Plato Quotes

Powerful Plato for Daily Growth

About Plato

Plato (427 BC – 347 BC), born as Aristocles in Athens, Greece, is renowned as one of the most significant figures in Western philosophy. Known primarily through the works attributed to him, the Dialogues, Plato's intellectual impact transcends his era and remains influential in various fields today. Plato was a student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle. After Socrates' execution, Plato traveled extensively, visiting Egypt and Sicily. These travels are believed to have broadened his philosophical perspective, incorporating elements from various cultures into his own teachings. Plato founded the Academy in Athens, an educational institution that provided a formal setting for scholarly debate and served as a prototype for modern universities. His major works include "The Republic," "Apology," "Phaedo," and "Symposium." These dialogues present philosophical inquiries into justice, knowledge, beauty, and love, often using allegory and dialogue to explore abstract ideas. In "The Republic," Plato introduces his theory of Forms, which posits that there are ideal, perfect versions of everything in the material world. This concept forms the basis of much metaphysical and epistemological discourse within philosophy. Plato's teachings have had a profound impact on Western thought. His ideas about morality, politics, and education continue to shape society and inspire philosophers, political theorists, and educators around the world. Despite being over 2,400 years old, Plato's works remain relevant and thought-provoking, making him one of history's most enduring thinkers.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Know thyself."

Plato's quote, "Know thyself," is a call for self-awareness and introspection. It encourages individuals to deeply understand their own strengths, weaknesses, desires, motivations, and values - essentially, to comprehend who they truly are at the core. This self-knowledge serves as a foundation for personal growth, decision-making, and navigating life's complexities more effectively.

"The universe is change; our inner life is all certainty."

This quote by Plato suggests that while the external universe is in a constant state of change, our inner self or consciousness is a source of unchanging certainty. It implies that amidst the flux of the physical world, our personal beliefs, values, and understanding remain consistent, providing us with an anchor in the face of change. This quote invites us to reflect on the dichotomy between the transient nature of reality and the enduring nature of our inner truths.

"Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."

This quote from Plato suggests that true wisdom is not merely about speaking, but rather about having valuable insights to share. Fools, on the other hand, feel compelled to talk without regard for whether their words are meaningful or not. Essentially, Plato is highlighting the difference between those who speak with purpose and those who speak aimlessly.

"Necessity is the mother of invention."

The quote "Necessity is the mother of invention" suggests that problems or needs often drive the creation of new ideas, solutions, or methods. In other words, when faced with a pressing issue (necessity), humans are motivated to invent, innovate, and find creative ways to solve it. This philosophy underlines resilience, adaptability, and ingenuity as key human traits that have driven progress throughout history.

"Only the dead have seen the end of war."

This quote by Plato suggests that only those who are no longer alive can witness the complete cessation of war, as its destructive nature persists throughout human history. War's devastating impact makes it an ever-present reality for the living, yet the hope for lasting peace remains a distant goal. The quote implies that the pursuit and realization of eternal peace might not be achievable within the lifespan of any single individual or generation.

Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue.

- Plato

Music, Soul, Reach, Education

We are twice armed if we fight with faith.

- Plato

Fight, Twice, Armed, Faith

Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.

- Plato

Communication, Wise, Men, Say

He who is of calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition youth and age are equally a burden.

- Plato

Nature, Will, Equally, Disposition

Nothing in the affairs of men is worthy of great anxiety.

- Plato

Men, Anxiety, Nothing, Worthy

Poets utter great and wise things which they do not themselves understand.

- Plato

Wise, Themselves, Which, Utter

Man is a wingless animal with two feet and flat nails.

- Plato

Animal, Feet, Nails, Flat

There's a victory, and defeat; the first and best of victories, the lowest and worst of defeats which each man gains or sustains at the hands not of another, but of himself.

- Plato

Hands, Victories, Which, Gains

I have hardly ever known a mathematician who was capable of reasoning.

