The 24 best quotes by Democritus, Greek philosopher

A global thinker who marked an epoch in Ancient Greek thought.

Democritus (460 BC - 370 BC), also known as Democritus of Abdera, was a great philosopher and mathematician of Ancient Greece. Born in Abdera, in the region of Thrace, he was an advanced student of Leucippus, developed theories in various spheres of knowledge, and was noted for his atomistic conception of matter.

Although he is usually considered a pre-Socratic philosopher, he was actually a contemporary of Socrates. Among his most studied subjects were astronomy and theology.

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Outstanding phrases of Democritus

To approach the teachings of this Greek thinker and writer, we are going to make a tour of the best phrases of Democritus..

1. All is lost when the bad ones serve as an example and the good ones as a mockery.

These things happen when ethics is lost.

2. He who procrastinates will leave nothing finished or perfect.

On procrastination, a vice that does not allow us to advance.

3. Can he who loves no one be loved?

In other words: can he who loves no one be loved? Probably not.

4. The whole earth is within the reach of the wise, since the homeland of an elevated soul is the universe.

Global thinking enables us to be above the material.

5. Life without feasts is like a long road without inns.

There is always a little fun to be had to make the road more pleasant.

6. Life is a transit; the world is a showroom; man enters it, watches and leaves.

A great metaphor that shows us the ephemeral nature of human existence.

7. Nature is self-sufficient; that is why it overcomes the excesses of hope with the least and the surest.

A brief environmental reflection on the strength of Mother Nature.

8. Do not be ashamed to submit to the laws and to those who know more than you.

Knowledge and democracy must prevail over any other consideration.

9. Even if you are alone, you must not say or do anything wrong. Learn to be more ashamed of yourself than of others.

The public deserves our strong and confident side.

10. There are men who work as if they were going to live forever.

Remember that your work will not make you eternal; enjoying the day to day will.

11. Man is not unhappy as long as he is not unjust.

Honesty guarantees a good psychological state, according to this sentence of Democritus.

12. A woman's true beauty and most precious gala is her scarce speech.

Feminine beauty, ingratiated with discretion, according to the Greek philosopher.

13. Young people are like plants: from the first fruits we can see what we can expect for the future.

A metaphor of great beauty about the potential of every adolescent.

14. He who proceeds unjustly is more unfortunate than the victim of his injustice.

Very much in line with sentence number eleven.

15. Riches do not consist so much in the possession of goods as in the use made of them.

To know how to give a meaning to possessions, that is true wealth.

16. To fight against desire is hard, but to overcome it is proper to a sensible man.

Wisdom is the pinnacle of an individual's moral development.

17. Medicine heals the diseases of the body, but wisdom frees the soul from ailments.

On physical and mental health, in one of Democritus' most memorable phrases.

18. It is arrogance to talk about everything and want to hear nothing.

To know how to listen is the first precept of the wise man.

19. Men ask for health from the gods in their prayers, but they do not realize that they have control over it in themselves, and that, as they do the opposite of what they should, they become traitors to their health through their own appetites.

It is of no use to delegate our health to any supreme entity.

20. Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion.

The only thing undeniable are the particles that form matter.

21. The upbringing of children is a slippery matter; one achieves a success plagued by quarrels and sleeplessness or a failure that is not surmountable by any other pain.

On the responsibility of parents in the thankless task of upbringing.

22. Discreet is he who does not grieve over what he does not have, but rejoices over what he has.

His definition of discretion.

23. The friendship of a wise man is better than that of all fools.

A great intelligent friend is worth more than all the mean ones.

24. He who is entirely dominated by wealth could never be just.

Austerity is a value for the wise and just man.