30 Powerful Quotes From Socrates To Make You Think

Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher credited as being one of the founders of western philosophy. Socrates was born circa 469 BC in Athens, Greece. His father was a stone mason and sculptor, and his mother was a midwife. Being an ordinary Athenian, he received a basic Greek education. For many years he worked as a stone mason, before he dedicated his life to philosophy.

Socrates was an enigmatic character whose words of wisdom were recorded by his students Plato and Xenophon. While some Athenians admired Socrates’ challenges to conventional Greek wisdom, many felt he threatened the Greek way of life that had worked for centuries. So when the political climate of Greece turned, Socrates was sentenced to death in 399 BC.

I hope that you will enjoy the following powerful and insightful quotes from Socrates and that you will share them with your friends.

1. “Nothing is so well learned as that which is discovered.” – Socrates

2. “The only true wisdom is to know that you know nothing.” – Socrates

3. “True perfection is a bold quest to seek. Only the willing and true of heart will seek the betterment of many.” – Socrates

4. “True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.” – Socrates

5. “Those who are hardest to love need it the most.” – Socrates

6. “Be nicer than necessary to everyone you meet. Everyone is fighting some kind of battle.” – Socrates

7. “I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.” – Socrates

8. “To move the world, we must first move ourselves.” – Socrates

9. “Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.” – Socrates

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

11. “Smart people learn from everything and everyone. Average people from their experiences. Stupid people already have all the answers.” – Socrates

12. “Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.” – Socrates

13. “To find yourself, think for yourself.” – Socrates

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

15. “I know that I am intelligent because I know that I know nothing.” – Socrates

16. “There is no possession more valuable than a good and faithful friend.” – Socrates

17. “Life is full of questions. Idiots are full of answers.” – Socrates

18. “Understanding a question is half an answer.” – Socrates

19. “Be as you wish to seem.” – Socrates

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

21. “Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for.” – Socrates

22. “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” – Socrates

23. “Every action has its pleasure and its price.” – Socrates

24. “No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” – Socrates

25. “Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.” – Socrates

26. “Remember, no human condition is ever permanent.” – Socrates

27. “I call myself a peaceful warrior because the battles we fight are on the inside.” – Socrates

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

29. “The mind is everything; what you think you become.” – Socrates

30. “Know thyself.” – Socrates

Damien Thomas

I believe that personal development is an exciting lifelong process as well as a wonderful journey of self-discovery. It is my sincere wish that I can help people to believe in themselves, believe in their dreams, and most importantly, to take action to achieve the life of their dreams.