There is no solution; seek it lovingly.
socratesquotes
c. 469 – 399 BC
Little is known about the actual life of Athenian philosopher, Socrates (c. 469–399 BC), but his methodologies and ideas have had immeasurable influence on both ancient and modern philosophy. Socrates wrote nothing down, he founded no school and formed no sect, and yet he is famous for developing the Socratic Method, which provided the groundwork for Western logic and philosophy.
What we know of him comes mostly from the writings of two of his famous students, Plato and Xenophon. They write of his unrelenting courage in three Peloponnesian wars and throughout his entire life, even unto death, where against the urging of his students he does not flee his condemnation to death by poisoning, but embraces it fearlessly. We learn of his vast humility and poverty, and deep concern for the intellectual development of Athenian youth.
For Socrates, the world was divided into two realms: the world of senses and the world of ideas. He believed the latter held more importance, and encouraged dialectic discussions to help people form logical conclusions. Socrates believed creating an ethical system of rule based on human reasoning would improve the good of society more than any theological doctrine.
Socrates did not call himself a teacher because, he said, he had no ideas of his own. According to his students, he offered no answers but always inquired. He spoke to the elite and the commoner alike to better understand definitions of values. For this ancient man of mystery, the understanding of one’s own ignorance was truly the beginning of wisdom.
And therefore if the head and the body are to be well, you must begin by curing the soul; that is the first and essential thing. And the care of the soul, my dear youth, has to be effected by the use of certain charms, and these charms are fair words; and by them temperance is implanted in the soul, and where temperance comes and stays, there health is speedily imparted, not only to the head, but to the whole body.
body / soul / temperance / Words
Wisdom begins in wonder.
Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued.
He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god.
Beast / God / society / sufficient
To move the world we must move ourselves.
The highest realms of thought are impossible to reach without first attaining an understanding of compassion.
To be is to do.
I decided that it was not wisdom that enabled [poets] to write their poetry, but a kind of instinct or inspiration, such as you find in seers and prophets who deliver all their sublime messages without knowing in the least what they mean.
inspiration / messages / poetry / prophets / wisdom
Virtue does not come from wealth, but wealth, and every other good thing which men have comes from virtue.