Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow... even if that someone is yourself!
PlatoRead
At the Egyptian city of Naucratis there was a famous old god whose name was Theuth; the bird which is called the Ibis was sacred to him, and he was the inventor of many arts, such as arithmetic and calculation and geometry and astronomy and draughts and dice, but his great discovery was the use of letters.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Theuth, a divine figure, is credited with inventing essential arts and the discovery of letters, emphasizing the importance of knowledge and communication.
In this quote, Plato presents Theuth as a symbolic figure representing wisdom and invention. Theuth, revered as a god in Naucratis, is associated with various disciplines that shape human understanding and communication, particularly highlighting his invention of letters, which revolutionizes the way knowledge is preserved and shared. This underscores the profound impact of literacy and the arts on civilization and human progress.
Themes
TheuthLettersKnowledgeWisdomInventionArts
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on the history of communication, I mentioned how Theuth's invention of letters changed civilization.
More from Plato
All quotes →Not one of them who took up in his youth with this opinion that there are no gods ever continued until old age faithful to his conviction.
PlatoRead
...for the object of education is to teach us to love beauty.
PlatoRead
Pleasure is the greatest incentive to evil.
PlatoRead
Nothing in the affairs of men is worthy of great anxiety.
PlatoRead
Let parents bequeath to their children not riches, but the spirit of reverence.
PlatoRead
Similar quotes
The strong man is the one who is able to intercept at will the communication between the senses and the mind.
Napoleon BonaparteRead
When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I've never tried before.
Mae WestRead
I have a lot of what you might call creative self-loathing - I have pretty high expectations, and they seem to consistently be higher than what I'm able to accomplish.
Alejandro Gonzalez InarrituRead
Vision without execution is delusion.
Thomas A. EdisonRead
There are men and women who make the world better just by being the kind of people they are. They have the gift of kindness or courage or loyalty or integrity. It really matters very little whether they are behind the wheel of a truck or running a business or bringing up a family. The teach the truth by living it.
James A. GarfieldRead
Acceptance of the unacceptable is the greatest source of grace in this world.
Eckhart TolleRead