Scholars of the past have always tried to put the most difficult concepts into words.Here is a selection of the best philosophical phrases that can help you find your inspiration and inspire you to do your best in every situation.
How much do you know about philosophy?
No, don't worry, it is not an admission test for an academic course!
Nor do I want to teach you anything about it....
Actually, I am not very knowledgeable on the subject either.
But every once in a while I happened to read here and there the words of some important philosopher, I don't know, like. Socrates o Aristotle, or I've heard them quoted by super smart people who definitely know their stuff in life and work.
So I thought, "Why not share this with my readers?"
Yes, because as always the people around us can really be a great source of inspiration.
Think about it, how many times have you found yourself in a moment of challenge or difficulty, and the right words at the right time lifted you up?
I will tell you right now that although it may be interesting regardless, in this article I will leave out a whole series of disquisitions on happiness, love, friendship, etc., focusing instead only on those quotes that can really make a difference in your professional success.
It's all those phrases that help you think through some of the things that affect your work, your growth, and thus determine the likelihood that you will achieve your goals.
Just to name a few, I am referring, for example, to the conception of time, stubbornness and determination, the courage to take risks, to step out of the comfort zone and thus fail in order to improve, change as an opportunity (and not a threat), and much more.
Oh yeah, quite a lot when you think about it!
I know it well: achieving your dreams requires hard work, a lot of commitment and a bit of luck. Efforts don't always pay off and things don't always turn out the way you want them to, but satisfaction is still always just around the corner.
What better inspiration than the words of the great philosophers of the past, who shared their experience and thoughts on precisely such important issues?
In this article you will find the best philosophical phrases divided into various categories so that you can read them easily.
Here they are!
The best philosophical phrases to find your inspiration
Throughout time, philosophy has always been that discipline that has sought to reflect on any aspect of human life, from love to the meaning of existence itself.
Philosophers were those people, sometimes a bit weird, who tried to give sensible answers, based on logic and reasoning, to the great questions of man.
As I mentioned, here I would like to share what I think are the most interesting phrases of famous philosophers that can give you the right push to excel in what you do.
Take it a little bit as a mental session. coaching, a kind of "mental training" with the goal of improving yourself and thus your performance.
I am sure that each sentence will be able to open your mind and make you notice some details of your daily life, which you may have taken for granted, but which, instead, may turn out to be crucial.
Okay, so let's get into it: here are the best philosophical phrases of great authors.
Philosophical quotes about time
The flight of time frightens us all a bit: how many times have you found yourself thinking that you don't have enough hours in the day to do everything you'd like to do?
Well, from a philosophical point of view, you should not try to run away or chase after time itself, but rather focus on the present moment, making the most of it and not lingering too long thinking about the future.
Here are a few sentences on this topic.
"It is not true that we have little time: the truth is that we lose a lot of it." (Lucius Anneus Seneca)
"Time is the most precious thing a man can spend." (Theophrastus)
"The purpose of work is to procure leisure." (Aristotle)
"Employ your time in improving yourself through the writings of other men so that you can easily come to what others have worked hard on." (Socrates)
"The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now." (Confucius)
Philosophical quotes about courage
To be yourself and do what you love, it takes courage: do you agree?
Just as it takes one to launch into any work experience, even more so at the entrepreneurial level.
Yet, as I always say, He who does not laugh, does not laugh.
So let's look at some famous quotes about it.
"Hope has two beautiful children: outrage and courage. Outrage at the reality of things; courage to change them." (St. Augustine)
"There is no man so cowardly that love does not make him brave and turn him into a hero." (Plato)
"The secret of happiness is freedom, and the secret of freedom is courage." (Thucydides)
"There is nothing foul about a scar if it was courage that caused it." (Publilio Siro)
"It is not because things are difficult that we dare not, it is because we dare not that they are difficult." (Lucius Anneus Seneca)
"He who is brave is free." (Seneca)
"Easy to be brave at a safe distance." (Aesop)
"What one must learn to do, one learns by doing it." (Aristotle)
"Only those who have overcome their fears will be truly free." (Aristotle)
"There are only two mistakes one can make on the path to the true: not going all the way and not starting." (Buddha)
"Choose a job you love, and you will not have to work a single day in your life." (Confucius)
Philosophical quotes on failure
You probably already know this, but all the greatest business men in the world have quite a few failures behind them. No one has ever managed to rise to the top without leaving behind some disappointments!
