6 Quotes by Socrates That Will Change The Way You Think
“The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.”
Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher who lived in Athens, Greece. He was born around 470 B.C. and died in 399 B.C. He was known for his wisdom.
I believe he is one of the greatest philosophers of all time among other important ones. His wisdom is still known in western philosophy.
It’s beautiful to see ancient philosophers’ messages still being shared around the world today. It means they were ahead of their time.
I’ve always been fascinated by Ancient Greece, especially the ancient philosophers during those times who were wise.
As an old soul, I love the aesthetic of it as well.
Quotes from philosophers such as Socrates make me re-think my own life and how I see the world with a bigger awareness.
I’ve collected six quotes by him which are the most favorable in my opinion.
It comes with guidance on how to apply them.
Here are some of them.
“I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.”
You can’t help everyone.
Only people can help themselves.
It’s difficult to change someone but it’s easier to make them think.
They may not like what you say at first but once they go home to their bed, they will reflect on what you said.
It’s easier to change a child who was born with curiosity than an adult because they don’t like to have their ego challenged. You can only change as an adult if you are still open-minded with curiosity.
Everyone’s journey in this life is different. When you make people think, you are helping them get closer to their path with better clarity.
We live in a time where people are very close-minded and they feel threatened to have their intelligence challenged.
Humans are more open to being told how to think than being told what to do exactly, as they never like anyone controlling their life close-up.
Lots of guidance can be overwhelming for people but some like clear and detailed guidance on what to do exactly.
How to apply:
- If you want to make people think, go for it.
- Plant a little seed here and there.
- Share a little wisdom here and there.
- Never underestimate your knowledge as it can definitely help someone think about their situation in a better way.
- It’s better to tell people what to do when they ask for it.
“He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.”
We always want more and more and it will never be enough for us.
If you want to have some things in your life, start by being grateful for all the things you already have because not everyone has access to the things you have.
They wish to have what you have.
You have eyes to see beauty in the world, blind people don’t. You can listen to the most beautiful sounds, deaf people can’t. You have arms and legs, some people lost them or were born without them.
It’s in our ego to want more and nothing is ever good enough for us. The more you want things, the more you forget what you already have.
The more you think of what you don’t have, the less you will have. The more you appreciate what you have, the more you see your life as a blessing.
When you start to find small blessings in your life, more blessings will multiply in your life. It is teaching you to become more grateful in your life.
Gratitude gives you peace of mind and it reminds you of how you are already blessed in life but will be more blessed in the future.
How to apply:
- Write down or think about ten things that you’re grateful for in your life daily.
- Hug your loved ones and tell them you love them.
- Meditate more: Meditations help us to be in touch with our emotions and when we think about what we already have, we become emotional in a happy way.
- If you want to change, start to love the situation you’re in now.
“To find yourself, think for yourself. ”
You will never learn about who you really are if you allow people to think for you.
It can be difficult to think for yourself if you’re always social with people because you can experience peer pressure.
You get to know yourself better by spending some time for yourself and it happens slowly the more you spend alone time for yourself.
When you spend time on your own, you will learn about what makes you really happy and what type of people you want in your life.
You only think clearly when there is less noise and more silence.
It gives you time to think about what is right for you.
Silence comes with meditation and solitude.
It doesn’t mean you should be alone all the time.
Balance it out; be social and be alone.
How to apply:
- Spend some alone time to re-think about your choices and reflect on your life from the moment you were born till now.
- To think for yourself, be alone for a while.
- Ask yourself questions such as:
“Did I choose this career to make my parents happy?”
“Did I choose this relationship because I’m afraid to be alone?”
“Did I choose to have these friends even if they don’t understand me?”
“The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.”
When people listen to evil people, they are promoting more evilness in this world.
It’s worse to know what they’re doing is wrong but you listen to them anyway because you’re afraid of confrontations.
The reason why people don’t confront the evil in this world is because of fear.
On top of that, it’s very evil to speak negatively about yourself and how you will never achieve your dreams.
The treatment you give to yourself is evil and it comes from ignorance. It comes from not knowing better.
You should never be afraid to be smart, be afraid of being ignorant.
Be afraid of ignorant people listening to ignorant people.
How to apply:
- Start educating yourself as much as possible about the world by reading more educated books.
- Have empathy for people who experience injustice and be there for them.
- Learn from the history during cruel times.
- Listen to people who speak about what is right and wrong.
- Let the bullies know what they have done wrong.
- Spend less time watching useless content online.
“One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing.”
I know for sure I don’t know everything and I am still learning while typing this.
It feels like humility has faded away through the years as more people claim they are better than anyone.
Knowing there is so much to learn in life makes life more exciting as it shows that you still don’t know much about life, but you will.
Sometimes, ignorance is truly bliss, but it can be evil as well, which makes it a paradox.
Ignorance is evil when we allow evil to have power and ignorance is bliss when we stop watching the news that is filled with fear.
How to apply:
- Try to balance between being humble and knowing what’s right, using your intuition.
- If someone talks a lot without saying anything, speak up for yourself.
- If someone talks and makes you think, listen with humility.
- See yourself as a student of life, never stop learning.
- Be open-minded when someone is teaching you something but never take any disrespect from people who just want to complain about you. Be aware of the differences.
“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.”
If you wish to gain wisdom and knowledge, you have to be curious and ask about anything in life. You become wise when you start to wonder.
Ignorance is thinking you know it all.
I think children are much better at asking questions than adults do.
I’ve honestly gained a lot of wisdom in life by always asking questions and listening to those who really know what they’re talking about.
Wonder is a beautiful child-like habit you can use in your adult life.
You never stop learning and becoming wise once you reach adulthood. You should still wonder about life when you are 80 years old.
Do you know how much there is to learn about life?
It’s limitless and never stops.
How to apply:
- Ask questions, even the dumbest ones.
- Everyone you meet is a teacher, so listen to them because they will give you wisdom in life, even if you don’t understand it at the moment but in the future, you will.
- Ask more about the topic that someone is sharing with you, it shows your curiosity and interest.
- Find some books based on topics that you’re curious about or research them online for more information.
- Never feel afraid to be curious and ask questions.
