Teo's Favorite Quotes from Plato and Others

3

I loved Plato's writings in my youth and have collected a few of my favorite quotes from these here, along with some ideas on how to apply them.

• A state arises, as I conceive, out of the needs of mankind; no one is self-sufficing, but all of us have many wants. (Life alone is unfulfillable. When we work together, specialists emerge, which builds a life where our wants can be satisfied, not just our needs.)

• 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. (This reminds me of Dr. Seuse's idea that nobody is you'er than you. The differences in us all make life interesting and fun. When building entrepreneurial teams, it is important to create a diverse group of individuals that can expose every good and bad aspect of your endeavor to make your project the best it can be.)
• Knowledge is the food of the soul. (To me, this goes against the idea from Thomas Gray that "ignorance is bliss." Personally, I like to feed my soul.)
• You cannot have an abundant crop without cultivation. (Cultivate your soul through knowledge.)
• Knowledge is true opinion. (People love other people that express strong opinions. It reflects a cavalier attitude about life and suggests success, where the law of attraction then applies.)
• Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. (Some fight harder than others, but life is a battle for all of us.)
• Better a little which is well done, than a great deal imperfectly. (Focus on your strengths.)
• Courage is knowing what not to fear. (Worrying about a potential outcome doesn't affect the outcome. FDR - "There is nothing to fear but fear itself.")
• For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories. (Self-improvement is the most virtuous task at hand.)
• Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others. (Lead by example.)
• He who is not a good servant will not be a good master. (Lead by example.)
• Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws. (I believe most people are good. Laws that restrict the personal liberties of good people do not necessarily help achieve the intent of these laws. The effect I see today is good are people being punished for things they do that don't affect others. Laws designed to prevent bad actions are taking precedence over laws designed to punish actual bad actions.)
• Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind. (Teaching through route doesn't inspire real learning.)
• He was a wise man who invented beer. (This pretty much says it all!)
• 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? (We are all sharing the same dream.)

Bonus Quotes by Mark Twain

• It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.
• Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times.
• What is the difference between a taxidermist and a tax collector? The taxidermist takes only your skin.

Here are some more of my favorite quotes from Plato.

• Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge. (Touching on desire, emotion and knowledge is imperative in sales, marketing and any communication.)
• I shall assume that your silence gives consent. (Speak up and make your dissenting opinion known, but make sure it is a knowledgeable opinion and not one given through ignorance.)
• If a man neglects education, he walks lame to the end of his life. (Ignorance is lame.)
• Ignorance is the root and stem of all evil. (Ignorance is the cause evil actions.)
• Justice means minding one's own business and not meddling with other men's concerns. (If a law reaches into what we do in the privacy of our homes, it is an unjust law.)
• Life must be lived as play.("Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." - Jesus [Matthew 18:2])
• Nothing in the affairs of men is worthy of great anxiety. (A good life is a low-stress life.)
• 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. (Surround yourself with positive people.)
• The beginning is the most important part of the work. (Planning your fist step is critical to success.)
• The eyes of the soul of the multitudes are unable to endure the vision of the divine. (Truth is elusive.)
• The greatest wealth is to live content with little. (Relying on "things" creates stress.)
• This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector. (Beware of the wolf in sheep's clothing.)
• Truth is the beginning of every good to the gods, and of every good to man. (Truth is good.)
• 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. (Many are afraid of the Truth. Tragedy is living life as a coward.)

George Bernard Shaw Quote:

• He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career.

• Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.

• Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.
• You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother.
• Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the former.