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25 Powerful Critical Thinking Quotes

Legendary physicist Richard Feynman famously warned that when it comes to thinking, not fooling yourself should be at the top of your mind. His reason was simple: “You are the easiest person to fool”. Critical thinking is often hailed as the antidote to our tendency to self-deception. But it’s hard to pinpoint what people mean when they use the term. I’ve previously described it as the art of thinking and thinking about thinking to make judgements while improving the quality of the thought process itself. To illustrate the elusive concept further I’ve put together 25 quotes on critical thinking and added some personal reflections.

1. What Is Thinking?

Thinking — or reasoning — involves objectively connecting present beliefs with evidence in order to believe something else. David T. Moore, Critical Thinking and Intelligence Analysis

If your thinking doesn’t get you into a different state of mind, even if it only means your existing convictions become more high-resolution, you were probably just ruminating; that is turning over the same thoughts without making progress.

2. Writing Is Thinking

If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them. George Orwell

Skilful writing is indistinguishable from critical thinking as it forces you to clarify and reorganise your thoughts. But it also means that lazy writing leads to sloppy thinking, a bad habit George Orwell tried to address with his six writing rules .

3. Death of Ideas

The purpose of thinking is to let the ideas die instead of us dying. Alfred North Whitehead

Thinking is akin to running simulations in our heads to test assumptions and predict outcomes. This allows us to pick the best courses of action. It’s superior to trying out hypotheses in the real world due to something called self-preservation.

4. Belief Confidence

The confidence people have in their beliefs is not a measure of the quality of evidence but of the coherence of the story that the mind has managed to construct. Daniel Kahneman

We don’t naturally process ideas in terms of reasons, logic and arguments. We think in stories . So if you want to question the validity of your beliefs, start by questioning the story you’ve constructed around them.

5. Sagan’s Dragon

What’s the difference between an invisible, incorporeal, floating dragon who spits heatless fire and no dragon at all? If there’s no way to disprove my contention, no conceivable experiment that would count against it, what does it mean to say that my dragon exists? Your inability to invalidate my hypothesis is not at all the same thing as proving it true. Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World

Falsifiability is a cornerstone of critical thinking. If you encounter a statement or an idea that cannot be scrutinised let alone proven false, scepticism is in order. Thankfully, Sagan left us his Baloney Detection Kit , a set of cognitive tools for detecting falsehoods.

6. Dangerous Knowledge

Assumptions have been described as the most dangerous form of knowledge. Why? Because an assumption carries with it unconsidered information, knowledge that is not subject to thought or critique. However, assumptions are a fact of life; we all have them and we all rely on them. […] The best that we can do is identify them and make them explicit. Charles Vandepeer, Applied Thinking for Intelligence Analysis

Another way to improve your critical thinking skills is to identify and question the underlying assumptions of a cherished belief you hold. For example by using Structured Analytic Techniques .

7. Passionate Opinions

The opinions that are held with passion are always those for which no good ground exists; indeed the passion is the measure of the holder’s lack of rational conviction. Opinions in politics and religion are almost always held passionately. Bertrand Russell

The default state of our mind is to think about things intuitively and emotionally . While this helps us to solve complex problems quickly using heuristics , it requires a deliberate effort to consider an issue rationally and logically. But the effort is worth it.

8. Building Blocks

When it comes to the ideas and opinions you hold, see them as toys or building blocks that you are playing with. Some you will keep, others you will knock down, but your spirit remains flexible and playful. Robert Greene, The Daily Laws

For bad ideas to die, we have to see them less as precious possessions and more as means to the end of getting us closer to the truth.

9. The Utility of Scepticism

Science is more than a body of knowledge. It’s a way of thinking. A way of skepticely interrogating the universe with a fine understanding of human fallability. If we are not able to ask skeptical questions, to interrogate those who tell us that something is true, to be skeptical of those in authority, then we’re up for grabs for the next charlatan — political or religious — who comes ambling along. Carl Sagan

A healthy scepticism is a civil necessity. But it’s worth remembering that the number one charlatan to look out for is still yourself.

10. Beware of Your Biases

People can be extremely intelligent, have taken a critical thinking course and know logic inside and out. Yet they may just become clever debaters, not critical thinkers, because they are unwilling to look at their own biases. Carol Wade

Critical thinking without questioning and refining your assumptions, beliefs and ways of making judgements is not critical thinking. An integral part is becoming aware of your biases such as motivated reasoning .

