Plutarch famous quotes

The flatterer's object is to please in everything he does; whereas the true friend always does what is right, and so often gives pleasure, often pain, not wishing the latter, but not shunning it either, if he deems it best.
-- Plutarch

#Friends #Pain #True Friend

Time is the wisest of all counselors.
-- Plutarch

#Time #Counselor #Wisest

Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech.
-- Plutarch

#Silence #Speech

I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.
-- Plutarch

#Friendship #Change #Real Friends

The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.
-- Plutarch

#Inspirational #Leadership #Education

What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.
-- Plutarch

#Positive #Reality #Achieve

It is a thing of no great difficulty to raise objections against another man's oration, it is a very easy matter; but to produce a better in it's place is a work extremely troublesome.
-- Plutarch

#Work #Men #Criticism

Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly.
-- Plutarch

#Inspirational #Advice #Empathy

A good man will take care of his horses and dogs, not only while they are young, but also when they are old and past service.
-- Plutarch

#Dog #Horse #Past

No man ever wetted clay and then left it, as if there would be bricks by chance and fortune.
-- Plutarch

#Fate #Men #Would Be

Moral good is a practical stimulus; it is no sooner seen than it inspires an impulse to practice.
-- Plutarch

#Inspirational #Practice #Inspire

For the mind does not require filling like a bottle, but rather, like wood, it only requires kindling to create in it an impulse to think independently and an ardent desire for the truth.
-- Plutarch

#Technology #Thinking #Mind

Oh, what a world full of pain we create, for a little taste upon the tongue.
-- Plutarch

#Pain #World #Littles

The man who is completely wise and virtuous has no need of glory, except so far as it disposes and eases his way to action by the greater trust that it procures him.
-- Plutarch

#Wise #Men #Ease

To the Greeks, the supreme function of music was to "praise the gods and educate the youth". In Egypt... Initiatory music was heard only in Temple rites because it carried the vibratory rhythms of other worlds and of a life beyond the mortal.
-- Plutarch

#Inspiration #Egypt #Other Worlds

Choose what is best, and habit will make it pleasant and easy.
-- Plutarch

#Happiness #Habit #Easy

The worship most acceptable to God comes from a thankful and cheerful heart.
-- Plutarch

#God #Heart #Cheerful

Rest is the sweet sauce of labor.
-- Plutarch

#Fitness #Sweet #Sauce

It is a hard matter, my fellow citizens, to argue with the belly, since it has no ears.
-- Plutarch

#Loss #Matter #Citizens

No beast is more savage than man when possessed with power answerable to his rage.
-- Plutarch

#Anger #Men #Savages

Character is simply habit long continued.
-- Plutarch

#Character #Long #Habit

Water continually dropping will wear hard rocks hollow.
-- Plutarch

#Determination #Rocks #Water

What All The World Knows Water is the principle, or the element, of things. All things are water.
-- Plutarch

#Water #World #Principles

It is wise to be silent when occasion requires, and better than to speak, though never so well.
-- Plutarch

#Wise #Silence #Speak

Evidence of trust begets trust, and love is reciprocated by love.
-- Plutarch

#Love Is #And Love #Love And Trust

The measure of a man is the way he bears up under misfortune.
-- Plutarch

#Adversity #Men #Way

The obligations of law and equity reach only to mankind; but kindness and beneficence should be extended to the creatures of every species, and these will flow from the breast of a true man, as streams that issue from the living fountain.
-- Plutarch

#Kindness #Philosophical #Men

Nothing is cheap which is superfluous, for what one does not need, is dear at a penny.
-- Plutarch

#Pennies #Doe #Needs

...To the Dolphin alone, beyond all other, nature has granted what the best philosophers seek: friendship for no advantage
-- Plutarch

#Dolphins #Philosopher #Granted

The whole life of man is but a point of time; let us enjoy it.
-- Plutarch

#Time #Men #Enjoy

Music, to create harmony, must investigate discord.
-- Plutarch

#Harmony #Discord

Perseverance is more prevailing than violence; and many things which cannot be overcome when they are together, yield themselves up when taken little by little.
-- Plutarch

#Perseverance #Taken #Persistence

Nothing is harder to direct than a man in prosperity; nothing more easily managed that one is adversity.
-- Plutarch

#Adversity #Men #Prosperity

Courage stands halfway between cowardice and rashness, one of which is a lack, the other an excess of courage.
-- Plutarch

#Life #Success #Courage

For the correct analogy for the mind is not a vessel that needs filling, but wood that needs igniting.
-- Plutarch

#Inspirational #Mind #Analogies

It is indeed a desirable thing to be well-descended, but the glory belongs to our ancestors.
-- Plutarch

#Family #Glory #Ancestor

All men whilst they are awake are in one common world: but each of them, when he is asleep, is in a world of his own.
-- Plutarch

