Top 90 Democritus Quotes (2024 Update)

1. “Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion.”

— Democritus

Featured in: Science Quotes, Philosophy Quotes, Quotes About Reality

2. “Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul.”

— Democritus

3. “Nature and education are somewhat similar. The latter transforms man, and in so doing creates a second nature.”

— Democritus

4. “Everywhere man blames nature and fate yet his fate is mostly but the echo of his character and passion, his mistakes and his weaknesses.”

— Democritus

5. “The wise man belongs to all countries, for the home of a great soul is the whole world.”

— Democritus

6. “By desiring little, a poor man makes himself rich.”

— Democritus

7. “The brave man is he who overcomes not only his enemies but his pleasures.”

— Democritus

8. “The word is the shadow of the deed.”

— Democritus

9. “Everything existing in the universe is the fruit of chance and necessity.”

— Democritus

10. “We think there is color, we think there is sweet, we think there is bitter, but in reality there are atoms and a void.”

— Democritus

11. “It is hard to fight desire; but to control it is the sign of a reasonable man.”

— Democritus

12. “People sometimes rationalize their greed by saying that it is all for the good of their children but this is nothing but an excuse they use to make their despicable actions appear respectable and praiseworthy.”

— Democritus

13. “Good means not merely not to do wrong, but rather not to desire to do wrong.”

— Democritus

14. “Envy is the cause of political division.”

— Democritus

15. “The man enslaved to wealth can never be honest.”

— Democritus

16. “Sweet exists by convention, bitter by convention, color by convention; but in reality atoms and the void alone exist.”

— Democritus

17. “The brave man is not only he who overcomes the enemy, but he who is stronger than pleasures. Some men are masters of cities, but are enslaved to women.”

— Democritus

18. “We know nothing in reality; for truth lies in an abyss.”

— Democritus

19. “Magnanimity consists in enduring tactlessness with mildness.”

— Democritus

20. “The wise man’s home is the universe.”

— Democritus

21. “Many much-learned men have no intelligence.”

— Democritus

22. “According to convention there is a sweet and a bitter, a hot and a cold, and according to convention, there is an order. In truth, there are atoms and a void.”

— Democritus

23. “Throw moderation to the winds, and the greatest pleasures bring the greatest pains.”

— Democritus

24. “I would rather discover one true cause than gain the kingdom of Persia.”

— Democritus

25. “Medicine heals diseases of the body, wisdom frees the soul from passions.”

— Democritus

26. “Sexual intercourse is a slight attack of apoplexy.”

— Democritus

27. “It is better to destroy one’s own errors than those of others.”

— Democritus

28. “More men have become great through practice than by nature.”

— Democritus

29. “All things happen by virtue of necessity.”

— Democritus

30. “The good things of life are produced by learning with hard work; the bad are reaped of their own accord, without hard work.”

— Democritus

31. “Beautiful objects are wrought by study through effort, but ugly things are reaped automatically without toil.”

— Democritus

32. “Soul and intellect are just the same things.”

— Democritus

33. “Men should strive to think much and know little.”

— Democritus

34. “There are some men who are masters of cities but slaves to women.”

— Democritus

35. “The pride of youth is in strength and beauty, the pride of old age is in discretion.”

— Democritus

36. “A life without festivity is a long road without an inn.”

— Democritus

37. “The wrongdoer is more unfortunate than the man wronged.”

— Democritus

38. “To a wise man, the whole earth is open; for the native land of a good soul is the whole earth.”

— Democritus

39. “It is greed to do all the talking but not to want to listen at all.”

— Democritus

40. “No power and no treasure can outweigh the extension of our knowledge.”

— Democritus

41. “Hope of ill gain is the beginning of loss.”

— Democritus

42. “Poor mind, from the senses you take your arguments, and then want to defeat them? Your victory is your defeat.”

— Democritus

43. “If you would know contentment, let your deeds be few.”

— Democritus

44. “The sweetest things become the most bitter by excess.”

— Democritus

45. “Raising children is an uncertain thing; success is reached only after a life of battle and worry.”

— Democritus

46. “Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence.”

— Democritus

47. “If your desires are not great, a little will seem much to you; for small appetite makes poverty equivalent to wealth.”

— Democritus

48. “Whatever a poet writes with enthusiasm and a divine inspiration is very fine. Earliest reference to the madness or divine inspiration of poets.”

— Democritus

49. “Happiness does not reside in strength or money; it lies in rightness and many-sidedness.”

— Democritus

50. “Immoderate desire is the mark of a child, not a man.”

— Democritus