45 Deep Socrates Quotes About Life

“We cannot live better than in seeking to become better.”

 45 Deep Socrates Quotes About Life
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A Greek philosopher from Athens, Socrates is credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy and contributed the Socratic method. Although he has been gone since about 399 BC, these Socrates quotes about life prove his legacy still lives on.

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1. “The unexamined life is not worth living.” —Socrates

2. “There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.” —Socrates

3. “I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing.” —Socrates

4. “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” —Socrates

5. “Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” —Socrates

beware the barrenness of a busy life

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6. “He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have”  —Socrates

7. “To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.” —Socrates

8. “I know you won’t believe me, but the highest form of Human Excellence is to question oneself and others.” —Socrates

9. “I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.” —Socrates

10. “To find yourself think for yourself.” —Socrates

11. “Death may be the greatest of all human blessings.” —Socrates

12. “Envy is the ulcer of the soul.” —Socrates

envy is the ulcer of the soul

13. "Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.” —Socrates

14. "When the debate is over, slander becomes the tool of the loser." —Socrates

15. “If a man is proud of his wealth, he should not be praised until it is known how he employs it.” —Socrates

16. “Remember that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore avoid undue elation in prosperity, or undue depression in adversity.” —Socrates

17. “Remember what is unbecoming to do is also unbecoming to speak of.” —Socrates

18. “Be as you wish to seem.” —Socrates

19. “Thou shouldst eat to live; not live to eat.” —Socrates

20. “Know thyself.” —Socrates

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21. “Bad men live that they may eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live.” —Socrates

22. “If all misfortunes were laid in one common heap whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be contented to take their own and depart.” —Socrates

23. “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”  —Socrates

24. “Only the extremely ignorant or the extremely intelligent can resist change.” —Socrates

only the extremely ignorant or the extremely intelligent can resist change

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25. “The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.” —Socrates

26. “The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.”  —Socrates

27. “Everyone wants to tell you what to do and what’s good for you. They don’t want you to find your own answers, they want you to believe theirs.” —Socrates

28. “The hour of departure has arrived and we go our ways; I to die, and you to live. Which is better? Only God knows.” —Socrates

29. “The hottest love has the coldest end.” —Socrates

30. “Nature has given us two ears, two eyes, and but one tongue-to the end that we should hear and see more than we speak.” —Socrates

31. “From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate.”  —Socrates

from the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate

32. “The value of a man is measured in the number of those who stand beside him, not those who follow.”  —Socrates

33. “Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty.” —Socrates

34. “Let him that would move the world, first move himself.” —Socrates

35. “We cannot live better than in seeking to become better.” —Socrates

36. “The nearest way to glory is to strive to be what you wish to be thought to be.” —Socrates

37. “The easiest and noblest way is not to be crushing others, but to be improving yourselves.”  —Socrates

38. "Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel."  —Socrates

39. “Remember, no human condition is ever permanent. Then you will not be overjoyed in good fortune nor too scornful in misfortune.” —Socrates

40. “It is better to change an opinion than to persist in a wrong one.” —Socrates

it is better to change an opinion than to persist in a wrong one

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41. “Mankind is made of two kinds of people: wise people who know they’re fools, and fools who think they are wise.” —Socrates

42. “Get not your friends by bare compliments, but by giving them sensible tokens of your love.” —Socrates

43. “I would rather die having spoken after my manner, than speak in your manner and live.” —Socrates

44. “An education obtained with money is worse than no education at all.” —Socrates

45. “He is rich who is content with the least; for contentment is the wealth of nature.” —Socrates

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Isabell Tenorio is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture, love and relationship topics.