#Dream #Sleep #Insomnia

Those who aim at great deeds must also suffer greatly.
-- Plutarch

#Uplifting #Adversity #Suffering

To be ignorant of the lives of the most celebrated men of antiquity is to continue in a state of childhood all our days.
-- Plutarch

#Life #Men #Childhood

Painting is silent poetry.
-- Plutarch

#Art #Painting #Silent

An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.
-- Plutarch

#Freedom #Tyrants #Political

The richest soil, if uncultivated, produces the rankest weeds.
-- Plutarch

#Weed #Garden #Soil

Nature and wisdom never are at strife.
-- Plutarch

#Inspirational #Strife

Courage consists not in hazarding without fear; but being resolutely minded in a just cause.
-- Plutarch

#Courage #Causes

In human life there is constant change of fortune; and it is unreasonable to expect an exemption from the common fate. Life itself decays, and all things are daily changing.
-- Plutarch

#Change #Fate #Decay

Medicine to produce health must examine disease; and music, to create harmony must investigate discord.
-- Plutarch

#Music #Medicine #Disease

Do not speak of your happiness to one less fortunate than yourself.
-- Plutarch

#Happiness #Happy #Inner Peace

It is part of a good man to do great and noble deeds, though he risk everything.
-- Plutarch

#Integrity #Men #Risk

Character is long-standing habit.
-- Plutarch

#Art #Philosophy #Character

In words are seen the state of mind and character and disposition of the speaker.
-- Plutarch

#Character #Mind #Disposition

To make no mistakes is not in the power of man; but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future.
-- Plutarch

#Wise #Mistake #Character

Fate leads him who follows it, and drags him who resist.
-- Plutarch

#Fate #Destiny #Drag

The very spring and root of honesty and virtue lie in good education.
-- Plutarch

#Education #Teacher #Appreciation

Prosperity is no just scale; adversity is the only balance to weigh friends.
-- Plutarch

#Friendship #Best Friend #Adversity

To find fault is easy; to do better may be difficult.
-- Plutarch

#May #Faults #Easy

The whole of life is but a moment of time. It is our duty, therefore to use it, not to misuse it.
-- Plutarch

#Inspirational #Funny #Life

Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks.
-- Plutarch

#Art #Poetry #Quiet

Epaminondas is reported wittily to have said of a good man that died about the time of the battle of Leuctra, "How came he to have so much leisure as to die, when there was so much stirring?
-- Plutarch

#Men #Good Man #Battle

The great god Pan is dead.
-- Plutarch

When one told Plistarchus that a notorious railer spoke well of him, "I 'll lay my life," said he, "somebody hath told him I am dead, for he can speak well of no man living.
-- Plutarch

#Men #Speak #Notorious

To one that promised to give him hardy ***** that would die fighting, "Prithee," said Cleomenes, "give me ***** that will kill fighting.
-- Plutarch

#Fighting #Giving #Said

We ought to regard books as we do sweetmeats, not wholly to aim at the pleasantest, but chiefly to respect the wholesomest; not forbidding either, but approving the latter most.
-- Plutarch

#Book #Latter #Aim

Courage and wisdom are, indeed, rarities amongst men, but of all that is good, a just man it would seem is the most scarce.
-- Plutarch

#Men #Politics #Economy

Riches for the most part are hurtful to them that possess them.
-- Plutarch

#Hurtful #Riches

Whenever anything is spoken against you that is not true, do not pass by or despise it because it is false; but forthwith examine yourself, and consider what you have said or done that may administer a just occasion of reproof.
-- Plutarch

#May #Done #Despise

If we traverse the world, it is possible to find cities without walls, without letters, without kings, without wealth, without coin, without schools and theatres; but a city without a temple, or that practiseth not worship, prayer, and the like, no one ever saw.
-- Plutarch

#Kings #Wall #Prayer

When one is transported by rage, it is best to observe attentively the effects on those who deliver themselves over to the same passion.
-- Plutarch

#Passion #Rage

It is no disgrace not to be able to do everything; but to undertake, or pretend to do, what you are not made for, is not only shameful, but extremely troublesome and vexatious.
-- Plutarch

#Able #Made #Disgrace

Lamentation is the only musician that always, like a screech-owl, alights and sits on the roof of any angry man.
-- Plutarch

#Anger #Men #Owl

Justice makes the life of such as are in prosperity, power and authority the life of a god, and injustice turns it to that of a beast.
-- Plutarch

#Justice #Politics #Prosperity

Being summoned by the Athenians out of Sicily to plead for his life, Alcibiades absconded, saying that that criminal was a fool who studied a defence when he might fly for it.
-- Plutarch

#Might #Fool #Criminals

They fought indeed and were slain, but it was to maintain the luxury and the wealth of other men.
-- Plutarch