11. Pseudo-Critical Thinking

Critical thinking, as has been noted, focuses on both the process and the results of reasoning. However, the term is also used in reference to reasoning that is not reflective. The application of formal logic is sometimes (incorrectly) equated to critical thinking. So too are problem solving and structured methods of analysis. Developers of school curricula and other exponents of “sound thinking” often lay claim to the mantel of critical thinking but are really leveraging their coverage of logic or problem solving to capitalize on an uncritical understanding of what critical thinking is. Problem solving, for example, focuses on answers and not on the process by which an answer is obtained. Additionally, logic or problem solving, being goal oriented, offer little means by which a person can improve the process of her thinking. David T. Moore, Critical Thinking and Intelligence Analysis

Genuine critical thinking offers dual benefits. First, it allows you to make sound judgements and second, you improve your thinking in such a way that it’ll be easier for you to make sound judgements next time around.

12. The Intelligence Trap

Unintelligent people are more easily misled by other people, intelligent people are more easily misled by themselves. Gurwinder Bhogal

The sharp-minded can rationalise their way to any bogus conclusions, crediting it to their critical thinking. The simple-minded adopt their views unquestioned while slamming others for their supposed lack of critical thinking.

13. Fruitless Philosophising

It is lacking in critical thinking to think that studying philosophy will improve your critical thinking. Nassim Nicholas Taleb, The Bed of Procrustes

Merely curating a list of critical thinking quotes is unlikely to improve someone’s critical thinking skills. Like any skill, they have to be practised with a certain amount of skin in the game; that is a personal stake or risk exposure in the outcomes of their decisions or actions.

14. Overthinking

Most of us think compulsively all the time. That is to say we talk to ourselves. And I remember when I was a boy we had a common saying: ‘Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness.’ Now obviously, if I talk all the time I don’t hear what anyone else has to say. And so in exactly the same way, if I think all the time, that is to say I talk to myself all the time, I don’t have anything to think about except thoughts. And therefore I’m living entirely in the world of symbols and I’m never in relationship with reality. Alan Watts

Overthinking poses a cognitive hazard that can make you lose touch with reality. British philosopher Alan Watts knew that at some point, you have to put your stake into the ground and act.

15. Tragic Wisdom

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. Bertrand Russell

For all its benefits, an obsession with critical thinking can paralyse and make you second-guess every decision or action.

16. Intellectual Humility

Intellectual humility is the recognition that our reasoning is so flawed, so prone to bias, that we can rarely be certain that we are right. Greg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt, The Coddling of the American Mind

We may not be able to overcome our biases but we should at least be aware of them.

17. Thinking for Yourself

You think for yourself first by learning a lot of the thoughts of other people. Other thoughts and ideas don’t pollute originality and independence, they create the preconditions for it. The person who claims to think for himself, yet scorns learning from other sources, invariably is under the hidden influence of a source he doesn’t recognize. The only way to truly think independently is to have enough knowledge to spot the hidden assumptions that underwrite your current views. Scott H. Young

In order to think critically you need something to think about. And this something tends to be thoughts, ideas or beliefs brought forward by other people, some of which you may even disagree with.

18. Intellectual Instruments

Everything we know has its origins in questions. Questions, we might say, are the principal intellectual instruments available to human beings. Neil Postman

Good questions are the driving force of critical thinking, whether you ask them of others or pose them to yourself. The great thing about them is that they’re available to anyone.

19. The Critical Thinking Trap

People want you to think critically until you actually do it. Chris Meyer

On the one hand, critical thinking is encouraged as a valuable skill because it leads to better understanding and decision-making. But when people apply critical thinking to commonly held beliefs or societal norms, it can challenge established perspectives. Truth is a virtue and the search for it demands non-conformist thinking. The fact that it can be at odds with the pressure of conformity is a feature, not a bug.

20. Freethinking

Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for critical thinking. Leo Tolstoy

Freethinkers are often considered troublemakers challenging and disrupting the status quo. But it requires an open-mindedness that first and foremost causes trouble to their own values and opinions.

21. Downsides of an Open Mind

The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Terry Pratchett

Having an open mind is generally considered a virtuous trait. But it also means you’re vulnerable to the influence of others who may attempt to indoctrinate your mind with their own agendas.

22. Indoctrination

Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you. Richard Dawkins

Despite being the antidote to indoctrination, critical thinking is useless without the knowledge and skills on how to disagree .

