How to Think Like Socrates Quotes

“Knowing what we do and do not know is the most important form of self-knowledge.”
― Donald J. Robertson, How to Think Like Socrates: Ancient Philosophy as a Way of Life in the Modern World

“Socrates. “So long as you know that you do not know something”
― Donald J. Robertson, How to Think Like Socrates: Ancient Philosophy as a Way of Life in the Modern World

“The mere fact of one’s death holds no terror for any man of wisdom and courage, although it terrifies the foolish and cowardly. It is our own wrongdoing that we should fear, for to depart from this life having one’s character burdened by vice is the worst evil that can befall a man. A man is more likely to achieve this if he dedicates his life to the love of wisdom but abstains from meddling in public affairs, where the temptation to do wrong is great precisely because of the influence he will have over others. My original belief stands unrefuted, that doing wrong is even more to be avoided than being wronged and our supreme goal must be the reality rather than the appearance of goodness.”
― Donald J. Robertson, How to Think Like Socrates: Ancient Philosophy as a Way of Life in the Modern World

“Distancing involves being able to make the distinction between “I believe” (an opinion that is subject to validation) and “I know” (an “irrefutable” fact).”
― Donald J. Robertson, How to Think Like Socrates: Ancient Philosophy as a Way of Life in the Modern World

“We often lack self-awareness because we make assumptions, and we exhibit the sort of biases that are easier to spot in other people than to notice in ourselves. First and foremost, though, looking in this mirror requires a type of courage.”
― Donald J. Robertson, How to Think Like Socrates: Ancient Philosophy as a Way of Life in the Modern World

“When we falsely believe that we know something, our actions are guided by ignorance, and we make mistakes. If we recognize our ignorance, however, and we are reasonable men, we will seek counsel from experts.”
― Donald J. Robertson, How to Think Like Socrates: Ancient Philosophy as a Way of Life in the Modern World

“Let me explain,” said Socrates. “So long as you know that you do not know something, you’re not confused. It’s only when we think we know something that, in fact, we do not know, that we become confused.”
― Donald J. Robertson, How to Think Like Socrates: Ancient Philosophy as a Way of Life in the Modern World

“Those without a reputation to defend incur less disgrace when they are refuted. In particular, older men who made a good living as teachers often exhibited less willingness to be questioned, and less capacity for learning, than their young students. Could our desire to appear wise be one of the greatest obstacles to acquiring real wisdom?”
― Donald J. Robertson, How to Think Like Socrates: Ancient Philosophy as a Way of Life in the Modern World

“To know ourselves, that is, we must know how we are doing when measured against human virtues such as wisdom and justice. We must clarify our thinking about our values and expose the sort of conceit that consists”
― Donald J. Robertson, How to Think Like Socrates: Ancient Philosophy as a Way of Life in the Modern World

“To know ourselves, that is, we must know how we are doing when measured against human virtues such as wisdom and justice. We must clarify our thinking about our values and expose the sort of conceit that consists in believing we know what virtue is when we do not.”
― Donald J. Robertson, How to Think Like Socrates: Ancient Philosophy as a Way of Life in the Modern World

“What Socrates bequeathed to us was not so much a series of answers but rather a method of asking questions, a technique for clarifying our thinking and protecting ourselves from being misled by others, which is known today as the Socratic method.”
― Donald J. Robertson, How to Think Like Socrates: Ancient Philosophy as a Way of Life in the Modern World