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

"All I know is that I know nothing."

"To find yourself, think for yourself."

"Is it true; is it kind, or is it necessary?"

"Let him who would move the world first move himself."

"For the fear of death is indeed the pretense of wisdom, and not real wisdom, being a pretense of knowing the unknown; and no one know whether death, which men in their fear apprehend to be the greatest evil, may not be the greatest good. Is not this ignorance of a disgraceful sort, the ignorance which is the conceit that a man knows that he does not know? And in this respect only I believe myself to differ from men in general, and may perhaps claim to be wiser than they are: that whereas I know but little of the world below, I do not suppose that I know..."

"Esteemed friend, citizen of Athens, the greatest city in the world, so outstanding in both intelligence and power, aren't you ashamed to care so much to make all the money you can, and to advance your reputation and prestige--while for truth and wisdom and the improvement of your soul you have no care or worry?"

"One should eat to live; not live to eat."

"He is not only idle who does nothing, but he is idle who might be better employed."

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

"We approach truth only inasmuch as we depart from life. For what do we, who love truth, strive after in life? To free ourselves from the body, and from all the evil that is caused by the life of the body! If so, then how can we fail to be glad when death comes to us? The wise man seeks death all his life and therefore death is not terrible to him."

"The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms."

"Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers."

"Remember that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore avoid undue elation in prosperity, or undue depression in adversity."

"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."

"Thou should eat to live; not live to eat."

"My friend...care for your psyche...know thyself, for once we know ourselves, we may learn how to care for ourselves"

"I desire only to know the truth and to live as well as I can... And, to the utmost of my power, I exhort all other men to do the same... I exhort you also to take part in the great combat, which is the combat of life, and greater than every other earthly conflict."

"We cannot live better than in seeking to become better."

"Children nowadays are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food, and tyrannize their teachers."