Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow... even if that someone is yourself!
One trait in the philosopher's character we can assume is his love of the knowledge that reveals eternal reality, the realm unaffected by change and decay.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the philosopher's pursuit of eternal truths, which remain constant despite the changes in the physical world.
In this quote, Plato emphasizes a key aspect of a philosopher's character: the deep appreciation for knowledge that uncovers fundamental truths about reality. This knowledge transcends the transient and decaying nature of daily life, suggesting that true wisdom lies in grasping concepts that are stable and eternal. In contrast to the ever-changing facets of life, the philosopher seeks insights into a realm that remains unaffected by these fluctuations, indicating a quest for a deeper understanding of existence.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on the nature of reality, one might quote this to highlight the importance of philosophical inquiry.
More from Plato
All quotes βNot 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.
...for the object of education is to teach us to love beauty.
Pleasure is the greatest incentive to evil.
Nothing in the affairs of men is worthy of great anxiety.
Let parents bequeath to their children not riches, but the spirit of reverence.
Similar quotes
This living hand, now warm and capable Of earnest grasping, would, if it were cold And in the icy silence of the tomb, So haunt thy days and chill thy dreaming nights That thou would wish thine own heart dry of blood, So in my veins red life might stream again, And thou be conscience-calm'd. See, here it is-- I hold it towards you.
I don't believe in God. But sitting there, in a room full of those who feel otherwise, I realize that I do believe in people. In their strength to help each other, and to thrive in spite of the odds, I believe that the extraordinary trumps the ordinary, any day. I believe that having something to hope for -- even if it's just a better tomorrow -- is the most powerful drug on this planet.
There is a state of perfect peace with God to be attained under imperfect obedience.
Now the story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us the same way as the others, but with this tremendous difference that it really happened: and one must be content to accept it in the same way, remembering that it is Godβs myth where the others are menβs myths: i.e., the Pagan stories are God expressing Himself through the minds of poets, using such images as He found there, while Christianity is God expressing Himself through what we call 'real things'.
Discourse says, 'You are.' Rhetoric preserves the freedom to say, 'I am not.
We spend our time envying people whom we wouldn't wish to be.