45 Deep Socrates Quotes About Life
“We cannot live better than in seeking to become better.”
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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
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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
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
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
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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
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
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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.