#Men #Luxury #Politics

For there is no virtue, the honour and credit for which procures a man more odium from the elite than that of justice; and this, because more than any other, it acquires a man power and authority among the common people. For they only honour the valiant and admire the wise, while in addition they also love just men, and put entire trust and confidence in them.
-- Plutarch

#Wise #Men #Justice

For the rich men without scruple drew the estate into their own hands, excluding the rightful heirs from their succession; and all the wealth being centred upon the few, the generality were poor and miserable. Honourable pursuits, for which there was no longer leisure, were neglected; the state was filled with sordid business, and with hatred and envy of the rich.
-- Plutarch

#Men #Hands #Envy

Themistocles being asked whether he would rather be Achilles or Homer, said, "Which would you rather be, a conqueror in the Olympic games, or the crier that proclaims who are conquerors?
-- Plutarch

#Games #Achilles #Said

Alcibiades had a very handsome dog, that cost him seven thousand drachmas; and he cut off his tail, "that," said he, "the Athenians may have this story to tell of me, and may concern themselves no further with me.
-- Plutarch

#Dog #Cutting #Tails

Wise men are able to make a fitting use even of their enmities.
-- Plutarch

#Wise #Adversity #Men

Forgetfulness transforms every occurrence into a non-occurrence.
-- Plutarch

#Forgetfulness

Democritus said, words are but the shadows of actions.
-- Plutarch

#Shadow #Action #Said

When men are arrived at the goal, they should not turn back.
-- Plutarch

#Men #Space #Goal

Since, during storms, flames leap from the humid vapors and dark clouds emit deafening noises, is it surprising the lightning, when it strikes the ground, gives rise to truffles, which do not resemble plants?
-- Plutarch

#Food #Dark #Flames

Our nature holds so much envy and malice that our pleasure in our own advantages is not so great as our distress at others'.
-- Plutarch

#Envy #Pleasure #Advantage

Mothers ought to bring up and nurse their own children; for they bring them up with greater affection and with greater anxiety, as loving them from the heart, and so to speak, every inch of them.
-- Plutarch

#Mother #Children #Heart

If you hate your enemies, you will contract such a vicious habit of mind that it will break out upon those who are your friends, or those who are indifferent to you.
-- Plutarch

#Hate #Hatred #Mind

The first evil those who are prone to talk suffer, is that they hear nothing.
-- Plutarch

#Evil #Suffering #Firsts

Nature without learning is blind, learning apart from nature is fractional, and practice in the absence of both is aimless.
-- Plutarch

#Education #Practice #Blind

Character is inured habit.
-- Plutarch

#Character #Habit

The present offers itself to our touch for only an instant of time and then eludes the senses.
-- Plutarch

#Elude #Instant #Offers

Gout is not relieved by a fine shoe nor a hangnail by a costly ring nor migraine by a tiara.
-- Plutarch

#Shoes #Gout #Tiaras

Remember what Simonides said, that he never repented that he had held his tongue, but often that he had spoken.
-- Plutarch

#Silence #Tongue #Remember

Cicero called Aristotle a river of flowing gold, and said of Plato's Dialogues, that if Jupiter were to speak, it would be in language like theirs.
-- Plutarch

#Plato #Rivers #Gold

Pompey bade Sylla recollect that more worshipped the rising than the setting sun.
-- Plutarch

#Sun #Rising #Pompey

Athenodorus says hydrophobia, or water-dread, was first discovered in the time of Asclepiades.
-- Plutarch

#Water #Firsts #Dread

That proverbial saying, "Ill news goes quick and far.
-- Plutarch

#News #Ill #Proverbial

The first man . . . ventured to call food and nourishment the parts that had a little before bellowed and cried, moved and lived. How could his eyes endure the slaughter when throats were slit and hides flayed and limbs torn from limb? How could his nose endure the stench? How was it that the pollution did not turn away his taste, which made contact with the sores of others and sucked juices and serums from mortal wounds?
-- Plutarch

#Eye #Men #Vegetarianism

... being perpetually charmed by his familiar siren, that is, by his geometry, he neglected to eat and drink and took no care of his person; that he was often carried by force to the baths, and when there he would trace geometrical figures in the ashes of the fire, and with his finger draws lines upon his body when it was anointed with oil, being in a state of great ecstasy and divinely possessed by his science.
-- Plutarch

#Oil #Fire #Ashes

Fortune had favoured me in this war that I feared, the rather, that some tempest would follow so favourable a gale.
-- Plutarch

#War #Gale #Tempest

Beauty is the flower of virtue.
-- Plutarch

#Beauty #Flower #Virtue

Someone praising a man for his foolhardy bravery, Cato, the elder, said, ''There is a wide difference between true courage and a mere contempt of life.
-- Plutarch

#Men #Differences #Bravery

Vultures are the most righteous of birds: they do not attack even the smallest living creature.
-- Plutarch

#Bird #Righteous #Vulture