Democritus: Thing

“Men have fashioned an image of Chance as an excuse for their own stupidity. For Chance rarely conflicts with intelligence, and most things in life can be set in order by an intelligent sharpsightedness.”

Democritus

Freeman (1948), p. 155

Life , Men , Stupidity , Intelligence

“There are many who know many things, yet are lacking in wisdom.”

Democritus

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

Wisdom

“He who intends to enjoy life should not be busy about many things, and in what he does should not undertake what exceeds his natural capacity. On the contrary, he should have himself so in hand that even when fortune comes his way, and is apparently ready to lead him on to higher things, he should put her aside and not o'erreach his powers. For a being of moderate size is safer than one that bulks too big.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Fragments

Life , Way , Business , Nature

“Beautiful objects are wrought by study through effort, but ugly things are reaped automatically without toil.”

Democritus

Freeman (1948), p. 161
Variant: The good things of life are produced by learning with hard work; the bad are reaped of their own accord, without hard work.

Beauty , Effort , Study

“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 a grievous thing to be subject to an inferior.”

Democritus

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

“Now as of old the gods give men all good things, excepting only those that are baneful and injurious and useless. These, now as of old, are not gifts of the gods: men stumble into them themselves because of their own blindness and folly.”

Democritus

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

Men , God

“Of all things the worst to teach the young is dalliance, for it is this that is the parent of those pleasures from which wickedness springs.”

Democritus

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

Pleasure , Spring , Parent

“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

“Men in their prayers beg the gods for health, not knowing that this is a thing they have in their own power. Through their incontinence undermining it, they themselves become, because of their passions, the betrayers of their own health.”

Democritus

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

Men , God , Health , Passion

“All who delight in the pleasures of the belly, exceeding all measure in eating and drinking and love, find that the pleasures are brief and last but a short while—only so long as they are eating and drinking—but the pains that come after are many and endure. The longing for the same things keeps ever returning, and whenever the objects of one's desire are realized forthwith the pleasure vanishes, and one has no further use for them. The pleasure is brief, and once more the need for the same things returns.”

Democritus

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

Love , Pain , Pleasure , Drink

“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

“And yet it will be obvious that it is difficult to really know of what sort each thing is.”

Democritus

Source Book in Ancient Philosophy (1907), The Fragments

“We know nothing accurately in reality, but [only] as it changes according to the bodily condition, and the constitution of those things that flow upon [the body] and impinge upon it.”

Democritus

Freeman (1948), p. 142

Reality , Change

“We ought to regard the interests of the state as of far greater moment than all else, in order that they may be administered well; and we ought not to engage in eager rivalry in despite of equity, nor arrogate to ourselves any power contrary to the common welfare. For a state well administered is our greatest safeguard. In this all is summed up: When the state is in a healthy condition all things prosper; when it is corrupt, all things go to ruin.”

Democritus

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

“Men have made an idol of luck as an excuse for their own thoughtlessness. Luck seldom measures swords with wisdom. Most things in life quick wit and sharp vision can set right.”

Democritus

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

Life , Wisdom , Men