Do you know what the secret is? Consider every failure from the point of view of its usefulness: if you have failed, it means that it has done something, that is, you have been able to act-and only those who actually do can get results.
Here are a few phrases to support you in accepting even the toughest disappointments.
"There are many ways to fail, but to succeed there is only one way only." (Aristotle)
"Have you ever tried? Have you ever failed? It doesn't matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." (Samuel Beckett)
"The season of failure is the best time to plant the seeds of success." (Paramahansa Yogananda)
"Many failures in life are reported by those men who do not realize how close they are to success the moment they decide to give up." (Thomas Edison)
"The true lord is similar to an archer: if he misses the target, he looks for the cause in himself." (Confucius)
"Rush into action, and you fail. Try to grasp things, and you lose them. Force a project to completion, and you ruin what was almost ripe." (Lao Tse)
"He who knows all the answers has not asked all the questions." (Confucius)
Philosophical quotes on change
Change is part of our nature, yet sometimes we resist it.
Especially when faced with established routines, we struggle to let go of the levees and open ourselves to new patterns (which inevitably bring with them new discoveries and opportunities).
Yes, change scares everyone a little bit....
But it often allows you to achieve the very thing you most desire.
How many times have you complained about a situation but not put any initiative in place for something different to happen?
Here are some tips that can help you.
"Insanity lies in doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results." (Albert Einstein)
"If you want to change the world, try first to improve and transform yourself." (Dalai Lama)
"And if you become a butterfly no one thinks about what it was like when you crawled on the ground and didn't want wings." (Alda Merini)
"Only the wisest or the stupidest of men never change." (Confucius)
"May I have the strength to change the things I can change, may I have the patience to accept the things I cannot change, may I above all have the intelligence to be able to distinguish between them." (St. Thomas More)
"Every day, what you choose, what you think and what you do is what you become." (Heraclitus)
"No man ever enters the same river twice, for the river is never the same, and he is not the same man." (Heraclitus)
"There is no permanent reality except the reality of change; permanence is an illusion of the senses." (Heraclitus)
More philosophical quotes (among my favorites)
Well, as you can see, all kinds of things have been said on the most diverse topics; but I still have a few tidbits for you.
Here you will find one last list among the phrases I love most and that have often helped me find inspiration and motivation, even in the somewhat more complicated moments.
They are about the ability and strength to always have self-confidence, to not pay too much attention to what others think, to stop wanting to condition what is actually out of our control, and at the same time to keep setting ambitious goals.
They are all for you!
"There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing." (Aristotle)
"If there is a solution why do you worry? And if it does not exist, why do you worry?"(Aristotle)
"Even a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." (Lao Tzu)
"Worry about what others think and you will always be their prisoner." (Lao Tzu)
"Almost half of all our anxieties and anxieties stem from our preoccupation with the opinion of others." (Arthur Schopenhauer)
"The only true wisdom is to know that you know nothing." (Socrates)
"There is no favorable wind for the sailor who does not know where to go." (Lucius Anneus Seneca)
"There is only one road to happiness, and that is to stop worrying about things that are beyond the control of our will." (Epictetus)
"If a man starts with certainties he will end up with doubts; but if he is content to start with some doubts, he will eventually arrive at some certainties." (Francis Bacon)
"If you want to be a true seeker of truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as much as possible, all things." (Descartes)
"There is nothing entirely in our power but our thoughts." (Descartes)
"To be what we are and to become what we are capable of becoming is the only purpose of life." (Baruch Spinoza)
"Do not seek the favor of the multitude: it is rarely obtained by lawful and honest means. Seek rather the approval of the few; but do not count the voices, weigh them." (Immanuel Kant)
Conclusion
So what about, have you found any quotes that resonate well with what you are experiencing right now?
As I have done before as well, I advise you to weigh them one by one and take the time to reflect on their true meaning.
You could also transcribe some on your phone, perhaps as a good morning message, or scatter them around your home or office so you have a few little reminders now and then.
Finally, I don't know how you find your inspiration in what you do, but what I can suggest from personal experience is to reclaim around you the truly authentic things that can make you feel good, and eliminate anything that steals precious energy from you.
Now tell me, is there any other famous quote that has been able to inspire you to make a difference in your life or work?
Let me know in the comments!