1 The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled. -Plutarch
Our minds have a lot of potential. If we’re only going to accumulate knowledge and make no use of it, there’s no point. Make use of your mind to act wisely.
2 I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better. -Plutarch
Your true friends are not those who agree with all you do and say. The ones who will call you out and correct you when you are wrong are your real friends.
3 What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality. -Plutarch
What matters is what you are like on the inside. Focus on changing yourself and everything else will fall in place on its own.
4 To find fault is easy; to do better may be difficult. -Plutarch
It’s easy to find fault and criticize others. On the other hand, doing better than them is much more difficult. You can call them out for their mistakes but what really sets you apart is if you are able to show them how it should be done.
5 An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics. -Plutarch
The divide between the rich and the poor has been only growing in recent times. While the rich become richer, the poor only become poorer and this divide is one of the primary reasons for the collapse of many nations.
6 Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly. -Plutarch
Being a good listener is a really important quality. It makes you more amiable and will strengthen your relationship with others. If you’re a good enough listener, it won’t matter if the other person talks bad, you’ll learn something from them too.
7 The poor go to war, to fight and die for the delights, riches, and superfluities of others. -Plutarch
It is always the poor who suffer in wars. They are the ones who have to bear the brunt of all the violence started by those at the top and the rich.
8 Adversity is the only balance to weigh friends. -Plutarch
You only realize who your real friends are when adversity strikes. The real ones will stay with you through thick and thin but the fake ones will leave you at the first sight of struggle.
9 To make no mistakes is not in the power of man; but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future. -Plutarch
Making mistakes is something that we all do. But what sets apart the wise from the rest is the ability to learn from those mistakes and not repeat the same in the future.
10 Of all the disorders in the soul, envy is the only one no one confesses to. -Plutarch
We all have felt envy and jealousy at one point or the other. It is one of those emotions that we hide the most though because we feel shameful and embarrassed for wanting something that someone else has.
11 Books delight to the very marrow of one’s bones. They speak to us, consult with us, and join with us in a living and intense intimacy. -Plutarch
Books are the best companions for a person. They give us a world full of magic and miracles where we can lose ourselves in and escape from the mundane and mediocre.
12 The whole of life is but a moment of time. It is our duty, therefore to use it, not to misuse it. -Plutarch
It is up to us as to what we make of our lives. We have a plethora of blessings all around us. We often fail to make the most of what we have and cry over the things that we don’t have.
13 Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech. -Plutarch
There is a time to speak and a time to shut up. Sometimes, silence is the best answer. It can do more good than mindless ranting.
14 Painting is silent poetry. -Plutarch
Paintings are visual poetry. They are a form of high art which can capture our world in its most pristine form. The purpose of art is to transcend human experience and emotions and paintings can do the same visually.
15 A few vices are sufficient to darken many virtues. -Plutarch
We all have parts of ourselves that we do not like or aren’t good for us. Even if you say you are good at heart and have many good qualities, just a few vices is enough to put it all to waste.
15 Profound And Thought Provoking Plutarch Quotes
1. The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled. -Plutarch
2. I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better. -Plutarch
3. What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality. -Plutarch
4. To find fault is easy; to do better may be difficult. -Plutarch
5. An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics. -Plutarch
6. Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly. -Plutarch
7. The poor go to war, to fight and die for the delights, riches, and superfluities of others. -Plutarch
8. Adversity is the only balance to weigh friends. -Plutarch
9. To make no mistakes is not in the power of man; but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future. -Plutarch
10. Of all the disorders in the soul, envy is the only one no one confesses to. -Plutarch
11. Books delight to the very marrow of one’s bones. They speak to us, consult with us, and join with us in a living and intense intimacy. -Plutarch
12. The whole of life is but a moment of time. It is our duty, therefore to use it, not to misuse it. -Plutarch
13. Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech. -Plutarch
14. Painting is silent poetry. -Plutarch
15. A few vices are sufficient to darken many virtues. -Plutarch