


Wisdom of the Ancients


From the Egyptians of antiquity to the biblical cast of characters, lives were far less complicated in the ancient world. There were no cars, no air travel, no Internet, no Twitter. Despite that, or perhaps because of it, the ancients made extraordinary contributions to the world landscape. Even more importantly, they shaped the way we think now. The ancient Greeks, for example, are credited with coming up with logic models and deductive reasoning (among other things).

For fun, I thought I'd share a few quotes from antiquity that are as relevant now as they were when they were written:

"There are many who have agreed, but they are like a withered forest,
fruitless and without shade. Only decay awaits them.

"The gods help those who help themselves." --Aesop


"Written laws are like spider's webs; they will catch, it is true, the weak and poor, but would be torn in pieces by the rich and powerful." --Anacharsis, 6th century B.C.E.

"You can't step twice into the same river." --Heraclitus

"While I am sane, I shall compare nothing to the joy of a friend." --Horace

"I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand." --Confucius

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” --Jalal al-Din Rumi

“Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel the artistry moving through and be silent.” --Rumi

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." --Sun Tzu, The Art of War

"Watch a man in times of adversity to know what kind of man he is; for then, at last, words of truth are drawn from the depths of his heart and the mask is torn off." --Lucretius

"Embrace simplicity." --Lao Tzu
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