75 philosophical phrases spoken by great thinkers

Along the centuries, great philosophers like Aristotle or Socrates have left phrases for history. Phrases that, although they are from other times, still inspire us thanks to their great message.

Philosophical phrases are thoughts that make us reflect and allow us to delve into the interior of our being and our internal life. They make us question our values ​​and our beliefs and remind us of the path we must follow to be happy.

The best philosophical phrases

In today's text we have compiled the best phrases of the most famous philosophers in history, so that they allow you to reflect on different topics: happiness, freedom, love, life... So don't miss them and apply them to your life!

1. The most difficult thing is to know ourselves; the easiest is to speak ill of others (Thales of Miletus)

It is difficult to reflect on ourselves and get to know ourselves because it is always less difficult to look for defects in others. To grow as people and to be happy, self-knowledge is necessary.

2. I can't teach anyone anything. I can only make you think (Socrates)

Socrates was known for his Socratic method of teaching, which was characterized by making his disciples reflect. He only gave the tools so that they themselves would arrive at the solutions. In fact, Socrates has been the inspiration of the Coaching. Coaches are facilitators of personal development who make their clients develop their full potential and overcome their limiting beliefs.

3. We do not judge the people we love (Jean-Paul Sartre)

When we are in love we do not see the defects of the person we love. Love blinds us and we become vulnerable and weak. Fortunately, over time we can realize that this happens.

4. Knowledge is power (Francis Bacon)

Learning new things allows us to grow as human beings and makes us more prepared to adapt to the environment. Knowledge makes us wise people.

5. Immature love says: "I love you because I need you." The mature man says: "I need you because I love you" (Erich Fromm)

With this phrase, Erich Fromm first speaks of a toxic love, in which one of the actors is dependent on the other. On the other hand, in the second case, Fromm refers to the love of someone mature, who wants to be with a person because he is fine with her, not because he needs her.

6. The worst fight is the one that is not done (Karl Marx)

Karl Marx, a great German philosopher, sociologist and economist, means by this phrase that If we do not fight for something we want, it is impossible for us to achieve our purpose and goal. Marx, with this famous sentence, referred to the socio-economic context and the class struggle in which he has been a very influential thinker. Even so, this phrase can be used in people's daily lives.

7. Poverty does not come from the diminution of wealth, but from the multiplication of desires (Plato)

This phrase is similar to another that says: "the richest is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least." A totally true phrase that affirms that if we want too much, we will never be happy. Happiness is in the little things and in acceptance.

8. Do not hurt others with what causes yourself pain (Buddha)

One of the wisest things we can do in this life is not to do to others what we do not want them to do to us. You have to treat others with respect because you never know what the future may hold.

• It may interest you: "The 10 best Buddhist phrases to find inner peace"

9. Demand a lot from yourself and expect little from others. This way you will save yourself troubles (Confucius)

It is a serious mistake to expect others to do things for us, because if they do not do them we can take great illusions. That is something that is not under our control. Now, what is under control is the possibility of working on ourselves every day to improve.

10. Our most deeply held, most unquestionable convictions are the most suspect. They constitute our limit, our confines, our prison (José Ortega y Gasset)

When we have a too rigid mentality it can be detrimental to our well-beingTherefore, on many occasions, we are incapable of being objective. In the end, these thoughts turn into limiting beliefs.

11. The heart has reasons that reason ignores (Blaise Pascal)

Sometimes we want to be so rational that we overlook the importance of emotions. Like it or not, emotions move us. When we are in love we can lose our minds. There are things that reason will never understand.

12. Those who educate children well should be more honored than those who produce them; the former only give them life, the latter the art of living well (Aristotle)

The task of a father is not only to give life to a child, but, for his development, it is necessary to educate him. Properly educating a child will make him a healthy and happy adult. Therefore, people who do this well deserve an award.

13. We rarely think about what we have; but always in what we lack (Schopenhauer)

Human beings have a bad habit of not valuing what we have and wanting what is not within reach. To be happy, it is necessary to value what you have and not give so much importance to what you do not have.