- Plato

Reasoning, Ever, Known, Mathematician

When the tyrant has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest or treaty, and there is nothing more to fear from them, then he is always stirring up some war or other, in order that the people may require a leader.

- Plato

Leader, Some, Other, Foreign

Honesty is for the most part less profitable than dishonesty.

- Plato

Honesty, Part, Most, Dishonesty

This City is what it is because our citizens are what they are.

- Plato

City, Because, Our, Citizens

I exhort you also to take part in the great combat, which is the combat of life, and greater than every other earthly conflict.

- Plato

Other, Part, Which, Earthly

Excess generally causes reaction, and produces a change in the opposite direction, whether it be in the seasons, or in individuals, or in governments.

- Plato

Change, Seasons, Reaction, Excess

Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance.

- Plato

Knowledge, Ignorance, Medium

Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us from this world to another.

- Plato

Soul, World, Leads, Compels

It is clear to everyone that astronomy at all events compels the soul to look upwards, and draws it from the things of this world to the other.

- Plato

Soul, Other, Everyone, Compels

Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty.

- Plato

Most, Naturally, Form, Extreme

Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history.

- Plato

Truth, Poetry, Nearer, Vital

No evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death.

- Plato

Death, Happen, Either, A Good Man

Justice means minding one's own business and not meddling with other men's concerns.

- Plato

Other, Means, Minding, Concerns

No law or ordinance is mightier than understanding.

- Plato

Law, Understanding, Than, No Law

Justice in the life and conduct of the State is possible only as first it resides in the hearts and souls of the citizens.

- Plato

Legal, Only, Conduct, Resides

To go to the world below, having a soul which is like a vessel full of injustice, is the last and worst of all the evils.

- Plato

Injustice, Which, Having, Vessel

Those who intend on becoming great should love neither themselves nor their own things, but only what is just, whether it happens to be done by themselves or others.

- Plato

Love, Own, Becoming, Intend

Love is a serious mental disease.

- Plato

Love, Serious, Disease, Love Is

Science is nothing but perception.

- Plato

Science, Nothing, Perception

Love is the joy of the good, the wonder of the wise, the amazement of the Gods.

- Plato

Love, Wise, Amazement, Love Is

Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet.

- Plato

Song, Always, Sings, Incomplete

To love rightly is to love what is orderly and beautiful in an educated and disciplined way.

- Plato

Love, Beautiful, Educated, Orderly

For good nurture and education implant good constitutions.

- Plato

Education, Good, Graduation, Nurture

The most important part of education is proper training in the nursery.

- Plato

Education, Important, Most, Nursery

Better a little which is well done, than a great deal imperfectly.

- Plato

Better, Deal, Which, Great Deal

For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories.

- Plato

Conquer, Himself, Victories, Noblest

The community which has neither poverty nor riches will always have the noblest principles.

- Plato

Always, Which, Nor, Noblest

Tyranny naturally arises out of democracy.

- Plato

Tyranny, Naturally, Arises

When a Benefit is wrongly conferred, the author of the Benefit may often be said to injure.

- Plato

May, Author, Conferred, Wrongly

The gods' service is tolerable, man's intolerable.

- Plato

Service, Gods, Tolerable, Intolerable

People are like dirt. They can either nourish you and help you grow as a person or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die.

- Plato

Die, Grow, Like, Wilt

The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself; to be conquered by yourself is of all things most shameful and vile.

- Plato

Great, Conquer, Most, All Things

Must not all things at the last be swallowed up in death?

- Plato

Death, Last, Swallowed, All Things

We ought to esteem it of the greatest importance that the fictions which children first hear should be adapted in the most perfect manner to the promotion of virtue.

- Plato

Perfect, Esteem, Which, Fictions

Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.

- Plato

Good, Bad, Laws, Responsibly

The blame is his who chooses: God is blameless.

- Plato

God, Blame, His, Chooses

All men are by nature equal, made all of the same earth by one Workman; and however we deceive ourselves, as dear unto God is the poor peasant as the mighty prince.

