The oldest, shortest words— “yes” and “no”— are those which require the most thought.
pythagorasquotes
c. 570 – c. 495 BC
As one of the earliest Greek philosophers and mathematicians, the life of Pythagoras (c. 570 – c. 495 BC) is steeped more in mystical wisdom than scientific proof. He started a religious brotherhood of mathematicians, who purified their souls through music and “mental activity,” or rather what later came to be known as “philosophy.”
The harmony of the spheres and the golden section were revered by this secret society, and while most of their theories are controversial even today, their ideas of harmonic “means” in music are not. Pythagoras gave music the diatonic scale, and contributed to the chromatic and enharmonic scales through intervals based on numerical proportions.
All of Pythagoras’ work is lost, so much of what is attributed to him may have been developed by his disciples as there is little proof. However, the work of the Pythagorean Brotherhood undoubtedly provided the seeds for new philosophies of the mind to grow, which influenced not only the great Greek philosopher Plato, but also Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo Galilei.
Pythagoras’ ideas regarding the immortality of the soul, and his effort to establish harmony and order in the universe through numbers, were all catalysts for education, philosophy and scholarly pursuit by the great minds who came after him and further developed his initial discoveries.
In anger we should refrain both from speech and action.
Rest satisfied with doing well, and leave others to talk of you as they please.
There is geometry in the humming of the strings. There is music in the spacing of the spheres.
Do not say a little in many words, but a great deal in few!
No one is free who has not obtained the empire of himself. No man is free who cannot command himself.
If there be light, then there is darkness; if cold, heat; if height, depth; if solid, fluid; if hard, soft; if rough, smooth; if calm, tempest; if prosperity, adversity; if life, death.
Be silent or let thy words be worth more than silence.
As long as man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings, he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love.