14. I would never die for my beliefs because I could be wrong (Bertrand Russell)

We cannot claim that what we think is always true. Sometimes our prejudices can dominate them or we can see reality from our point of view only. Maybe another person does not see it the same.

15. Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts (Søren Kierkegaard)

We can pretend to be something that we are not and pretend that we are as others want us to be, but in the end we are what we think.

16. Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are (Machiavelli)

People tend to stay with the image you give, with the superficial aspects. Unfortunately, few people end up entering your heart or taking the trouble to get to know you thoroughly.

17. Often there is more to learn from the unexpected questions of a child than from the speeches of a man (John Locke)

Children do not spend hours thinking about what to say, they are spontaneous and curious explorers, and they always tend to have clever questions on the tip of their tongues. Sometimes we should continue to have this perspective and see the world as if it were all new.

18. Desire is the true essence of man (Spinoza)

Fortunately or unfortunately, people are always longing for something, wishing for something. This is the very essence of man and what makes us move forward. Sometimes, however, these desires can be irrational, and for our good we must touch with our feet on the ground.

19. It is not what happens to you, but how you react that matters (Epithet)

Life is complicated and sometimes unexpected situations arise that destabilize us. But when a period has passed in which we get used to the new situation, it is our perception of the facts that causes us suffering.

20. The secret of happiness is not always doing what you want, but always wanting what you do (Tolstoy)

This great phrase by Tolstoy comes to say that it is not a matter of doing whatever we want at all times to be happy, but what we really like and motivate us, if we carry it out, it allows us to be in a "state of flow". This is key to our well-being and our happiness.

• You want to know how to be in a state of flow. Then visit our article: "Flow Status (or Flow Status): how to maximize your performance"

21. Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet (Jean-Jacques Rousseau)

This phrase is similar to other phrases such as "Patience is the mother of science" or "Good things make you wait." That is Being patient is a great virtue of being human. and, generally, it has its positive consequences.

22. Our envy always lasts longer than the happiness of whom we envy (Heraclitus)

This phrase comes to say that both envy and resentment are bad options, because who they harm is ourselves.

• You want to know how spiteful people are. Visit our article: "Resentful people: 10 traits and attitudes that characterize them"

23. The measure of love is to love without measure (Saint Augustine)

Love must be experienced and lived with all its intensity, because depriving yourself of this great feeling can drive us crazy. Love is one of the great experiences of life.

24. It takes a life to learn to live (Seneca)

Life is continuous learning and you never know enough. One of the great mistakes of the human being is to think that he already knows everything, and it is not exactly an act of humility.

25. He who has a reason to live can face all the "hows" (Friedrich Nietzsche)

He who has realistic goals in life and something to strive for, is so motivated that is able to overcome the great obstacles that he may encounter throughout his life.

• Related article: "The 60 best phrases of Friedrich Nietzsche"

26. Living without philosophizing is, properly speaking, having your eyes closed, without ever trying to open them (René Descartes)

It can be very comfortable to live life without stopping to think about what we do, just living life to the minute, but this can become something that hurts us if we do not reflect from time to time, especially when we come across situations problematic. What's more, not philosophizing and trying to find the answers about what happens around us, it is like being with a blindfold. It is being alienated, living a lie.

27. I must find a truth that is true for me (Søren Kierkegaard)

Søren Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher, is the most important antecedent of existentialism and, in fact, he invented the word "existentialist". With this phrase he makes reference to that one seeks the truth of him, that is, the idea for which he must fight and die.

28. If you approach each situation as a matter of life and death, you will die many times (Adam Smith)

Life and death situations are stressful and exhausting. Therefore, if we take everything to heart and without taking away the iron from the matter when possible, we will end up emotionally badly.

29. In general, nine-tenths of our happiness is based on health (Arthur Schopenhauer)

Physical and mental health determines our degree of happiness. Unfortunately, this does not always depend on us, as there are diseases that affect us without being able to do much about it. Still, you have to draw strength even in the worst situations.

30. The past has no power over the present moment (Eckhart Tolle)

It is common for many people to live anchored in the past and, in particular, in bad memories. There is good news, changing this depends on us, because it is not the past that has the power over the present moment, but us.