23. Cognitive Risk Taking

Take the risk of thinking for yourself, much more happiness, truth, beauty and wisdom will come to you that way. Christopher Hitchens

Engaging in fearless critical thinking may be uncomfortable in the short term but is the better long-term strategy. However, that’s easier said than done if you haven’t set up your life to make a living as a gifted, chain-smoking and hard-drinking disagreeable contrarian. (We miss you Hitch).

24. Gramophone Mind

To exchange one orthodoxy for another is not necessarily an advance. The enemy is the gramophone mind, whether or not one agrees with the record that is being played at the moment. George Orwell

A willingness to listen to other perspectives and change our opinions are the hallmarks of open-mindedness. But it’s not to be confused with passively accepting and repeating a different set of ideas without independent thought.

25. Changing Your Mind

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. Bernard Shaw

Those who are resistant to changing their views or beliefs will find it challenging to adapt to new circumstances.

BONUS: The Power of Your Mind

You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

There are few things over which you have control in this world. Your mind is one of them. So developing your critical thinking skills to influence your thoughts and actions is one of the best things you can do.

Closing Thoughts

Critical thinking is an elusive concept that is often diluted to mean “having opinions with which I agree”. In truth, it is self-reflective and deliberate thinking and thinking about thinking with the primary goal of not fooling yourself. For a deeper dive into the art of navigating the world of ideas to figure out what to believe, check out my post with 5 Books on Critical Thinking to Help You Develop a Reflective Mind and subscribe to the 3 Ideas in 2 Minutes newsletter .

Chris Meyer

I'm a writer, teacher & analyst with a background in languages, martial arts & failing at things. I collect and connect ideas while attempting humour. Here are 50 unbelievable facts about me .

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Critical Thinking Quotes

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Governments don't want a population capable of critical thinking, they want obedient workers, people just smart enough to run the machines and just dumb enough to passively accept their situation.You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own, and control the corporations. They've long since bought, and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the state houses, the city halls, they got the judges in their back pockets and they own all the big media companies, so they control just about all of the news and information you get to hear.

Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

Learn to use your brain power. Critical thinking is the key to creative problem solving in business.

Too often we... enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.

Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you; it means learning to respect and use your own brains and instincts; hence, grappling with hard work.

It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well.

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.

The capacity to innovate - the ability to solve problems creatively or bring new possibilities to life - and skills like critical thinking, communication and collaboration are far more important than academic knowledge.

A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.

The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks.

Critical thinking relies on content, because you can't navigate masses of information if you have nothing to navigate to.

Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you.

Critical thinking is what leads to the next breakthroughs in any area.

The most fundamental attack on freedom is the attack on critical thinking skills.

To every complex question there is a simple answer and it is wrong.

The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself.

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

We are approaching a new age of synthesis. Knowledge cannot be merely a degree or a skill... it demands a broader vision, capabilities in critical thinking and logical deduction without which we cannot have constructive progress.

The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one.

Governments don't want a population capable of critical thinking, they want obedient workers, people just smart enough to run the machines and just dumb enough to passively accept their situation.

It is especially important to encourage unorthodox thinking when the situation is critical

Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too.

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Famous Quotes Related to Critical Thinking

"Not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted counts." - William Bruce Cameron (often falsely attributed to Albert Einstein)

"What we hope ever to do with ease, we must learn first to do with diligence." - Samuel Johnson

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." - Aristotle

"The school is the last expenditure upon which America should be willing to economize." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." - Derek Bok

"It is today we must create the world of the future." - Eleanor Roosevelt

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." - Albert Einstein

"The objective of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives." - Robert Maynard Hutchins

"An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't." - Anatole France

"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson "Education would be much more effective if its purpose was to ensure that by the time they leave school every boy and girl should know how much they do not know, and be imbued with a lifelong desire to know it." - William Haley, British Editor

"Do not confine your children to your own learning for they were born in another time." - Hebrew Proverb

"Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve." - Roger Lewin

"The school is the last expenditure upon which America should be willing to economize." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

"The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend." - Henri Bergson, French Philosopher and Educator "If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right." - MARY KAY ASH, American businesswoman

"The man who can make hard things easy is the educator." - RALPH WALDO EMERSON, American writer and philosopher

"Children are apt to live up to what you believe of them." - LADY BIRD JOHNSON, Former First Lady of the United States

"The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend." - HENRI BERGSON, French Philosopher and Educator

"The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life." - PLATO, Greek Philosopher

