Top Ten Greatest Philosophical Quotes

No words of mine can ever do any justice to this man. All I can say is the quote shown above reflects what a great man he truly was and still is. I wonder what he would say if he lived in this world right now. Would he be disgusted or amazed?

It's almost reminiscent of what Jesus would say if he were to have seen what has been done in his name.

Intelligences of varying kinds and degrees are gifts to be used wisely and compassionately for society's betterment. Imagination, however, can be cultivated and inculcated in others, causing us to change our perspectives or think of possibilities within our domains.

Very true. Only a wise and all-knowing person knows they know nothing about everything, some things about nothing, nothing about some things, and everything about nothing. I think I've just proved Socrates' point...

It is a natural truth that no one knows everything, but it is really very difficult to confess that. However, one who accepts that realizes this sentence reflects that he knows more than others.

Socrates truly valued knowledge, or rather enlightenment. Through elenchus and revelation, he sought to eliminate ignorance but realized that people had the illusion of intelligence. He wouldn't have that.

Living simply gives others the chance to enjoy reserved resources so they can survive as well. This is the inverse of living a sophisticated life, where your selfish desires lead to the deterioration and exhaustion of resources, causing harm to innocent lives you may not even know.

Some political leaders live extravagant and authoritative lives as they please, but adversely affect the citizenry and subsequent generations.

These are words to live by in this world of extremes. We need to be more mindful of how our choices and acts affect people we have never met.

It tells many things about humanity that many ignore or wish not to speak of because they are scared. It's a good way to tell the truth without directly telling someone that this is how we all will end up one day.

This is so beautiful. The trick is that now we say, "Ooh, how nicely said!" But if anybody nowadays said anything like that, we would be like, "What's he talking about? Is he crazy?"

The Book of Job is beautiful in its entirety. It can change the way you look at God with just one passage. This is just one example of how beautiful the Book of Job is. Hallelujah.

My goodness! He's being ironic, that's all. This isn't an advertisement for marriage, but a sarcastic take on the apparent navel-gazing those who don't marry engage in. It's self-deprecating comedy.

This is absolutely correct and true.

Wonderfully portrays the bond of marriage and its importance.

That's great. I have practiced the front kick thousands of times and tell you what? It's perfectly dangerous to try it on someone!

The art of mastering is not necessarily restricted to Kungfu but applies to almost every aspect of life.

Life literally means sweet, so the box of chocolates means you cannot choose any chocolate out of the box because it is the same chocolate. So, you have no choice (live).

I love it. It's simple but accurate.

People push reason aside when it comes to God. Humanity and God are like lovers, and love can make people blind.

Faith comes first before reason, although both are necessary to perceive God.

I have just read through the other quotes and find, at this time, that this speaks to me.

That's the basics of existentialism. They ask no questions of the meaning of something, but they ask questions like "What does it mean to me?" It's also more a way of life and attitude than a real philosophy. However, it's also known that this attitude (admirable as it may be) stops progressions in the search for absolute truth.

It's an opinion on the finiteness of life. From nothing we came, and to nothing we return. I guess it's up to you what you do with your time, plus your attitude to what happens with your time.

Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the aim and end of one's existence.

Happiness is the ultimate reason why I live, only that man could not understand.

The definition of happiness...

Be content today. Let time do its thing. When you meet tomorrow, look back and check those unchecked boxes from yesterday. But tomorrow only adds to the stock of unchecked boxes. So be content again today!

Very true. So many of us endlessly complain about the things that we don't have at the moment. The fact is, we already have so much of what once was a burning need.

I desire the lovely girl at the sandwich counter. I'm doing okay with her, and if she's the girl for me, I shall never desire another again. She's divine.

Perhaps those who don't experience life without enduring struggle and adversity may not truly and wholly embrace, celebrate, and appreciate the smaller, simpler things that matter or are missed when not there, and the epic personal triumphs humans achieve and strive for.

For all he achieved, he still displayed humility, which I admire. For me, that's what I get from this. Thanks, Bruce.

Bruce acknowledges the harsh realities of life. Succinctly put, too.

The rest just make me feel worthless. This makes me determined.

Basically, either do it or don't. Don't half-ass anything. Great quote.

I'm a smartass, but I can't argue with this one. He has encapsulated my life and aspirations in a nutshell.

Fancy words to explain the Greek meaning of philosophy. Wisdom (sophia) and love (philo) for it!

Forgiving them is good, and their names in this context are the lessons. If something related to their names (lessons) comes up in the future, you take the necessary precautions. It's a good one.

Ah, so. Remember yelling for joy and leaping skyward because of that joy?

That's glee!

Children are quick to forgive and they are innocent! Who wouldn't want that?

It's a shame that we fail to love one another when love is rated so high and it's for free!

It's true in a way, what he's saying. About the atom bomb? Well, nobody was punished for it. He doesn't say whether the privilege is right or wrong.

If he thought it was wrong, you can consider this quote as a sarcastic critique against geniuses who think they can do anything they want and get away with it. I know that Lewis Carroll had a romantic nature, so I believe he thought that the privilege of geniuses was a wrong thing.

After analyzing every radical doubt, he concluded that one thing is certain: he exists. His saying "I think, therefore I am" was true even if he was dreaming, even when his senses played tricks on his mind.

It was necessarily true because it's impossible to deny it without contradicting yourself. If you're saying that you have doubts about your existence, it proves that you exist. Otherwise, you wouldn't have a doubt to begin with. You can't ignore the existence of your thinking because it's with your thinking that you can have doubts. Therefore, thinking and "I" (my existence) are the same. A proven self-identity that has a body and mind.

Whoa. Never heard of that one, but it's a good one to explain how people can do evil in the name of good.

I have spent my life being hated for what I am, but as Socrates said in Apology, "I would rather die having spoken after my manner, than speak in your manner and live."

I would rather be hated for what I am and hope that someone out there loves me for what I truly am than deceive someone by having them love me for what I am not.

No considerate god would destroy something as beautiful as the human mind by making it so rigid and unadaptable that we would depend upon one book, the Bible, for all the answers. The purpose of words, and thus of a book, is to point beyond themselves to a world of life and experience that is not mere words or even ideas.

Just as money is not real, consumable wealth, books are not life. To idolize scriptures is like eating paper currency.

Surely there is a Judgment Day. We'd better search for God in Jesus Christ.