- Plato

Peasant, However, Workman, Mighty

Necessity... the mother of invention.

- Plato

Mother, Necessity, Invention

Hardly any human being is capable of pursuing two professions or two arts rightly.

- Plato

Human Being, Pursuing, Hardly

Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.

- Plato

Music, Mind, Flight, Gaiety

There will be no end to the troubles of states, or of humanity itself, till philosophers become kings in this world, or till those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become philosophers, and political power and philosophy thus come into the same hands.

- Plato

Political, Hands, Till, Political Power

No one ever teaches well who wants to teach, or governs well who wants to govern.

- Plato

Govern, Ever, Teaches, Governs

Then not only an old man, but also a drunkard, becomes a second time a child.

- Plato

Old, Only, Also, Drunkard

The excessive increase of anything causes a reaction in the opposite direction.

- Plato

Reaction, Causes, Excessive, Opposite Direction

No trace of slavery ought to mix with the studies of the freeborn man. No study, pursued under compulsion, remains rooted in the memory.

- Plato

Memory, Study, Compulsion, Mix

As the builders say, the larger stones do not lie well without the lesser.

- Plato

Lie, Builders, Larger, Lesser

And what, Socrates, is the food of the soul? Surely, I said, knowledge is the food of the soul.

- Plato

Knowledge, Soul, Surely, Socrates

Whatever deceives men seems to produce a magical enchantment.

- Plato

Men, Magical, Deceives, Enchantment

To be sure I must; and therefore I may assume that your silence gives consent.

- Plato

May, Sure, Therefore, Assume

Knowledge without justice ought to be called cunning rather than wisdom.

- Plato

Knowledge, Cunning, Rather, Ought

We ought to fly away from earth to heaven as quickly as we can; and to fly away is to become like God, as far as this is possible; and to become like him is to become holy, just, and wise.

- Plato

Away, Like, Holy, Ought

The rulers of the state are the only persons who ought to have the privilege of lying, either at home or abroad; they may be allowed to lie for the good of the state.

- Plato

May, Abroad, Allowed, Ought

All things will be produced in superior quantity and quality, and with greater ease, when each man works at a single occupation, in accordance with his natural gifts, and at the right moment, without meddling with anything else.

- Plato

Ease, Works, Occupation, All Things

Ignorance of all things is an evil neither terrible nor excessive, nor yet the greatest of all; but great cleverness and much learning, if they be accompanied by a bad training, are a much greater misfortune.

- Plato

Learning, Training, Bad, All Things

When there is an income tax, the just man will pay more and the unjust less on the same amount of income.

- Plato

Income, Unjust, Amount, Income Tax

There is no harm in repeating a good thing.

- Plato

Harm, A Good Thing, Repeating

A state arises, as I conceive, out of the needs of mankind; no one is self-sufficing, but all of us have many wants.

- Plato

Mankind, Needs, Conceive, Arises

The man who makes everything that leads to happiness depends upon himself, and not upon other men, has adopted the very best plan for living happily. This is the man of moderation, the man of manly character and of wisdom.

- Plato

Living, Other, Very, Adopted

To suffer the penalty of too much haste, which is too little speed.

- Plato

Suffer, Which, Too, Haste

Entire ignorance is not so terrible or extreme an evil, and is far from being the greatest of all; too much cleverness and too much learning, accompanied with ill bringing-up, are far more fatal.

- Plato

Knowledge, More, Ill, Terrible

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.

- Plato

Politics, Refusing, Inferiors

To prefer evil to good is not in human nature; and when a man is compelled to choose one of two evils, no one will choose the greater when he might have the less.

- Plato

Nature, Will, Prefer, Human Nature

Apply yourself both now and in the next life. Without effort, you cannot be prosperous. Though the land be good, You cannot have an abundant crop without cultivation.

- Plato

Next, Next Life, Though, Cultivation

Then not only custom, but also nature affirms that to do is more disgraceful than to suffer injustice, and that justice is equality.

