Socrates Quotes about Knowing Oneself

There are so many quotes of Socrates. His quotes on knowing oneself are famous since they are motivational and they open eye on self-awareness, self-examination/review, etc.

Socrates did not write any book about philosophy or teaching, but his students wrote from his teachings.  Commonly Plato and Xenophon are considered as writers of Socrates’ teachings.

Socrates Quotes about Knowing Oneself

Socrates wanted to make people to think, particularly oneself. Therefore, he taught about “knowing oneself”. Still his teaching to possess knowledge influences people, and make them think and knowing themselves first and then other knowledge. So, know first yourself then then know others. Therefore, the quotes about knowing are listed in this article.

There are fourteen quotes of Socrates to know yourself as follows (in alphabetical order):

1. Be of good cheer about death, and know this of a truth, that no evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death.
2. By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you’ll become happy; if you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher.
3. Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.
4. He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.
5. It is better to change an opinion than to persist in a wrong one.
6. My friend…care for your psyche…know thyself, for once we know ourselves, we may learn how to care for ourselves.
7. Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.
8. The easiest and noblest way is not to be crushing others, but to be improving yourselves.
9. The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
10. The unexamined life is not worth living.
11. There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.
12. Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly reprove thy faults.
13. True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.
14. When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser.

Know Yourself

Know yourself or Know thyself is a simple and deepest meaning quote, proverb, sentence, phrase or etc. The philosophical thought was born in ancient Egypt and uses or develops by various philosophers from the days of Greek philosophical schools to modern world. The proverb is well known to people and one of the favorite quotes. The quote is interpreted by many persons including philosophers, teachers, students, leaders, etc. Nowadays, websites and blogs post articles such as 10 ways to know yourself or 5 tips to know thyself. In many cases, this quote influence many religious, theological, philosophical & psychological aspects in different time, many cultures and various locations. However, inscription at Greek temple Delphi paved way for strong influence to the quote -know yourself, which was crowned Socrates as one of his famous quote. Even though, Socrates was not the only one, who invented the proverb. 

Know Yourself

Know yourself / Know thyself

Know yourself or Know thyself is a translation of Greek words γνῶθι σεαυτόν. It can be written as ΓΝΩΘΙ ΣΑΥΤΟΝ in capital letter. Its transliteration or Greek pronunciation is “gnōthi sauton” or “gnōthi seauton”. Gnōthi is a verb, which can be translated as “get to know”, “know” or “learn”. However, the phrase had the influence in ancient Egypt before Socrates. Also, during the Western philosophy era in Greece the maxim attributed to many philosophers, including Socrates. One of the Vedic of Hinduism called Samaveda (melody of knowledge), which is believed to written in Sanskrit by circa BC 1700, also center the knowledge of know yourself. Likewise, the aphorism was born in various places. However, Greek language and Socrates became the icon of this aphorism.

Meaning of know yourself

There is a local lyric. It goes “if you know they self, you can fight in the world. Whether you rise or fall, you can live without bow down”. Yes, knowing ourselves is most important than knowing others or other stuff. It would teach us who we are. What are our weaknesses and strengths? If we know ourselves thoroughly, we can have a successful journey in the world. If we fail know, we would struck in the middle of the journey. Knowing ourselves is like prepare a car for long journey. Image, how would you prepare. If we plan and prepare well for a limited journey in order to avoid break down, delay, etc, how seriously we must prepare live journey. Therefore, the first step is “know yourself”. 

My limitation could influence me to know myself. Mostly, my blind spot could be a barrier. If I have lack of self-knowledge, I could get distraction. If you know Johari window, you could analysis your known area and try to know there is blind spot in every one of us. Improve the knowledge of know yourself. I know that I know nothing is another quote of Socrates. If you have positive approach on this quote, you could start your starting point (Know thyself) from “nothing”. 

Reference:

• Hymns of the Samaveda
• Plato in Twelve Volumes - Volume 9; translated by Harold N. Fowler
• Psychcentral.com
• Sciencedaily.com 
• Wikipedia.com