Socrates, an ancient Greek philosopher who lived in Athens and was born about 470 BC and died around 399 BC, is considered to be the father of Western philosophy.
A well-known figure who established the Western ethical tradition of thinking and was the founder of western philosophy. An enigmatic figure, he is known primarily through the tales that were written about him after his lifetime by classical authors such as Plato and Xenophon. He did not write any texts during his lifetime. Read more About Socrates here.
Socrates Quotes Images in Hindi/English
You can read these Collection of Socrates Quotes in hindi, English, Spanish and any other language by using the language translator tool above on the top left.
Do not do to other people what would make you angry if it were done to you by other people.
Be careful of the sterility that can come with leading a busy lifestyle.
Jealousy is the sore that festers in the heart.
I do not call Athens or Greece home; rather, I consider myself a citizen of the globe.
You see, the key to pleasure is not found in the pursuit of more; rather, it lies in cultivating the ability to find satisfaction in fewer things.
Act in accordance with how you’d want to be seen.
The path that is both the simplest and most honourable is to focus on one’s own growth rather than that of others.
Every deed has both its joys and its costs associated with it.
When you don’t get what you want, you suffer; when you do get what you don’t want, you suffer; and even when you get precisely what you want, you still suffer since you can’t hang on to it forever. Your mental state is the source of your difficulty. It want to remain unaffected by any changes. Free from suffering and unburdened by the responsibilities of life and death However, change is inevitable, and no amount of denial or pretence can change that fact.
When a woman is given the same rights as a man, she then becomes his superior.
You shouldn’t live to eat; rather, you should eat to live.
A natural kind of prosperity is contentment, whereas luxury is an artificial form of poverty.
Famous Socrates Quotes
Strong minds discuss ideas,
average minds discuss events,
weak minds discuss people.
The only genuine knowledge is in acknowledging that you know almost nothing.
A life that is lived without self-examination is not one worth living.
I cannot teach anyone anything. All I can do is get them to think about it.
Knowledge is the sole form of goodness, while ignorance is the only form of evil.
Know thyself.
Always remember that everyone you come in contact with is going through a tough time.
Wonder is the first step on the path to knowledge.
Think independently in order to discover who you are.
Quote on Education
An education is not about filling a container; rather, it is about lighting a fire.
Quotes on marriage
If you find a good wife, you’ll find happiness; if you find a bad wife, you’ll find yourself becoming a philosopher. So, by all means, get married.
Take your time getting to know someone, but once you do, maintain a steady and consistent presence in the relationship.
Those who aren’t happy with what they already have aren’t likely to be happy with the things they want, even if they get them.
Quotes on change
Whoever wants to change the world should start by changing themselves.
Knowledge is more valuable than riches because although cash may come and go, knowledge can last a lifetime.
The only way for us to have a better life is to work on improving ourselves.
Quotes on death
It’s possible that death is the greatest gift that can be bestowed upon a human being.
It is time for us to part ways; I will pass away, and you will continue to live your life. The hour of departure has arrived. God alone knows which of these two options is preferable.
Spend some of your time working on yourself by reading the works of other people so that the things that other people have toiled over will come more naturally to you.
The youngsters of today have developed a taste for the finer things in life; they have poor manners, a disdain for those in positions of power; they show disrespect for their parents and grandparents; and they choose idle conversation over physical activity. Children are now masters of their houses rather than being treated as slaves in the past. They no longer stand when senior members of the community enter the room. They argue against their parents, talk excessively while other people are around, devour sweets while eating, cross their legs, and exert excessive control over their instructors.
Sometimes you build barriers not to keep people out but rather to test the will of those who are interested enough to overcome them.
In regards to one’s physical fitness, no individual has the right to consider himself an amateur. It is a great tragedy for a man to reach old age without ever having appreciated the grace and power that are inherent in his own body.
We are more likely to be understanding and forgiving of a little child’s fear of the dark; but, the true tragedy of life occurs when adults are terrified of the light.
To answer a question correctly, one must first comprehend it.
There are only two really tragic events in life. One option is to be unsuccessful in obtaining what you want most in life, while the other is to be successful.
It is not riches that leads to greatness; rather, it is excellence that makes wealth possible and that makes everything else beneficial for man, both individually and collectively.
Being honest with ourselves and others is the most effective strategy for maintaining our honour in this world.
The moment that any one of us recognises how little we know about life, ourselves, and the world that surrounds us is the moment that we get access to true knowledge.
Many times, the most virulent forms of hatred originate from the darkest impulses.
Fearing death, ladies and gentlemen, is nothing more than deluding oneself into believing that one is smart when one is not, or that one knows something that one does not know. Despite the fact that no one knows for sure whether or not death is really the greatest of all benefits for a man, people continue to dread it as if they were aware that it is the worst possible outcome.
