10 Socrates Quotes To Help Find Inner Peace

Best socrates quotes

The concept of philosophy has been around for hundreds of years. While it’s evolved to fit modern times, the base teachings still somehow feel both timeless and current at the same time. And those who helped shape modern philosophy have also had the ability to transcend time and space. One of those people was Socrates. A Greek philosopher and teacher who strangely never actually wrote anything, his lessons on life and humanity ring just as true today as they did yesterday. Socrates quotes are said daily and many other famous people today have their own twist on these quotes.

Below we collected 10 of the best Socrates quotes to help you find your inner peace and live fully.

1. Socrates quote on starting by appreciating where you are right now

socrates quotes on being content

A lot of us tend to fall into the modern trap of wanting more in order to be happy. If I could only get that promotion, or if I could just save enough for that house then I’d be happy for sure. The funny thing is, that according to Socrates, this isn’t such a modern issue after all. Even hundreds of years ago in ancient Rome it looks like humans were still…well, human. The act of learning to appreciate what you have now, and not trying to look for happiness in material things you don’t yet have, is a life skill that you will use forever. If you’re unhappy in your entry-level engineering job now, really ask yourself if a promotion to management will fix that. Or if the ability to change your perception where you already are would be more helpful instead. 

2. Socrates quote on learning to listen and not just hear

socrates quotes

Socrates thinks there’s a valid reason as to which we have more body parts that help us listen than ones to help us speak. And we tend to agree. Anyone can hear you when you’re talking. If their ears have that function, then that’s all they need. But there’s few and far between that know how to truly listen. The good news is that it’s something you can learn to do. Start by focusing on what the other person is saying. Don’t use that time to think about your reply. Make eye contact, and truly try to process what they’re sharing with you. Then, take your time finding an appropriate reply. As a bonus tip, they’ll find you much more interesting if they know you’re actually paying attention to them!

3. Socrates quote on the value of self-work

3 3 e1634235830546

Do you want to know the secret to life? Socrates figured it out. The secret to life is working on yourself every single day to make sure your thoughts, actions and words are in harmony. Yes – as simple (and complicated) as that. Many of us go through life without really stopping to think about how we’re living. How do the decisions we make affect others? How do the clothes we wear impact the lives of others? How do the things we decide to eat influence global supply chains?

This Socrates quote reminds us to start thinking about what goals we want to accomplish in life. Do we have a plan to achieve them?

Take our Personal Annual Plan course today for free!

4. Socrates quote on learning to choose your friends wisely

4 3 e1634235849403

Socrates quotes like these remind us of one of the greatest joys in life, friendship! People come in and out of our lives to share small or big moments with us, leave us with fond memories, and then go back to their own path. But once in a while, we’ll find someone who fits with us so well that they end up staying for years. These are important people. And we should choose them wisely. Take your time selecting your true friends, but once you have, don’t let them go. Those we surround ourselves with have the power to change the course of our lives – don’t let just anyone take that spot. 

5. Socrates quote on taking the time to enjoy life along the way

5 3 e1634235871148

Socrates quotes like this remind us that human life is both incredibly long, but also incredibly short. Spend some time every day enjoying being alive. No matter how old you are when you read this, Socrate’s quote will apply to you. It’s already later than you think, so don’t put off doing those things that make you happy because you’re expecting to have time to do them later in life. Go on that trip, eat out at the fancy restaurant, and take a fake sick day once in a while to go to the park with your dog. 

6. Socrates quote on understanding that this too shall pass

6 3 e1634235903568

This Socrates quote reminds us of the saying “This too shall pass”. Nature and life are everchanging, and human emotions and situations are no exception. No matter how stressful or complicated something might seem or feel, remember that it will pass since nothing is ever permanent. Glaciers melt into water, rock is eroded into sand, and that anxiety you feel will be gone soon too. On that same note, good moments also won’t last so be mindful of enjoying them while they’re there.

7. Socrates quote on remembering that every person is their own universe

7 3 e1634235923145

Socrates quotes like this remind us to be kind to everyone that we meet. Sometimes it might feel like we’re the only ones struggling with something, but the truth is everyone is dealing with complicated things. Be kind to everyone you cross paths with. You never know what problems or feelings they might be dealing with that day. And the same way you’d want someone to be kind to you in a moment of need, we should all offer the same courtesy to those around us. 

8. Socrates quote on why being busy isn’t always a sign of success

8 3 e1634235946303

The act of constantly being busy prevents us from stopping to enjoy the fruits of all the effort we’ve put in. Those who are always on the go aren’t more successful or important than those who stop to rest. In fact, setting up periods of rest or of time to do nothing other than reading a book, taking a nap, or watching your favorite series is the best way to recharge. Once your batteries are at 100% again, then you can get back on the saddle and keep hustling towards your goals. 