- Plato

Nature, Injustice, More, Custom

Our object in the construction of the state is the greatest happiness of the whole, and not that of any one class.

- Plato

Happiness, Construction, Object

For the introduction of a new kind of music must be shunned as imperiling the whole state; since styles of music are never disturbed without affecting the most important political institutions.

- Plato

New, The Most Important, Shunned

Rhetoric is the art of ruling the minds of men.

- Plato

Art, Minds, Ruling, Rhetoric

Twice and thrice over, as they say, good is it to repeat and review what is good.

- Plato

Over, Repeat, Twice, Review

Cunning... is but the low mimic of wisdom.

- Plato

Wisdom, Cunning, Low, Mimic

He who steals a little steals with the same wish as he who steals much, but with less power.

- Plato

Wish, Same, Less, Steals

How can you prove whether at this moment we are sleeping, and all our thoughts are a dream; or whether we are awake, and talking to one another in the waking state?

- Plato

Thoughts, Prove, Another, Waking

Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge.

- Plato

Knowledge, Desire, Emotion, Human Behavior

Democracy passes into despotism.

- Plato

Government, Passes, Despotism

The wisest have the most authority.

- Plato

Authority, Most, Wisest

Man never legislates, but destinies and accidents, happening in all sorts of ways, legislate in all sorts of ways.

- Plato

Never, Ways, Legislate, Destinies

Philosophy begins in wonder.

- Plato

Philosophy, Begins, Wonder

Wonder is the feeling of the philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder.

- Plato

Feeling, Begins, Philosopher, Wonder

If particulars are to have meaning, there must be universals.

- Plato

Meaning, Must, Universal

Let parents bequeath to their children not riches, but the spirit of reverence.

- Plato

Children, Parenting, Riches, Parents

The learning and knowledge that we have, is, at the most, but little compared with that of which we are ignorant.

- Plato

Knowledge, Most, Which, Compared

I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work.

- Plato

Work, Doing, Come, Accident

Philosophy is the highest music.

- Plato

Music, Highest, Philosophy

No one is a friend to his friend who does not love in return.

- Plato

Love, His, Does, Return

The highest reach of injustice is to be deemed just when you are not.

- Plato

Injustice, Reach, Highest, Deemed

Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.

- Plato

Knowledge, Mind, Which, Compulsion

Excess of liberty, whether it lies in state or individuals, seems only to pass into excess of slavery.

- Plato

Liberty, Pass, Whether, Excess

The most virtuous are those who content themselves with being virtuous without seeking to appear so.

- Plato

Themselves, Most, Virtuous, Appear

A hero is born among a hundred, a wise man is found among a thousand, but an accomplished one might not be found even among a hundred thousand men.

- Plato

Born, Might, Hundred, Wise Man

This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector.

- Plato

Other, Springs, Which, Protector

The god of love lives in a state of need. It is a need. It is an urge. It is a homeostatic imbalance. Like hunger and thirst, it's almost impossible to stamp out.

- Plato

Love, Thirst, Imbalance, Hunger

Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil.

- Plato

Ignorance, Root, Stem, Evil

Know one knows whether death, which people fear to be the greatest evil, may not be the greatest good.

- Plato

Death, May, Which, Evil

Knowledge becomes evil if the aim be not virtuous.

- Plato

Knowledge, Aim, Virtuous, Evil

No man should bring children into the world who is unwilling to persevere to the end in their nature and education.

- Plato

Nature, Education, Persevere, Unwilling

It is a common saying, and in everybody's mouth, that life is but a sojourn.

- Plato

Mouth, Common, Everybody, Saying

Democracy... is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder; and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike.

- Plato

Democracy, Equality, Sort, Equals

There is no such thing as a lovers' oath.

- Plato

Lovers, Thing, Oath

Nothing can be more absurd than the practice that prevails in our country of men and women not following the same pursuits with all their strengths and with one mind, for thus, the state instead of being whole is reduced to half.

