Quotes from Plato

The man who makes everything that leads to happiness depends upon himself, and not upon other men, has adopted the very best plan for living happily. This is the man of moderation, the man of manly character and of wisdom.

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being

The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.

Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity

Plato asked Socrates what is love... Socrates: Go into the field and get me the most special leaf... Plato returned with no leaf at hand said: I found the most beautiful leaf in the field but I didn't pick it up for I might find a better one, but when I returned to the place, it was gone... Socrates: We always look for the best in life. When we finally see it, we take it for granted and expecting a better one... NOT KNOWING IT WAS THE BEST AND LAST!!!

Is there a perfect world?

Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us from this world to another.

When the tyrant has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest or treaty and there is nothing to fear from them then he is always stirring up some wary or other in order that the people may require a leader.

When there is an income tax, the just man will pay more and the unjust less on the same amount of income.

Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.

I have hardly ever known a mathematician who was capable of reasoning.

There is also a third kind of madness, which is possession by the Muses, enters into a delicate and virgin soul, and there inspiring frenzy, awakens lyric....But he, who, not being inspired and having no touch of madness in his soul, comes to the door and thinks he will get into the temple by the help of art--he, I say, and his poetry are not admitted; the sane man is nowhere at all when he enters into rivalry with the madman.

It is the task of the enlightened not only to ascend to learning and to see the good but to be willing to descend again to those prisoners and to share their troubles and their honors, whether they are worth having or not. And this they must do, even with the prospect of death.

The philosopher whose dealings are with divine order himself acquires the characteristics of order and divinity.

when someone sees a soul disturbed and unable to see something, he won't laugh mindlessly, but he'll take into consideration whether it has come from a brighter life and is dimmed through not having yet become accustomed to the dark or whether it has come from greater ignorance into greater light and is dazzled by the increased brillance.

a life without investigation is not worth living

Let parents then bequeath to their children not riches but the spirit of reverence.

He feels particularly ashamed if ever he is seen by his lovers to be invovled in something dishonourable.

Music is a moral law. It gives a soul to the Universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything. It is the essence of order, and leads to all that is good and just and beautiful.

Honesty is for the most part less profitable than dishonesty

Knowledge becomes evil if the aim be not virtuous.

Man is a prisoner who has no right to open the door of his prison and run away... A man should wait, and not take his own life until God summons him.

All learning has an emotional base.

Strange times are these in which we live when old and young are taught falsehoods in school. And the person that dares to tell the truth is called at once a lunatic and fool