Looking for the best Socrates quotes to inspire deeper questions about life and wisdom? These timeless words from the legendary Greek philosopher can shift your perspective on self-discovery, learning, and the examined life. With his famous insistence that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” Socrates remains a guiding light for those who crave meaning and insight. In this collection of the best Socrates quotes, you’ll find powerful reminders to challenge your beliefs, grow through inquiry, and see every moment as an opportunity to ask—and learn—more. Let these classic insights fuel your curiosity and guide your journey toward understanding.
On Wisdom
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
— Socrates
“I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.”
— Socrates
“Wisdom begins in wonder.”
— Socrates
“To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.”
— Socrates
“Be as you wish to seem.”
— Socrates
“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.”
— Socrates
“True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.”
— Socrates
“I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.”
— Socrates
“He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.”
— Socrates
“There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.”
— Socrates
On Life & Purpose
“An unexamined life is not worth living.”
— Socrates
“Let him who would move the world first move himself.”
— Socrates
“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.”
— Socrates
“The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.”
— Socrates
“Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.”
— Socrates
“Death may be the greatest of all human blessings.”
— Socrates
“The easiest and noblest way is not to be crushing others, but to be improving yourselves.”
— Socrates
“Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty.”
— Socrates
“He who is richest is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.”
— Socrates
“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.”
— Socrates
On Questioning & Dialogue
“I know that I am intelligent because I know that I know nothing.”
— Socrates
“To find yourself, think for yourself.”
— Socrates
“Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings so that you shall come easily by what others have labored hard for.”
— Socrates
“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.”
— Socrates
“I was afraid that by observing objects with my eyes and trying to comprehend them with each of my other senses I might blind my soul altogether.”
— Socrates
“The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world is to be in reality what we would appear to be.”
— Socrates
“Envy is the ulcer of the soul.”
— Socrates
“It is better to change an opinion than to persist in a wrong one.”
— Socrates
“Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant.”
— Socrates
“From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate.”
— Socrates
⚖️ On Virtue & Ethics
“Virtue does not come from wealth, but wealth and every good thing which men have comes from virtue.”
— Socrates
“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.”
— Socrates
“If a man is proud of his wealth, he should not be praised until it is known how he employs it.”
— Socrates
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
— Anonymous
“Do not do to others what angers you if done to you by others.”
— Socrates
“False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.”
— Socrates
“Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued.”
— Socrates
“No man undertakes a trade he has not learned, even the meanest; yet everyone thinks himself sufficiently qualified for the hardest of all trades – that of government.”
— Socrates
“Those who are hardest to love need it the most.”
— Anonymous
“Only the extremely ignorant or the extremely intelligent can resist change.”
— Socrates
On Courage & Change
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
— Socrates
“To move the world we must first move ourselves.”
— Socrates
“Thou shouldst eat to live; not live to eat.”
— Socrates
“He is richest who is content with the least.”
— Socrates
“When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser.”
— Socrates
“Falling down is not a failure. Failure comes when you stay where you have fallen.”
— Socrates
“Understanding a question is half an answer.”
— Socrates
“Sometimes you have to let go to see if there was anything worth holding on to.”
— Socrates
“Remember that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore avoid undue elation in prosperity, or undue depression in adversity.”
— Socrates
“The mind is everything; what you think you become.”
— Socrates
We hope these best Socrates quotes helped spark new questions about life, wisdom, and your own search for understanding. Let his timeless words remind you to challenge assumptions and keep your mind open to growth. Whether you use Socrates’ ideas for personal reflection, daily motivation, or conversations with others, may his philosophy inspire you to keep questioning and seek deeper meaning every day.
About Socrates
Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher, born around 470 BCE in Athens, who became one of the founders of Western philosophy. Famous for his unique approach known as the Socratic method, he encouraged people to ask probing questions and examine their own beliefs. Socrates did not write down his teachings; instead, his students, especially Plato, recorded his dialogues and ideas. His emphasis on critical thinking, searching for truth, and living an examined life continues to impact philosophy, education, and everyday life today. Socrates’ legacy endures as a symbol of intellectual curiosity and unwavering wisdom.