- Plato

Practice, Country, Half, Reduced

Knowledge is true opinion.

- Plato

Knowledge, True, Opinion

He who is not a good servant will not be a good master.

- Plato

Will, He, Servant, Master

We do not learn; and what we call learning is only a process of recollection.

- Plato

Process, Learn, Call, Recollection

He who commits injustice is ever made more wretched than he who suffers it.

- Plato

Injustice, Ever, Suffers, Wretched

At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.

- Plato

Love, Touch, Everyone, Poet

The punishment which the wise suffer who refuse to take part in the government, is to live under the government of worse men.

- Plato

Worse, Part, Which, Refuse

Man - a being in search of meaning.

- Plato

Man, Search, Being, Meaning

When men speak ill of thee, live so as nobody may believe them.

- Plato

Men, May, Thee, Nobody

The eyes of the soul of the multitudes are unable to endure the vision of the divine.

- Plato

Vision, Soul, Multitudes, Unable

Attention to health is life's greatest hindrance.

- Plato

Life, Health, Hindrance, Attention

The curse of me and my nation is that we always think things can be bettered by immediate action of some sort, any sort rather than no sort.

- Plato

Think, Some, Always, Curse

They certainly give very strange names to diseases.

- Plato

Medical, Give, Certainly, Names

Virtue is relative to the actions and ages of each of us in all that we do.

- Plato

Virtue, Actions, Each, Ages

Truth is the beginning of every good to the gods, and of every good to man.

- Plato

Truth, Beginning, Gods, Truth Is

It is right to give every man his due.

- Plato

Legal, Give, His, Due

Courage is knowing what not to fear.

- Plato

Fear, Courage, Knowing

All the gold which is under or upon the earth is not enough to give in exchange for virtue.

- Plato

Gold, Give, Which, Virtue

The beginning is the most important part of the work.

- Plato

Work, Important, Most, Important Part

If a man neglects education, he walks lame to the end of his life.

- Plato

Education, Walks, Neglects, Lame

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.

- Plato

Fear, Forgive, Real, Child

There are three classes of men; lovers of wisdom, lovers of honor, and lovers of gain.

- Plato

Men, Honor, Three, Classes

The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life.

- Plato

Education, Which, His, Starts

The greatest wealth is to live content with little.

- Plato

Great, Live, Wealth, Greatest

Death is not the worst that can happen to men.

- Plato

Death, Men, Happen, Worst

There must always remain something that is antagonistic to good.

- Plato

Always, Antagonistic, Remain, Something

One man cannot practice many arts with success.

- Plato

Success, Practice, Cannot, Arts

Life must be lived as play.

- Plato

Life, Play, Must, Lived

Not to help justice in her need would be an impiety.

- Plato

Help, Her, Would, Justice

States are as the men, they grow out of human characters.

- Plato

Men, Grow, Characters, States

Any man may easily do harm, but not every man can do good to another.

- Plato

May, Another, Harm, Every Man

Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself.

- Plato

Inspirational, Soul, Itself, Thinking

Wealth is well known to be a great comforter.

- Plato

Wealth, Well, Well Known, Known

Wisdom alone is the science of other sciences.

- Plato

Science, Alone, Other, Sciences

A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers.

- Plato

Knowledge, Decision, Numbers, Based

There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot.

- Plato

Anger, Help, Never, Angry

Injustice is censured because the censures are afraid of suffering, and not from any fear which they have of doing injustice.

- Plato

Suffering, Doing, Which, Injustice

When the mind is thinking it is talking to itself.

- Plato

Thinking, Mind, Itself, Talking

I would fain grow old learning many things.

- Plato

Grow, Old, Would, Fain

The measure of a man is what he does with power.

- Plato

Measure, Measure Of A Man, He

The good is the beautiful.

- Plato

Good, Beautiful

Courage is a kind of salvation.

- Plato

Courage, Kind, Salvation

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