Socrates
Socrates
Socrates was a classical Greekphilosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy. He is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon and the plays of his contemporary Aristophanes. Plato's dialogues are among the most comprehensive accounts of Socrates to survive from antiquity, though it is unclear the degree to which Socrates himself is "hidden behind his 'best disciple', Plato"...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionPhilosopher
giving matter poverty
To give either to any public matter of interest or to any concern of my own, but I am in utter poverty by reason of my devotion to the god .
long needs enough
I have lived long enough to learn how much there is I can really do without.... He is nearest to God who needs the fewest things.
integrity humility vanity
Serenity, regularity, absence of vanity,Sincerity, simplicity, veracity, equanimity, Fixity, non-irritability, adaptability, Humility, tenacity, integrity, nobility, magnanimity, charity, generosity, purity. Practise daily these eighteen "ities" You will soon attain immortality.
believe fighting men
...one thing I am ready to fight for as long as I can, in word and act: that is, that we shall be better, braver and more active men if we believe it right to look for what we don't know than if we believe there is no point in looking because what we don't know we can never discover.
firsts succeed skydiving
If at first you don't succeed, avoid skydiving.
fall thinking order
If all the misfortunes of mankind were cast into a public stack in order to be equally distributed among the whole species, those who now think themselves the most unhappy would prefer the share they are already possessed of before that which would fall to them by such a division.
wish way shortcuts
The nearest way to glory a shortcut, as it were is to strive to be what you wish to be thought to be.
life letting-go perspective
Sometimes you have to let go to see if there was anything worth holding onto.
knowledge knowing true-knowledge
True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing. And in knowing that you know nothing, that makes you the smartest of all.
judging four answers
Four things belong to a judge: to hear courteously, to answer wisely, to consider soberly, and to decide impartially.
beautiful mean beautiful-things
By means of beauty all beautiful things become beautiful.
soul enquiry world
The soul then, as being immortal, and having been born again many times, and having seen all things that exist, whether in this world or in the world below, has knowledge of them all . . . all enquiry and all learning is but recollection.
memories class feelings
Philebus was saying that enjoyment and pleasure and delight, and the class of feelings akin to them, are a good to every living being, whereas I contend, that not these, but wisdom and intelligence and memory, and their kindred, right opinion and true reasoning, are better and more desirable than pleasure
dance body easy
Whoever would have his body supple, easy and healthful should learn to dance.