"With a smile we should instruct our youth..." - JEAN BAPTISTE MOLIERE, French Playwright

"Children are not vessels to be filled but lamps to be lit." - SWAMI CHINMAYANANDA, Indian Spiritual Leader

"Genius without an education is like silver in the mine." - BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, American Diplomat, Scientist, and Writer

"Education must not simply teach work—it must teach life." - W.E.B. DU BOIS, American Civil Rights Leader and Writer

"Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts." - NIKKI GIOVANNI, American poet

"Teaching is the greatest act of optimism." - COLLEEN WILCOX, American school administrator

"Those of us who are in this world to educate—to care for—young children have a special calling: a calling that has very little to do with the collection of expensive possessions but has a lot to do with worth inside of heads and hearts." - FRED M. ROGERS, Host of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood

"Each student is a unique person and a powerful learner capable of great achievements. I truly marvel at my students' capacity for learning, accomplishment, and growth." - MICHELLE FORMAN, American National Teacher of the Year 2001

"The one real goal of education is to leave a person asking questions." - MAX BEERHOHM, British Critic, Essayist, and Caricaturist "Too often we... enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - JOHN F. KENNEDY

"Out of the questions of students come most of the creative ideas and discoveries." - Ellen Langer

"Invest a few moments in thinking. It will pay good interest." - Author Unknown

"He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever." - CHINESE PROVERB

"No problem can be solved by the same consciousness that created it. We need to see the world anew." - ALBERT EINSTEIN

"The important thing is not to stop questioning." - Albert Einstein

"Knowing a great deal is not the same as being smart; intelligence is not information alone but also judgment, the manner in which information is collected and used." - Carl Sagan

"There is nothing more uncommon than common sense." - FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT

"Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve." - ROGER LEWIN, Ph.D., British anthropologist and science writer

"Time given to thought is the greatest time saver of all." - Norman Cousins

"No way of thinking or doing, however ancient, can be trusted without proof." - Henry David Thoreau

"Who dares to teach must never cease to learn." - John Cotton Dana

"Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too" - Voltaire

"Reason obeys itself: ignorance submits to what is dictated to it." - Thomas Paine

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything one learned in school." - Albert Einstein

Critical Thinking Quotes

The ability to think critically is the key to unlocking the door to new possibilities.

Critical thinking is not just about finding the right answers, but also asking the right questions.

Don’t be afraid to challenge your own beliefs and assumptions – that’s where critical thinking begins.

The more you use your critical thinking skills, the stronger they become.

Don’t be satisfied with surface-level answers – dig deeper and think critically.

Critical thinking is like a muscle – it needs exercise to grow stronger.

Question everything – even your own thoughts and opinions.

Critical thinking is the pathway to innovation and progress.

Don’t follow blindly – think critically and forge your own path.

Critical thinking is about examining information from multiple perspectives.

Don’t rely on intuition alone – use critical thinking to make informed decisions.

Critical thinking is not about being right all the time, but about being willing to admit when you’re wrong.

The best ideas come from a place of critical thinking and open-mindedness.

Don’t accept information at face value – think critically and evaluate its credibility.

Thinking critically is not about being negative, but about being objective.

Be curious – critical thinking begins with a genuine desire to learn.

Critical thinking is the antidote to ignorance and prejudice.

Critical Thinking Quotes part 2

Don’t be afraid to question authority – critical thinking requires independent thought.

Embrace complexity – critical thinking thrives in the midst of uncertainty.

Don’t settle for easy answers – critical thinking demands intellectual rigor.

Critical thinking is like a compass – it helps navigate the sea of information.

Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment – critical thinking requires a clear mind.

The power of critical thinking lies in its ability to challenge the status quo.

Don’t be afraid of disagreement – critical thinking thrives in the marketplace of ideas.

Critical thinking is the engine that drives progress and innovation.

Don’t be swayed by popularity – critical thinking demands independent thought.

Question the source – critical thinking requires skepticism.

Don’t be afraid of complexity – critical thinking is a tool for unraveling it.

Critical thinking is not about finding faults, but about seeking truths.

Don’t settle for black and white – critical thinking thrives in shades of gray.

Question your assumptions – critical thinking demands intellectual honesty.

Don’t fear uncertainty – critical thinking embraces ambiguity.

Critical thinking is not about winning arguments, but about seeking understanding.

Don’t be afraid to change your mind – critical thinking requires intellectual flexibility.

