Pythagorean Phrases: 20 selected and commented quotes

George Alvarez 18-10-2023
George Alvarez

Pythagoras was a Greek mathematician and philosopher very important to the history of mankind. He developed the well-known "Pythagorean Theorem" and contributed, in addition, to philosophy, geography and music. Pythagorean phrases widespread until today.

In this article, we will bring you a compilation of 20 phrases of Pythagoras , selected and commented reflecting on his reflexive character during the time of his life.

Table of Contents

  • Biography of Pythagoras
    • Pythagoras School
  • Pythagorean Theorem
  • Pythagoras' Thoughts
  • Pythagoras Quotes
  • Best phrases of Pythagoras
    • "If what you have to say is not more beautiful than silence, then shut up."
    • "Listen and you will be wise, the beginning of wisdom is silence."
    • "Before you do something, think, when you think you can do it already, think again."
    • "He who speaks, sows; he who listens, reaps."
    • "Don't say too little in too many words, but say too much in too few words."
    • "Life is like a show, we get into it, we see what it shows us, and we get out at the end."
    • "Help others with the load, but don't carry it for them."
    • "Ask for nothing in your prayers, because you do not know what is useful and only God knows your needs."
    • "Despise no one; an atom makes a shadow."
    • "He is not free who has not obtained mastery over himself."
    • "Affections can sometimes add up, subtract, never."
    • "Men who always speak the truth are the closest to God."
  • Pythagoras quotes and phrases
    • "Nothing perishes in the universe; everything that happens in it is but mere transformations."
    • "Purify your heart before you allow love to enter it, for even the sweetest honey turns sour in a dirty vessel."
    • "In matters of injustice, the worst thing is not to suffer it, it is to commit it."
    • "Do not make your body the tomb of your soul."

Biography of Pythagoras

The well-known Greek mathematician, Pythagoras, was born on the island of Samos in the Aegean Sea around 570 B.C. It is speculated in the history books that Pythagoras' life is mixed between reality and legend, this is because of the myths about his existence in Greece.

As for his life, Pythagoras was known as a brilliant mind, his intelligence impressed the great masters of the island of his birth. This was because the scholar was always ahead in ideas, reflections and theories. In this sense, Pythagoras left dozens of phrases from his thoughts during his life.

Then, at the age of 16, he moved to Miletus to study with Thales, who was considered one of the greatest scholars of his time. In this context, he was oriented to the studies of geometry and mathematics, which made him an important discoverer of theorems and theories.

However, it should be noted that Pythagoras did not settle only in the studies of exact sciences, since he expanded his searches and his interests by the knowledge of religions and peoples. In this sense, it was also in this reality that the philosopher and mathematician traveled to various countries such as Saudi Arabia, Syria, Persia, Egypt, among others.

Pythagoras School

As presented earlier, Pythagoras obtained a great interest in religion, its people and its science, this caused him to travel and become a priest for a few years. However, a time after this journey, the Greek returns to the island of Samos and intends to resume the mathematical and geometric studies.

Regarding this time of return to Samos, Pythagoras faces an obstacle: the island was taken by a dictator who was against education and expelled him from Greece. Thus, the mathematician ends up moving to southern Italy, where he founded the well-known "School of Pythagoras.

The "School of Pythagoras", also called the "Pythagorean School" was a kind of fellowship among several sciences, being:

  • math;
  • religion;
  • politics;
  • philosophy.

However, the school did not last very long, the cause of its destruction being the popular uprisings of those who were against the aristocrats of the school.

Pythagorean Theorem

The famous "Pythagorean Theorem" was one of his main and most important ideas, and is still used today by scientists, teachers, and scholars of mathematics and related areas. Thus, Pythagoras in his philosophy believed that the world, elements, and living beings could all be expressed in numbers, and this thought revolutionized studies.

Consequently, he and his disciples began to study geometry in its pure state, and it was in this context that the "Pythagorean Theorem" emerged. This theorem reveals that "In a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the catheters", that is: a² = b² + c².

Pythagoras' Thoughts

Pythagoras was a pre-Socratic philosopher, that is, he is from a time before the birth of Socrates and, for this reason, during his time, philosophy was concerned with different issues. In this sense, in that period, philosophers reflected and debated about cosmology, that is, their context was an attempt to discover what composed and what originated the universe.

Thus, the Greek mathematician's theory about the origin of the universe was that it was composed of an "essential numerical codification. Pythagoras believed that mathematics and music had a great relationship with cosmology and the composition of the souls of human beings.