31. Believe that your life is worth living and that belief will help create the fact (William James)

This phrase refers to how our thoughts affect our behavior. Thinking that you cannot achieve something will surely prevent you from achieving it, on the contrary, presuming that you are qualified for something and that you will achieve what you set out to do is going to be positive in your behavior.

32. Great results require great ambitions (Heraclitus)

This sentence is ideal for any entrepreneur. It refers to the fact that if we want to achieve ambitious goals, we must think big.

33. We see things, not as they are, but as we are (Kant)

People interpret the world not how it is, but how we think it is. That is, we have previous experiences recorded in our mind and prejudices that determine how we are going to assess the events that happen in our daily lives.

34. The select culture is the opium of the democratic people (Gustavo Bueno)

The Spanish thinker Gustavo Bueno had a special interest in knowing the cultural limitations of contemporary societies.

35. When we look for someone, we look in our environment for something that is within everyone (Hermann Hesse)

A good reflection that alludes to the game of mirrors that is the search for external recognition, in this case through friendships.

36. The more I know people, the more I love my dog ​​(Diogenes the Cynic)

Diogenes of Sinope, one of the most acclaimed Greek thinkers, leaves us this curious reflection.

37. Follow the least, and not the vulgar (Petrarca)

Along the lines of the previous famous quote, the Italian poet Petrarca highlights that only in a few is virtue found.

38. Who knows about pain, knows everything (Dante Alighieri)

The author of "The Divine Comedy" leaves us thinking with this phrase. Who has known pain closely, perhaps knows much better what it is to live.

39. Philosophy is a fight against the bewitchment of our intelligence through the use of language (Ludwig Wittgenstein)

The English Wittgenstein unravels one of the main tasks of philosophy: impale all the chaotic human thoughts.

40. Your natural forces, those that are within you, will be the ones that will cure your diseases (Hippocrates)

He considered as the father of Medicine urges us to be aware that the vital attitude is key when it comes to avoiding illness.

41. Where stillness and meditation reign, there is no place for worries or dissipation (Francis of Assisi)

The father of Franciscanism reveals the importance of meditation and calm.

42. Vanity haunts us even on our deathbed. We endure it with integrity because we want to overcome its terrible greatness and captivate the admiration of the spectators (Santiago Ramón y Cajal)

The Nobel Prize in Medicine ponder vanity, one of the worst defects of the human being.

43. There is no revolutionary theory without revolutionary practice (Lenin)

The Soviet Revolutionary alerts us to the importance of moving from paper to action.

44. Creativity, imagination and intuition, more than the base of the middle game, are indispensable, as well as the firm character; triumph comes only with the fight (Gari Kasparov)

Although Kasparov was referring to the game of chess, this phrase can be applied to any area of ​​life.

45. Man is the measure of all things (Protagoras)

Protagoras left us this phrase that refers to the anthropocentrism with which humans approach existence.

46. Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought (Henri-Louis Berson)

This is one of those philosophical phrases in which the dialectic between thought and practice is embodied. For Bergson, the best thing is to make each of these two aspects of our life have a little of each.

47. The roots of education are bitter, but its fruits are sweet (Aristotle)

The famous philosopher reminds us that education is not based on short-term pleasures and that its potential has to do with the future opportunities it offers us.

48. The map is not the territory (Alfred Korzybski)

A reminder in the style of "ceci n'est pas une pipe" that our representations of something, no matter how elaborate they are, are far from fitting 100% with reality and, the closer they get to it, the less value they have as a representation.

49. Life is very simple, but we insist on making it complicated (Confucius)

Confucius related the value of the good with simplicity, the transparent. Life was, for him a reflection of this fact.

50. The obstacle is the way (Zen proverb)

A short philosophical phrase in which a very simple idea is expressed: in the most important projects there are no shortcuts.

51. There are those who consider themselves perfect, but it is only because they demand less of themselves (Hermann Hesse)

The German philosopher leaves us this valuable reflection on narcissism and self-demand.