Take care of your mental health, my friend, and get to know yourself; only after we do so will we be able to figure out how to properly care for ourselves.
If you want to become a competent saddler, you should practise on the horse that is the most difficult to work with, since if you can tame one, you can tame them all.
I beseech Thee, O God, that I may have a lovely character on the inside.
No matter how badly one has been treated by another person, one should never do evil in return and should never abuse another man.
Consider your good name to be the most valuable jewel you could ever hope to possess, because credit is similar to fire: once you’ve kindled it, it’s easy to maintain, but once it’s been extinguished, it’s a difficult task to rekindle it again. Regard your good name as the most valuable jewel you could ever hope to possess. The key to maintaining a positive reputation is to work hard to become the person you want to be seen as.
The thing that is really vital is not only to live, but to live a good life. And to live well meant, in addition to experiencing more joyful aspects of life, to live in accordance with one’s core values.
Whoever can find happiness with what they have is really wealthy, for contentment is the true sign of prosperity.
There is a lawless, wild-beast nature that lurks inside all of us, even in fine men, and it comes out at night when we sleep.
If all of our calamities were piled into a single heap, from which each of us had to take an equal share, the vast majority of people would be willing to accept what was rightfully theirs and go on their way.
It is through insanity that humanity has been bestowed the greatest blessing that can only be described as a heavenly gift.
If a man comes to the door of poetry believing that technique alone will make him a good poet and without having been touched by the madness of the Muses, then he and his sane compositions will never reach perfection, and they will be completely overshadowed by the performances of the inspired madman.
Children in today’s society are dictators. They argue against their parents, devour all their parents give them to eat, and bully their instructors.
Be of good cheer regarding death, and be aware of the fact that no evil can befall a good man either in life or after death. This is a truth that cannot be refuted.
Think not of the loyal who applaud everything of thy words and acts; rather, consider those who gently point out thy shortcomings.
If I had to give you any piece of advise, it would be to get married: if you find a nice woman, you’ll be happy; if not, you’ll become a philosopher.
Although the souls of all men are everlasting, only the souls of those who have done what is good are immortal and holy.
Quotes on Intelligence
Esteemed friend, citizen of Athens, the greatest city in the world, which is so exceptional in terms of both intelligence and power, aren’t you ashamed to care so much about making all the money you can, and to advance your reputation and prestige — while for truth and wisdom and the improvement of your soul, you have no care or worry?
Compassionate understanding is a prerequisite for entering the higher realms of thinking, which cannot be attained until after this goal has been accomplished.
I came to the conclusion that it was not knowledge that allowed poets to compose the poetry they did, but rather some type of instinct or inspiration, similar to what you see in seers and prophets who convey all of their profound messages without having the slightest idea what they mean.
I didn’t care about the things that most people worry about, like gaining money, having a nice house, having a high military or civil rank, and all the other things that go on in our city, such political appointments, secret societies, and party organisations… I have committed myself to providing what I consider to be the highest possible service to each and every one of you, in a manner that is both personal and confidential. I attempted to convince each of you to focus less on what you own and more on who you are, in the hopes that you would become the most admirable and logical versions of yourself that you can be.
There is no correlation between riches and virtue; rather, virtue is the source of both wealth and every other positive quality that mankind possess.
Socrates Quotes About self
It’s okay if you don’t believe me because I know you won’t, but the pinnacle of human excellence is the ability to question oneself as well as others.
One must either be a beast or a god if they are incapable of living in a social setting or if they have no need for anything else since they are self-sufficient.
I can see your vanity through your filthy clothes.
Misuse of words is a root cause of all sorts of evil in the soul.
Wisdom originates in amazement
It is not life itself but a decent life that should be regarded most highly.
It is preferable to reconsider one’s position rather than to stubbornly hold on to an incorrect one.
When you desire knowledge and understanding as strongly as you want oxygen to enter your lungs, that is when you will have it.
God removes the minds of poets and then uses them as his ministers, just as he also uses diviners and holy prophets. This is done so that those of us who hear them may understand that they are not speaking of themselves when they utter these priceless words while in a state of unconsciousness, but rather that God is the one speaking through them, and that he is having a conversation with us.
And as a result, in order to restore health to the mind as well as the body, you must begin by mending the spirit, since this is the primary and most important component. And the care of the soul, my dear youth, needs to be accomplished through the use of certain charms, and these charms are fair words; and by them temperance is implanted in the soul, and where temperance comes and stays, there health is quickly imparted, not only to the head, but to the whole body as well.
A life that is lived well, wonderfully, and justly are all aspects of the same thing.
Intelligent people learn something from everything and everyone, but the majority of people only learn from their own experiences. Stupid people already know all the answers.
