors as possible, while you do not care for nor give thought to wisdom or truth, or the best possible state of your soul? Socrates
No one can teach, if by teaching we mean the transmission of knowledge, in any mechanical fashion, from one person to another. The most that can be done is that one person who is more knowledgeable than another can, by asking a series of questions, stimulate the other to think, and so cause him to learn for himself. Socrates
I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think. Socrates
Understanding a question is half an answer. Socrates
Wisdom begins in wonder. Socrates
Socrates Quotes On Virtue and Morality
Those who want fewest things are nearest to the Gods. Socrates
From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate. Socrates
I was really too honest a man to be a politician and live. Socrates
Do not be angry with me if I tell you the truth. Socrates
In order to increase their possessions they kick and butt with horns and hoofs of steel and kill each other, insatiable as they are. Socrates
Like cattle, always looking downward with their heads bent toward the ground and the banquet tables, they feed, fatten, and fornicate. Socrates
They wander their whole life long, neither ever looking upward to the truth above them nor rising toward it, nor tasting pure and lasting pleasures. Socrates
It is not living that matters, but living rightly. Socrates
When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser. Socrates
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
I know you won’t believe me, but the highest form of Human Excellence is to question oneself and others. Socrates
Do not go through life like leaf blown from here to there believing whatever you are told. Socrates
There are two kinds of disease of the soul, vice and ignorance. Socrates
How can you call a man free when his pleasures rule over him? Socrates
Be the kind of person that you want people to think you are. Socrates
Socrates Quotes On Friendship, Love, Beauty
In every person there is a sun. Just let them shine. Socrates
Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant. Socrates
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. Socrates
It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. Socrates
The easiest and noblest way is not to be crushing others, but to be improving yourselves. Socrates
There is no possession more valuable than a good and faithful friend. Socrates
Pride divides the men, humility joins them. Socrates
Conclusion
To move the world we must move ourselves. Socrates
Key Takeaways From Socrates’ Quotes
Do you want to know how to apply Socrates’ quotes to your life?
Here are the top 5 takeaways from Socrates’ quotes.
- Ask questions: Socrates loved to ask questions and discover the truth. He asked questions to himself, and to others. He engaged in dialogue a lot.
- Think critically: Be skeptical. Don’t take anything for granted. Socrates asked his students to think for themselves and avoid blindly accepting ideas.
- Care for others: Be generous with your time and presence. Socrates was a teacher who loved sharing with others. He talked about philosophy, wisdom, justice, courage, and what made life worth living.
- Don’t take life and yourself too seriously: Socrates was indeed known for his wit and irony. For example, he compared himself to a gadfly in Apology. He even used humor before his execution.
- Be authentic: Don’t pretend to be who you’re not. Don’t pretend to know things you don’t. Don’t show off. Live with integrity and don’t be scared to say “I don’t know.”
Further Readings
- Topic: Life And Inspiration
- 100 Life Quotes To Transform Your Life Today
- More philosophers like Socrates
- 130 Buddha Quotes And Buddhist Quotes
- 70 Confucius Quotes To Elevate Your Spirit
- 87 Osho Quotes On Love, Life, Mind, And Happiness
- 89 Jiddu Krishnamurti Quotes (On Freedom, Mind, Happiness)
- 91 Alan Watts Quotes: A Treasure Trove of Insights
- 85 Thought-Provoking Quotes by Friedrich Nietzsche
- 81 Cicero Quotes On Life, Philosophy, Wisdom
- 100 Jordan Peterson Quotes On Responsibility, Order, And Life
- Socrates on Wikipedia (Biography, philosophy, legacy, etc.)
- How To Know Yourself (6-minute animated YouTube video)
- 115 Philosophy Quotes From The Best Philosophers
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