17 Life Changing Lessons To Learn From Socrates

Uplifting

March 13, 2015

If theres one thing Ive learned from Socrates is you cant teach people anything. No matter how hard you try,
youre never going to teach them anything. You can only make people think. You help open their eyes and
realize what they are capable of.
Here are 17 of the best quotes and life changing lessons we can take from Socrates.Did we miss your favorite
Socrates quotes? Share it in the comments below!

1. You have to be as you want to seem. No faking!

The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world, is to be in reality what we would appear to be;
and if we observe, we shall find, that all human virtues increase and strengthen themselves by the practice of
them.

2. Virtue does not come from money.

I do nothing but go about persuading you all, old and young alike, not to take thought for your persons or your
properties, but and chiefly to care about the greatest improvement of the soul. I tell you that virtue is not given
by money, but that from virtue comes money and every other good of man, public as well as private. This is my
teaching, and if this is the doctrine which corrupts the youth, I am a mischievous person.

3. Read the writings of other men and women to

improve yourself.
Employ your time in improving yourself by other mens writings so that you shall gain easily what others have
labored hard for.

4. Wisdom is knowing how little you know.

I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.
To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.
I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing.
True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the
world around us.
8.5k

5. If you want to change the world, change yourself.

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Let him that would move the world first move himself.~ Socrates
143
Remember
that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore avoid undue elation in prosperity, or undue

depression in adversity.

6. Youll be rich when you realize you have enough.

He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.
Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty.

7. Eat healthy to live.

Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.

8. Live a good life, not a life chosen for you by

someone else.
The unexamined life is not worth living.
The really important thing is not to live, but to live well. And to live well meant, along with more enjoyable
things in life, to live according to your principles.

9. Nothing in life is ever truly stationary. Everything

is in a constant state of change.
If you dont get what you want, you suffer; if you get what you dont want, you suffer; even when you get
exactly what you want, you still suffer because you cant hold on to it forever. Your mind is your predicament. It
wants to be free of change. Free of pain, free of the obligations of life and death. But change is law and no
amount of pretending will alter that reality.

10. Dont simply be busy, but be busy doing things

that matter to you.
Beware the barrenness of a busy life.

11. Explore the entire world.

I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.

12. Think for yourself. Dont let others do the

thinking.
To find yourself, think for yourself.

13. Dont rush head rst into a friendship.

Be slow to fall into friendship, but when you are in, continue firm and constant.

14. Choose your words wisely.

False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.

15. Two wrongs dont make a right. Confront evil

with good intentions.
One who is injured ought not to return the injury, for on no account can it be right to do an injustice; and it is
not right to return an injury, or to do evil to any man, however much we have suffered from him.

16. Your soul is immortal.

All mens souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are immortal and divine.

17. Dont ever sti e your curiosity!

Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.
Image credit: Guyana Chronicle

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16Comments

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Addacomment...

McJonesNamasoVikiCEO&Founder,MasterArtistatTimelessMusic
SOCRATESCOULDBETHEFIRSTDISCIPLEOFCHRIST,HEWASSOCAREFREEANDLIVEDBYTHE
TRUTH!
LikeReply

4Mar19,201512:10pm

LesWhiteUniversityofBritishColumbia
SocrateswasnotadiscipleofChrist,JesuswasapoorshadowofSocrates.
LikeReply

15Mar20,201512:59am

McJonesNamasoVikiCEO&Founder,MasterArtistatTimelessMusic
LesWhiteTellmemore
LikeReply

2Mar20,20151:07am


LesWhiteJesusmightnotevenexisted..
LikeReply

5Mar21,20152:43am

Show1morereplyinthisthread

TimSmith
IfBill&Tedcanlearnfromthisguy,socantherestofus!
LikeReply

2Mar24,20159:13am

DonMcDanielsOwneratSelfEmployed
SOCRATESNOAPOLOGY:Yes...."Iamablackman,excusedofcorruptingtheyouthofAthens,with
wisdomunfitforamanofcolor.TheApologywasnotanattempttoconvincemypeersanddetractors
ofmyworthinessasanorator,ateacher.ItwasacallforthewisdomandfutureofAthenstosee
beyondmyblackness...Iwasimprisoned,notbecauseofanyoraloffense,buttothefactthatthe
sourcewasoffensive.Mycrimewaswisdomofwhichthereisnoapology,mypunishmentwasprison,
myliberationwasHemlock,andmywordsliveon...."
LikeReply