9. Socrates quote on the one thing you’ll never lose

Socrates quotes to find inner peace e1634236136245

There are various reasons why knowledge holds much more value than actual wealth, like money. To start off, while money is dependent on factors around you, knowledge and education are something that once you have it can never be taken away from you. Another point to keep into account is that wealth can breed jealousy because of the status it provides you within society. But knowledge doesn’t seem to have that same effect, even though you can rebuild wealth with knowledge, but not necessarily the other way around. Essentially, if you’re ever in a situation where you have to choose one or the other both Socrates and us would encourage you to go with knowledge, and build your wealth from that knowledge. 

10. Socrates quote on how you’re in charge of your own reputation

10 3 e1634235967647

The good news about being a person living in society nowadays is that you have full control over how you come across to other people. Wishing people saw you as kind and helpful, or smart and independent is not enough to make that happen. Act those things out, and soon enough, you’ll have designed the vision of you people have created. 

Recommended Resources:
 

Uncover your strengths and weaknesses with our complimentary assessment. Boost your effectiveness at work and with your team.

Free Resource Library: Access our extensive collection of valuable resources for instant support in your personal and professional growth.

Explore Our Course Library:

Enhance your leadership skills with our diverse selection of courses. Take your abilities to the next level and become a more effective leader and team player.

Testimonials

Our Clients Love the Professional Leadership Institute

Your team will, too! Check out some reviews from our students.
The PLI program was invaluable to our network.
The range of topics delivered, the open dialogue, experience, and examples that PLI brought to each session were outstanding and provided a path for our Franchisees and Managers to look at leadership, coaching, and connecting with their teams in a new light. Many have implemented these strategies in their bakeries and have seen immediate results.
Michelle C.
COBS Bread
Highly recommend to help your team move forward
We have locations around BC and Alberta, so getting people on the same page can be very difficult... Until now. Our entire management team and location managers take the same great courses and then meet monthly online with our coach to apply it to our situation. People are engaged, the courses are excellent, we love our coach, and we are all learning together!
Jason Fawcett
President, Kelson Group
The result has been a transformation of our culture. 
We decided to implement PLI's strategies across the country in over 150 locations and over 3500 employees.  The result has been a transformation of our culture.  People's lives have been positively impacted - professionally and personally.  Morale is high and sales and profits are up as a result.
Daryl Verbeek
Daryl Verbeek
We’ve learned how to fix ongoing personnel issues once and for all
The roadmap laid out set our business up to quintuple in sales.  We've learned how to fix ongoing personnel issues once and for all, attract top talent, and spend our time focused on results, not internal staffing problems.  I highly recommend PLI to you - it's worked for us!
John DeJong
Satisfied Client
I had no idea that running a business could be this fun!
In less than 18 months of working with Trevor, he has transformed my business from being average to exceptional, where mediocrity is not acceptable, where being great is standard.  Working with PLI has allowed me to realize my dream of not simply owning a job, but owning a business.
Justin Bontkes
Principal, Caliber Projects
Our culture has taken major steps forward this year
Our culture has taken major steps forward this year with Trevor’s help.  He is funny, relatable, and his tools are very very practical and have helped us focus and upgrade our teams throughout our retail network. Trevor recently spoke to an employee group, and one person remarked, “I could listen to Trevor all day.”   We would highly recommend Trevor.
Stan Pridham
Founder, KMS Tools
The results have been remarkable
At first, we resisted, “This just won’t work with a law firm.” But we persisted and the results have been remarkable: our client base and profits have steadily improved, and staff engagement and morale is the healthiest its ever been.
Doug Lester
Partner, RDM Lawyers
Helped our fast-growing business become what it is today
I've experienced PLI's approach first hand and it's been crucial to sustaining our growth.  I can't imagine a business that wouldn't benefit greatly from his help.
Brian Antenbring
Founder, TEEMA
Provided practical ways to make positive changes
Trevor was incredibly well-received by the entire organization. He was able to articulate people issues that many of our franchisees were experiencing and provided them with practical ways to make positive changes. We have implemented the Star Chart tool across the organization and see it as vital to building happy, effective teams.
Aaron Gillespie
President, COBS Bread
Scroll to Top

Start Learning Today

For Individuals

Unlock your potential and accelerate your career with sought-after management and leadership skills.

 

Transform Your Organization

For Teams

Book a consultation to discuss your challenges and discover how we can help you build a winning team.

 

Sign Up For Weekly Tips!

Get Weekly Coaching Tips Straight To Your Inbox Every Monday.