Socrates

"Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings so that you shall come easily by what others have labored hard for."

"If a man comes to the door of poetry untouched by the madness of the Muses, believing that technique alone will make him a good poet, he and his sane compositions never reach perfection, but are utterly eclipsed by the performances of the inspired madman."

"Be of good cheer about death, and know this of a truth, that no evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death."

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."

"I only know that I know nothing"

"The unexamined life is not worth living."

"The greatest blessing granted to mankind come by way of madness, which is a divine gift."

"Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel."

"The unexamined life is not worth living."

"Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued."

"Are you not ashamed of caring so much for the making of money and for fame and prestige, when you neither think nor care about wisdom and truth and the improvement of your soul?"

"The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms."

"Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant."

"I only know that I know nothing"

"My advice to you is get married: if you find a good wife you'll be happy; if not, you'll become a philosopher."

"The greatest blessing granted to mankind come by way of madness, which is a divine gift."

"Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant."

"Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant."

"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."

"I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think"