Not only is it incorrect in terms of the language, but it also does some damage to the individual’s spirit when they express themselves poorly.
Are you not embarrassed by the fact that you care so much about acquiring money, becoming famous, and gaining reputation, yet you neither think about nor give any consideration to improving your soul or seeking out knowledge and truth?
Well, even though I have no reason to believe that either one of us knows anything really wonderful and wonderful, I believe that I am in a better position than he is since he knows nothing and believes that he knows, while I neither know nor believe that I know.
Quotes on Love
The most passionate love always has the most frigid end.
Those who are hardest to love need it the most.
Socrates Story
One day, the elderly and intelligent Socrates is strolling around the city when all of a sudden, a guy dashes up to him and says, “Socrates, I have to tell you something about your friend who…”
Socrates stops him by saying, “Hold up,” and then asking, “Going the narrative you are about to tell me, did you put it through the three sieves?”
“A three-tiered sieve?” The question “What three sieves?” is asked by the man.
“Let’s give it a go,” says Socrates.
“The first sieve is the one of truth; have you examined what you were going to tell me to see whether it is true?” “The second sieve is the one of justice.” A question from Socrates.
“No, I wasn’t there, I just overheard it,” he said.
“Ah, so then, you have used the second sieve, which is the sieve of good?” The question that Socrates raises is, “Is what you’re going to tell me anything good?”
The response given by the guy is “Ehm, no, on the opposite.”
“Hmmm” The Socrates advises, “Let’s use the third sieve then, and is it essential to tell me what you’re so excited about?”
The guy responds, “No, it’s not required.”
“Well,” Socrates adds with a wry grin, “if the narrative you’re going to tell me isn’t true, good, or essential, then forget it and don’t bother me with it. “
Other Quotes by Socrates
Instead than worrying about the people who engage in philosophical practise, whether they are morally upstanding or not, focus on thoroughly analysing the subject matter itself. And if philosophy seems like a negative thing to you, then you should discourage everyone from pursuing it, not just your boys; but if it seems to you like what I believe it is, then you should have the guts to study it and put it into effect, as the proverb says, “both you and your home.”
Because the poet is a light, winged, and holy thing, and because there is no invention in him until he has been inspired and is out of his senses and the mind is no longer in him, and because there is no invention in him when he has not yet attained this state, he is powerless and is unable to utter his oracles, when he has not yet attained this state, he is unable to utter his oracles.
Money and honour hold no appeal for them; good men do not wish to be openly demanding payment for governing and thus to get the name of hirelings, nor do they wish to get the name of thieves by secretly helping themselves out of the public revenues. Both of these names carry a negative connotation. And since they are not ambitious, they do not place any value on honour. Therefore, it is necessary to force people to do what is required of them, and they must be motivated to serve out of fear of being punished. And I suppose that this is the reason why the forwardness to accept office rather than waiting to be pushed to do so has been judged disgraceful. Now, the most terrible aspect of the penalty is that whomever refuses to govern runs the risk of being ruled over by someone who is much more despicable than themselves. And because of this, I believe that the fear of it compels those who are good to run for office, not because they want to, but because they are powerless to stop it. They do so, not because they believe that doing so will bring them any benefit or enjoyment of their own, but rather out of necessity, and because they are unable to delegate the responsibility of ruling to anyone who is better than they are or indeed as good as they are. Because there is reason to believe that if a city were wholly comprised of excellent individuals, then avoiding office would be just as much of a source of conflict as obtaining office is at the current time…
I investigated the poets, and after doing so, I came to the conclusion that they are examples of people whose talent overwhelms not only themselves but also those around them. They are also examples of people who portray themselves as wise men and are accepted as such, despite the fact that they are not wise in any way.
I started with poets and then went on to painters. Nobody knew less about the arts than I did, and nobody was more persuaded than I was that artists were keeping very wonderful secrets from the rest of us. On the other hand, I noted that their state was not much different from that of the poets, and that both groups share the same misunderstandings. They consider themselves to be the most knowledgeable of men due to the fact that they are so successful in their respective fields of expertise. In my opinion, this assumption significantly undermines the credibility of their expertise. Because of this, when I put myself in the role of the oracle and asked myself what it would be better for me to be — what I was or what they were, to know what they have learned or to know that I know nothing — I responded to both myself and the god by saying that I would prefer to stay the same as I am.
We do not know what the True, the Good, or the Beautiful are; not the sophists, nor the orators, nor the artists, nor even I. But there is this difference between us: even though these people do not know anything, they all believe that they know something. On the other hand, even if I do not know anything, at least I do not have any doubts about it. Consequently, all of this superior wisdom that the oracle has attributed to me reduces itself to the single point that I am strongly convinced that I am ignorant of what I do not know. This is the conclusion that can be drawn from all of this superior wisdom.