3Mar14,20159:10pm

Socrateswasnotblack.
LikeReply

1Mar21,20152:41am

doesitmatterifhewasornot?
LikeReply

2Mar29,20153:41pm

Yes.DontfuckwithGreekhistory.A
LikeReply

2Mar29,20156:22pm

Show10morerepliesinthisthread

JosephJ.GrechWestHollywood,California
WithoutbeingawareofitIseethatIhavebeenafollowerofSocratesmostofmylife.Ihavetriedto
livebymostoftheseprinciples!
LikeReply

2Mar21,20159:59pm

CaneSokolovskiWorksatKawneer
IbelieveJesusshouldhavebeendiscipleofSocrates
LikeReply

2Mar22,20154:28am

NathanReinertGeetaratBurnSwitch
immortalportalmike:)
LikeReplyMar21,20159:26am

TomKentProfessionalWriteratEXACTPublishing
I'ssurelikeasourceforthese.#8isnottraditionallyattributedtoSocratesand#9isTheBuddha,it's

I'ssurelikeasourceforthese.#8isnottraditionallyattributedtoSocratesand#9isTheBuddha,it's
centralBuddhistteaching(andtheBuddhalived200yearsbeforeSocrates).
LikeReplyApr8,201510:57am

AlexanderLeTrungCangTeacher,Healer&MentoratAlexanderCounselingServices
Manymorearejustbabbling,hadnosinglecluewhattheywerereading.
LikeReply

1Mar21,20154:05pm

AlexanderLeTrungCangTeacher,Healer&MentoratAlexanderCounselingServices
Takenote,thisisnoeasytask,forsuchpropertraining,becoming,andcontinuingaschampionin
Socraticsystemandteachingismuchfarmorehardshipandchallengethantrainingandcontinue
winningOlympicgoldmedal.Mostparticipanthavefallbehind,dropout,orgivenupthechallenge
alongthiscourse.Altc
LikeReply

1Mar21,201512:00pm

WilliamSingletonWorksatAtHome
"TheUnexaminedLife,IsnotWorthLiving".Socrates,whenquestionedonthis,decidedtoaccept
deathratherthansavehimself.HowIadmirethisgreatmanwhoquestionedEVERYTHING.!!!
LikeReply

1Mar21,20153:17pm

YocauriDominguezManhattanCollege
Thankyouforsharing...greatread
LikeReply

1Mar28,20157:22pm

MikaelHolth
neverreadsocratesbefor,butilaikenr4becusitisclosetomyownsayingisayIknowevrything,
thatiswhyiknownothingSocratessayIamthewisestmanalive,becusiknowonething,and
thatisiknownothing.
LikeReply

1Mar15,20153:55pm

SidFloretaPainteratSelfEmployed
NowIknowwhydoIkeeponwonderandwhy(17),theanswerwasatno.1
LikeReplyApr3,201512:36pm

SusieVoldeckWayneStateUniversity
WhenIsentmychildrenofftoKindergartenItoldthemtoquestioneverythingandeverypersonin
"authority".No,theydidnotgetkickedoutofschoolandtheylearnbecausetheyloveto,not
becausetheyhaveto!
LikeReply

1Apr3,20159:40pm

ThomasHoellerCapilanoUniversity
"Fortofeardeath,gentlemen,isonlytothinkyouarewisewhenyouarenotforitistothinkyou
knowwhatyoudon'tknow.Nooneknowswhetherdeathisthegreatestblessingamancanhave,but
theyfearitisthegreatestcurse,asiftheyknewwell."
LikeReply

9Mar14,201511:48pm

AvramIulianFacultateadeInginerieElectrica,EnergeticasiInformaticaAplicata
Thankuverrymuchforthis.Ihopeinthenearfuturepeoplewillgetmorewisdomfromthepast
peopledatweremoreconnectedtotheworld.Justwannahelp,uwroteimmportalon16.Tyagain
forthisentiresite.

forthisentiresite.
LikeReply

2Mar14,20153:42pm

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