52. Those that drive and drag the world are not machines, but ideas (Victor Hugo)

Human imagination is the engine of history and our search for a better future.

53. Religion is excellent for keeping ordinary people quiet (Frank Zappa)

Musician Frank Zappa reflects on the instrumentalization of certain religions as part of the cultural and ideological hegemony of power.

54. It is important to teach how to study on your own, to search on your own, to be amazed (Mario Bunge)

On the importance of being proactive and curious.

55. Those who believe that money does everything end up doing everything for money (Voltaire)

The French philosopher surprises us with this paradox. Certainly, money can end up dominating us.

56. Happiness does not spring from reason but from imagination (Immanuel Kant)

A magnificent philosophical phrase that reveals the importance of letting your imagination fly.

57. Only through education can man become man. Man is nothing more than what education makes of him (Immanuel Kant)

Another famous quote from the German philosopher, in which underlines the importance of education.

58. Justice has been invented by man; but fairness is born with man (Dario Lemos)

The Colombian poet expresses his particular vision of justice, in a paradox that can make you think.

59. We are more sincere when we are angry than when we are calm (Cicero)

Sincerity is not a very widespread virtue in our time. Perhaps, as Cicero says, we are only completely sincere when our mood is upset.

60. True character always appears in great circumstances (Napoleon Bonaparte)

Do you have a tough personality? According to the French military, only in harsh circumstances do great leaders appear.

61. There is a mirror in negative. The traveler recognizes how little is his by discovering how much he has not had and will not have (Italo Calvino)

The Cuban writer leaves us this reflection on life and expectations.

62. Whoever thinks big has to make a big mistake (Martin Heidegger)

Great works always have a point of madness. If they go well, everyone applauds, but if they go wrong ...

63. A lot of intelligence is required to disguise one's own emotions as artifice (Arturo Pérez-Reverte)

A somewhat complex phrase that can be interpreted in different ways.

64. A non-paradoxical thought is almost unbearable to me, a thought closed in on itself, coherent, that does not admit the paradox (Fernando Savater)

Logic, in the spotlight of the Spanish philosopher.

65. There are parents, brothers, children, who go out every day to fight and lose their lives in wars around the world. Modern politics tries to maintain that notion of "us" and "them" with a wall in between (Roger Waters)

The leader of the mythical band Pink Floyd, in a date full of pain for the cruelty with which wars and battles are fought around the world.

66. Accepting and respecting the difference is one of those virtues without which listening cannot be given (Paulo Freire)

The Brazilian pedagogue leaves us this beautiful reflection on respect.

67. Every movement, whatever its cause, is creative (Edgar Allan Poe)

Any action, however trivial it may seem, generates a series of repercussions.

68. I have realized that hope is almost never linked to reason; is deprived of good sense, I think it comes from instinct (Vasili Grossman)

The Russian journalist conceives hope as an act of faith, typical of our "wanting to be".

69. Joy, emotion or satisfaction are more important in the West than in the East, where calm is more appreciated (Daniel Kahneman)

A cultural difference in the expression of emotions that the North American cognitive psychologist detected.

70. If an individual is intellectually passive, he will not be able to be morally free (Jean Piaget)

Morality is born from the curiosity to want to learn and enrich ourselves culturally.

71. The greatest gift you can give to others is the example of your own life (Bertolt Brecht)

There is no use talking a lot if the actions do not correspond to what we are trying to communicate.

72. Time gives everything and takes everything; everything changes but nothing perishes (Giordano Bruno)

The Italian philosopher tells us about the constant mutability of life, although with an important nuance: nothing dies, it only transforms.

73. You must have confidence in yourself and that confidence must be based on reality (Bobby Fischer)

The great American chess player gives us his opinion on how to build good self-confidence.

74. I do not believe in death because one is not present to know that, in fact, it has happened (Andy Warhol)

Death can be a pure artifice if we conceive of it as Andy Warhol.

75. Religion is something that a grown man should not have. It's like the Three Wise Men: for children (Javier Krahe)

A stark and controversial vision of the human need to believe in a supreme being.