Question everything, especially your own biases – critical thinking is about self-reflection.

Don’t accept mediocrity – critical thinking strives for excellence.

Critical thinking is not about being right all the time, but about being willing to learn.

Don’t let fear hold you back – critical thinking requires courage.

Question authority – critical thinking challenges the status quo.

Don’t be satisfied with superficial knowledge – critical thinking demands depth.

Critical thinking is the spark that ignites the fire of curiosity.

Don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t know – critical thinking values intellectual humility.

Question your own biases – critical thinking demands self-awareness.

Don’t be swayed by charismatic speakers – critical thinking requires independent thought.

Critical thinking is the compass that guides us through the maze of information.

Don’t let others do the thinking for you – critical thinking requires independent thought.

Question everything, especially your own assumptions – critical thinking demands self-reflection.

Don’t settle for easy answers – critical thinking requires intellectual rigor.

Critical thinking is not about finding faults, but about seeking solutions.

Don’t be satisfied with surface-level understanding – critical thinking delves deeper.

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Forgot password, resend verification email, critical thinking sayings and quotes.

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old critical thinking quotes, critical thinking sayings, and critical thinking proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.

If there was one life skill everyone on the planet needed, it was the ability to think with critical objectivity Josh Lanyon

The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks. Christopher Hitchens

The purpose of critical thinking is rethinking: that is, reviewing, evaluating, and revising thought. Jon Stratton

Critical thinking relies on content, because you can't navigate masses of information if you have nothing to navigate to. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek

We seem to have trouble with critical thinking. And our political system doesn't help. Barack Obama

Most people do not have a problem with you thinking for yourself, as long as your conclusions are the same as or at least compatible with their beliefs. Mokokoma Mokhonoana

The insecure leader will interpret critical thinking as critiscism. Andy Stanley

Critical Thinking has the potential to be a deeply creative process. Pearl Zhu

You have a brain and mind of your own. Use it, and reach your own decisions. Napoleon Hill

Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason so few engage in it. Henry Ford

We put too much of a premium on presenting and not enough on substance and critical thinking. Susan Cain

No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking. Voltaire

Negative thinking creates clouds at critical decision times. John C. Maxwell

Ignorance is always ready to admire itself. Procure yourself critical friends. Nicolas Boileau

For students, the evolution-creation discussion can be a useful exercise, for it can help develop their critical thinking skills. Ken Ham

All of the common core standards stuff about critical reading and critical thinking and so on can only be positive. James W. Loewen

Do not indoctrinate your children. Teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, and how to disagree with you. Richard Dawkins

Believe what you like, but don't believe everything you read without questioning it. Pauline Baynes

It's sort of a mental attitude about critical thinking and curiosity. It's about mindset of looking at the world in a playful and curious and creative way. Adam Savage

You need to answer questions on where, when and what to do Sunday Adelaja

Simply disabling specific critical thinking skills is all that is necessary for the god virus to take control of a person. Darrel Ray

The most fundamental attack on freedom is the attack on critical thinking skills. Travis Nichols

To some people critical thinking means you mustn't be critical of them only others Rassool Jibraeel Snyman

There is nothing more Islamic than critical thinking. Tariq Ramadan

Instead of complaining, discover ways, tactics and tricks on how to reach out to people Sunday Adelaja

Losing your job releases you to think effectively and make rational decisions Sunday Adelaja

The ability to reflect is associated with critical thinking and reasoning ability. And the capacity to be alone is one of the highest levels of development. It's important to know how to self-soothe and be confident of other people's love even when they're not there in front of you. Laurie Helgoe

Nothing is more conductive to peace of mind than not having any opinions at all. Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

Critical thinking is to a liberal education as faith is to religion. ... the converse was true also - faith is to a liberal education as critical thinking is to religion, irrelevant and even damaging. Jane Smiley

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. Aristotle

Critical thinking is what leads to the next breakthroughs in any area. Roberta Michnick Golinkoff

It is especially important to encourage unorthodox thinking when the situation is critical Boris Yeltsin

Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve. Roger Lewin

Learn to use your brain power. Critical thinking is the key to creative problem solving in business. Richard Branson

What I'm looking for in my interaction is critical thinking on the part of the person pitching to me. Brad Feld

Discourse and critical thinking are essential tools when it comes to securing progress in a democratic society. But in the end, unity and engaged participation are what make it happen. Aberjhani

