Democritus Quotes

Greek philosopher (c. 460–c. 370 BC)

Add quote

Democritus (c. 460 BC – c. 370 BC) was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher. He is popularly known as "the laughing philosopher" for advocating a cheerful outlook, and for his rhetorical use of irony and ridicule. A pupil of Leucippus, he was an influential pre-Socratic philosopher who formulated an atomic theory of the universe. Of his voluminous writings, only a few fragments of his ethical theory remain, with descriptions by other writers of his atomic theory.

From: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Native Name: Δημόκριτος

Alternative Names: Democritus of Abdera • Laughing Philosopher • Demokritos

From Wikidata (CC0)

A life without a holiday is like a long journey without an inn to rest at.

A sensible man takes pleasure in what he has instead of pining for what he has not.

Of all things the worst to teach the young is dalliance, for it is this that is the parent of those pleasures from which wickedness springs.

Now as of old the gods give men all good things, excepting only those that are baneful and injurious and useless. These, now as of old, are not gifts of the gods: men stumble into them themselves because of their own blindness and folly.

The right-minded man, ever inclined to righteous and lawful deeds, is joyous day and night, and strong, and free from care. But if a man take no heed of the right, and leave undone the things he ought to do, then will the recollection of no one of all his transgressions bring him any joy, but only anxiety and self-reproaching.

Fortune is lavish with her favors, but not to be depended on. Nature on the other hand is self-sufficing, and therefore with her feebler but trustworthy [resources] she wins the greater <nowiki>[</nowiki>meed<nowiki>]</nowiki> of hope.

An evil and foolish and intemperate and irreligious life should not be called a bad life, but rather, dying long drawn out.

In the weightiest matters we must go to school to the animals, and learn spinning and weaving from the spider, building from the swallow, singing from the birds,—from the swan and the nightingale, imitating their art.

Men have made an idol of luck as an excuse for their own thoughtlessness. Luck seldom measures swords with wisdom. Most things in life quick wit and sharp vision can set right.

(Democritus said he would rather discover a single demonstration than win the throne of Persia.)

For a man petticoat government is the limit of insolence.

Seek after the good, and with much toil shall ye find it; the evil turns up of itself without your seeking it.

No one deserves to live who has not at least one good-man-and-true for a friend.

The friendship of one wise man is better than the friendship of a host of fools.

The enmity of one's kindred is far more bitter than the enmity of strangers.