Therefore, it can be understood that his philosophies were always governed by numbers and numerical organizations, which made him a philosopher of mathematical nature and with roots in geometric studies. Still, the phrases of Pythagoras left a large collection during your knowledge journey .

I want information to enroll in the Psychoanalysis Course .

Read Also: Virginia Woolf's Phrases: 30 famous quotes

Pythagoras Quotes

The famous phrase "Educate the children so that it will not be necessary to punish the adults" The philosopher was a great believer in the power of education, and was a great learner and later an important teacher and scholar.

Other Pythagorean phrases about education, knowledge and numbers:

  • "All things are numbers."
  • "Evolution is the law of life, number is the law of the universe, unity is the law of God."

In these two, of the 20 best phrases by Pythagoras Consequently, Pythagoras believed that everything could be measured in terms of numbers.

Best phrases of Pythagoras

Pythagoras' phrases are still used today as beliefs or even popular sayings. For this reason, we will present here the best ones.

"If what you have to say is not more beautiful than silence, then shut up."

We can understand here that silence is better than a speech that does not agree with beautiful things, since silence is always the best choice in order not to talk nonsense.

"Listen and you will be wise, the beginning of wisdom is silence."

Excellence in listening is the first step in developing wisdom. He who listens, learns best.

"Before you do something, think, when you think you can do it already, think again."

Thinking and rethinking is always the best way before making a decision.

"He who speaks, sows; he who listens, reaps."

The one who speaks sows something to the one who listens, for this reason, it is an exchange relationship, when both are in processes of wisdom.

"Don't say too little in too many words, but say too much in too few words."

Saying something in a few words, but that is valuable, is more important than saying many words that don't have much value.

"Life is like a show, we get into it, we see what it shows us, and we get out at the end."

Life has a beginning, middle and end, just like a show. We enter it, enjoy what it has to offer us, and finally we leave.

"Help others with the load, but don't carry it for them."

We can and must help people with their obstacles and problems, but they must solve them themselves.

I want information to enroll in the Psychoanalysis Course .

See_also: Dreaming of a kite: what does it mean?

"Ask for nothing in your prayers, because you do not know what is useful and only God knows your needs."

God is the only one who knows the needs and what is useful to human beings, so only He should grant people what they need.

"Despise no one; an atom makes a shadow."

Everything and everyone has a function and a usefulness in existence, for this reason we should not despise people and things.

"He is not free who has not obtained mastery over himself."

Freedom only comes to those who have mastery over their own lives.

"Affections can sometimes add up, subtract, never."

The affections that we collect, develop, or see through life do not diminish, but may increase in quantity.

"Write in the sand the mistakes of your friend."

See and point out your friend's mistakes, but do it in a non-permanent way, like the one who draws in the sand and soon after, the drawing is undone by time.

"Men who always speak the truth are the closest to God."

Being truthful and spreading truths brings one even closer to God.

Pythagoras quotes and phrases

Other examples of illustrious and notable people Pythagoras' phrases:

"Nothing perishes in the universe; everything that happens in it is but mere transformations."

Everything that occurs in the Universe does not cease to exist, it just undergoes transformations.

"Purify your heart before you allow love to enter it, for even the sweetest honey turns sour in a dirty vessel."

It is necessary to purify the heart to receive love, because a dirty environment can spoil such a noble and beautiful feeling.

"In matters of injustice, the worst thing is not to suffer it, it is to commit it."

Injustice when committed is worse than when received by another.

"Do not make your body the tomb of your soul."

Don't make your body a repository for the remains of your soul.

Having presented these 20 phrases of Pythagoras One can see that the philosopher spoke a lot about the themes of education, life, the universe, being, relationships, numbers, God, etc. Therefore, taking hold of his virtues can be a good way to reflect on these areas common to human beings, since Pythagoras is a renowned thinker.

See_also: Transference and Countertransference: meaning in Psychoanalysis

Also, if you enjoyed this article on Pythagorean phrases, don't forget to like and share it with your friends. This encourages us to produce more and more quality content. Follow our texts and news!

George Alvarez

George Alvarez is a renowned psychoanalyst who has been practicing for over 20 years and is highly regarded in the field. He is a sought-after speaker and has conducted numerous workshops and training programs on psychoanalysis for professionals in the mental health industry. George is also an accomplished writer and has authored several books on psychoanalysis that have received critical acclaim. George Alvarez is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and expertise with others and has created a popular blog on Online Training Course in Psychoanalysis that is widely followed by mental health professionals and students around the world. His blog provides a comprehensive training course that covers all aspects of psychoanalysis, from theory to practical applications. George is passionate about helping others and is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of his clients and students.