Quotes to inspire and reflect

The unexamined life is not worth living.

Let him that would move the world first move himself.

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

Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us.

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.

Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.

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.

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for.

He is a man of courage who does not run away, but remains at his post and fights against the enemy.

From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate.

The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.

Wisdom begins in wonder.

Beware the barrenness of a busy life.

Man is the measure of all things.

No intelligent man believes that anybody ever willingly errs or willingly does base and evil deeds, they are well aware that all who do base and evil things do them unwillingly.

As to gods, I have no way of knowing either that they exist or do not exist, or what they are like.

There are two sides to every question.

Nothing is harder to direct than a man in prosperity, nothing more easily managed that one is adversity.

It is indeed a desirable thing to be well-descended, but the glory belongs to our ancestors.

The omission of good is no less reprehensible than the commission of evil.

Prosperity is no just scale, adversity is the only balance to weigh friends.

For to err in opinion, though it be not the part of wise men, is at least human.

If I were not Alexander, I would be Diogenes.

To be ignorant of the lives of the most celebrated men of antiquity is to continue in a state of childhood all our days.

When the strong box contains no more both friends and flatterers shun the door.

Medicine to produce health must examine disease; and music, to create harmony must investigate discord.

Courage consists not in hazarding without fear; but being resolutely minded in a just cause.

A few vices are sufficient to darken many virtues.

We ought not to treat living creatures like shoes or household belongings, which when worn with use we throw away.

Character is simply habit long continued.

Moral habits, induced by public practices, are far quicker in making their way into men's private lives, than the failings and faults of individuals are in infecting the city at large.

Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech.

Neither blame or praise yourself.

To make no mistakes is not in the power of man; but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future.

Courage stands halfway between cowardice and rashness, one of which is a lack, the other an excess of courage.

The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.

The very spring and root of honesty and virtue lie in good education.

Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks.

All men whilst they are awake are in one common world: but each of them, when he is asleep, is in a world of his own.

An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.

Let us carefully observe those good qualities wherein our enemies excel us; and endeavor to excel them, by avoiding what is faulty, and imitating what is excellent in them.

To find fault is easy, to do better may be difficult.

Do not speak of your happiness to one less fortunate than yourself.

What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.

Perseverance is more prevailing than violence; and many things which cannot be overcome when they are together, yield themselves up when taken little by little.

Those who aim at great deeds must also suffer greatly.

In words are seen the state of mind and character and disposition of the speaker.

It is part of a good man to do great and noble deeds, though he risk everything.