To learn that it's easier to be told by others what to think and believe than it is to think for yourself. Neil deGrasse Tyson

In unanimity there may well be either cowardice or uncritical thinking. Donald Rumsfeld

Keeping an open mind is a virtue, but not so open that your brains fall out. Bertrand Russell

Thinking isn't to agree or disagree-that's voting. Robert Frost

Where all men think alike, no man thinks very much. Walter Lippmann

There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the labor of thinking. Thomas A. Edison

Life has taught me to think, but thinking has not taught me to live. Alexander Herzen

A man thinks as well through his legs and arms as his brain. Thoreau

Our is an age which is proud of machines that think, and suspicious of the men who try to. Howard Mumford Jones

There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything; both ways save us from thinking. Alfred Korzybski

Thinking is more interesting than knowing, but less interesting than looking. Goethe

Life always gives you plenty to think about, but seldom enough to think with. Evan Esar

The more we think of some people, the less we think of them. Evan Esar

For every man who is always telling you what he thinks, there is another who is always telling you what others think. Evan Esar

Many a man who thinks he is thinking, is merely digesting yesterday's newspaper. Evan Esar

Your way of thinking starts with individual thoughts, whether good, bad or ugly. John A. Andrews

I refused to let small thinking chart my course in life. John A. Andrews

If we think with a mindset of giving, we entertain abundance, and if we think with an attitude of withholding, we invite lack. As the source gives to the stream so ought the stream to impart to the ocean. John A. Andrews

Critical thinking involves first discovering the who, what, when, and how of things. Bell Hooks

Critical thinkers are clear as to the purpose at hand and the question at issue. Bell Hooks

Critical thinking is an interactive process, one that demands participation on the part of teacher and students alike. Bell Hooks

Keeping an open mind is an essential requirement of critical thinking. Bell Hooks

Critical thinking requires us to use our imagination, seeing things from perspectives other than our own and envisioning the likely consequences of our position. Bell Hooks

We all use thinking skills everyday to help us learn, make decisions, and solve problems. Ellie Weiler

Critical thinking skills are the foundation for all other types of learning. Ellie Weiler

Unlike current events, thinking skills never change. Ellie Weiler

Once thinking skills are mastered, students are able to tackle new challenges with the ability to think them through and discover solutions. Ellie Weiler

Critical thinking is essential as a tool of inquiry. Aveyard

Critical thinking is a liberating force in education and a powerful resource in one's personal and civic life. Aveyard

While not synonymous with good thinking, critical thinking is a pervasive and self-rectifying human phenomenon. Aveyard

Critical thinkers are able to look for flaws in argument and resist claims that have no support. Aveyard

Critical thinkers are more likely to engage in productive and positive activity due to their continual questioning of their knowledge, assumptions and perspectives. Aveyard

12 Inspiring Critical Thinking Quotes For Students

A birdie flies sans inhibitions, and so must you. But first, you must know where you wish to fly. One’s moods and behaviors are both influenced by one’s thinking. Whether you’re shaping a student’s moments or a lifetime, thinking is a powerful tool. The actual fun is that you can learn to think better throughout the course of your lifetime since it is a skill.

We can learn from the age-old knowledge and the contemporary sages to improve our thinking abilities. And one of the finest ways to achieve that is using “ quotes ”. There are a lot of wise words and proverbs that get us thinking, whether they be positive thinking quotes or critical thinking quotes. Perhaps one of the most powerful thoughts on thinking is this… “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become who you are.”

Critical thinking for students – Who’s job is it?

Research reveals several essential findings. Despite widespread agreement that critical thinking is important, most individuals feel that schools do not do enough to help students develop their critical thinking skills.

Nearly 95% of people agree that critical thinking abilities are vital in today’s world, and favor more critical thinking across nearly every demographic characteristic. Nevertheless, many individuals are concerned that our schools do not teach sophisticated ways of thinking, and nearly 80% of respondents believe that young people lack the capacity for critical thought. Only 29% of respondents claim to have categorically studied critical thinking at school.

It’s unclear when, when, and even how critical thinking instruction should take place. A little over half of the parents surveyed believe that it is their responsibility to instill critical thinking in their children. Another 41% think that educators should be in charge of imparting critical thinking skills to young people. Another 22% think that kids should be in charge of their own behavior.

Critical thinking at school

A teacher’s influence on a student extends beyond just imparting a top-notch education.

