Democritus: Doing

Democritus is Ancient Greek philosopher, pupil of Leucippus, founder of the atomic theory. Explore interesting quotes on doing.
Democritus: 162   quotes 11   likes

“The right-minded man, ever inclined to righteous and lawful deeds, is joyous day and night, and strong, and free from care. But if a man take no heed of the right, and leave undone the things he ought to do, then will the recollection of no one of all his transgressions bring him any joy, but only anxiety and self-reproaching.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Law , Strong , Joy , Night

“Tis well to restrain the wicked, and in any case not to join him in his wrong-doing.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

“Many who have not learned wisdom live wisely, and many who do the basest deeds can make most learned speeches.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Wisdom , Learning

“False men and shams talk big and do nothing.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Men , Falseness

“Good means not [merely] not to do wrong, but rather not to desire to do wrong.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

“Men achieve tranquillity through moderation in pleasure and through the symmetry of life. Want and superfluity are apt to upset them and to cause great perturbations in the soul. The souls that are rent by violent conflicts are neither stable nor tranquil. One should therefore set his mind upon the things that are within his power, and be content with his opportunities, nor let his memory dwell very long on the envied and admired of men, nor idly sit and dream of them. Rather, he should contemplate the lives of those who suffer hardship, and vividly bring to mind their sufferings, so that your own present situation may appear to you important and to be envied, and so that it may no longer be your portion to suffer torture in your soul by your longing for more. For he who admires those who have, and whom other men deem blest of fortune, and who spends all his time idly dreaming of them, will be forced to be always contriving some new device because of his [insatiable] desire, until he ends by doing some desperate deed forbidden by the laws. And therefore one ought not to desire other men's blessings, and one ought not to envy those who have more, but rather, comparing his life with that of those who fare worse, and laying to heart their sufferings, deem himself blest of fortune in that he lives and fares so much better than they. Holding fast to this saying you will pass your life in greater tranquillity and will avert not a few of the plagues of life—envy and jealousy and bitterness of mind.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Life , Men , Pleasure , Jealousy

“Making money is not without its value, but nothing is baser than to make it by wrong-doing.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Golden Sayings of Democritus

Money

“In fact we do not know anything infallibly, but only that which changes according to the condition of our body and of the [influences] that reach and impinge upon it.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Fragments

Change

“Now, that we do not really know of what sort each thing is, or is not, has often been shown.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Fragments

“Of practical wisdom these are the three fruits: to deliberate well, to speak to the point, to do what is right.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Fragments

Wisdom