Socrates

I only wish that ordinary people had an unlimited capacity for doing harm; then they might have an unlimited power for doing good.

From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate.

I decided that it was not wisdom that enabled poets to write their poetry, but a kind of instinct or inspiration, such as you find in seers and prophets who deliver all their sublime messages without knowing in the least what they mean.

My advice to you is get married: if you find a good wife you’ll be happy; if not, you’ll become a philosopher.

Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.

He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.

Work is a necessary evil to be avoided.

Who questions much, shall learn much, and retain much.

Necessity is the mother of taking chances.

How some of the writers I come across get through their books without dying of boredom is beyond me.

If everyone is a product of this society, who will say the things that need to be said, and do the things that need to be done, without compromise?

Believe that each day that shines on you is your last.

More helpful than all wisdom is one draught of simple human pity that will not forsake us.

She stepped out barefoot on to the grass, her soul naked, sun beating to her heart’s rhythm, bathing her skin. In her mind, she had already escaped.

Often the surest way to convey misinformation is to tell the strict truth.

Your path will unfold as you walk it, step by step, each one a choice. Be mindful of where you put your feet; sometimes you will step on something sharp. This is a lesson; pay attention. Sometimes you will walk on soft green grass and you will stop and stay awhile. Enjoy those moments. Keep your eyes and heart on your destination and discover your way, one step at a time.

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

The trouble ain’t that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain’t distributed right.

Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed.

Not only must we be good, but we must also be good for something.

Logic is a poor guide compared with custom.