You serve as a leader, mentor, coach, advisor, and promoter of growth. Since students spend so much time in your classroom, it is up to you and your co-workers in education to create an environment where students can be themselves and accomplish their best work.

Posters with inspirational quotes are a great approach to make your classroom immediately seem more upbeat. Famous writers, innovators, and other personalities have left us with a wealth of inspiring quotations on learning and achievement. After choosing your favorite motivational sayings, you can utilize them to make your own low-cost classroom posters.

What words weigh

The proverb “actions speak louder than words” is certainly familiar to you, but it’s not always the case. Each of us has the ability to sway someone with our words.

Numerous research has revealed the advantages and disadvantages associated with particular terms. Dr. Susan Smalley, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioural sciences at UCLA, stated that “individuals [who] read words of ‘loving kindness’ showed an increase in self-compassion, improved mood, and reduced anxiety.”

If we think back to times we’ve heard inspirational words, we remember how good and motivated we felt after. To get in the habit of choosing our words wisely and with positive intent, we can put reminders around us.

Below is a rundown of some thought-provoking critical thinking quotes that are fit and fun to read for students and mentors alike:

Critical thinking quotes for students

1. “the important thing is not to stop questioning. curiosity has its own reason for existing.” — albert einstein.

Few men in history have had the critical thinking skills of Albert Einstein. One of the characteristics of extremely competent critical thinkers is their inherent curiosity. With that curiosity comes the practice of questioning to explore, discover, and reveal. This is why through using essential and herding questions in our teaching, we drive learners’ curiosity by engaging them in exploring a topic through questions that begin big and get increasingly specific as more discoveries are made. This piece of wisdom is a pearl for dyslexic and non-dyslexic students alike.

2. “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” – Oscar Wilde

No, narcissism doesn’t say that. According to the saying, you must reawaken your love for yourself so that it last forever. To teach students anything , it is essential you teach them to love themselves first. Once you can do that, no one will be able to undermine your confidence and knock you down. Your own best critic would be you. The days of seeking emotional support from others and relying on them to maintain one’s mental health would be gone.

3. “You have a brain and mind of your own. Use it, and reach your own decisions.” — Napoleon Hill

The ability to think independently is one of the critical thinking’s most important characteristics. Without giving anything much thought, believing or agreeing is simple. However, when we make the decision to think for ourselves, we exercise a human right and a duty we have as citizens of the world. Independent thought is labor-intensive, but the benefits are incalculable. One benefit is that it provides various viewpoints and perspectives, which can be instructive. Another benefit of independent thought is that it inspires us to stand up for what we believe in and have confidence in our capacity to make the best decisions for ourselves.

4. “If you are going through hell, keep going.” — Sir Winston Churchill

This pearl of knowledge has lasting ramifications for the lives of all learners, young and old, within and outside of the classroom. Nothing can be endured indefinitely. Everything changes at some point in time. Life is a roller coaster ride that goes through ups and downs in cycles. When difficult times hit you, as a young student, it’s normal to feel discouraged, but you need to realize that they won’t last forever and that you need to keep at it until you’re there.

Hold hands, unite, and proceed through it. And you are never alone in the larger scheme of things.

5. “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” —Aristotle

According to cognition scientists, the average person has between 60,000 and 80,000 ideas per day, or a few thousand thoughts every hour. Thus, thinking critically entails evaluating ideas that have significance and tossing out or dismissing ideas that don’t. Let’s say that when you leave the house, you leave the iron on. You recall that you left it on as you’re driving out the driveway, so you go back inside to turn it off. Or does your day proceed as usual? Here is what might follow:

“That was so foolish, I could have set the house on fire.”

“What if, after preparing breakfast, I forget to turn the burner off? Children will burn their hands off!

“When my spouse or wife learns about it, what will they think?”

“Am I aging faster?”

We refer to this as “sharing our tale.” The stories we tell ourselves, however, are not the facts. The fact is you left the iron on, remembered because you’re smart, turned it off, and diverted a disaster. Additionally, now that you’ve learned from this experience, you’ll be more conscientious next time, and your family may also pick up on your good habits. That’s the path of the critical thinker.

6. “Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.” — Charles Bukowski

Life is designed to be an experimentation ground. To think critically, you must first understand that one cannot think with boundaries around them. Consider also that curiosity is like exercise for the brain, combatting boredom and stagnation by making the brain more active and energized. The student cannot and should not think amid their safe, familiar bubbles and be pushed to explore. It is only in that experimentation you realize what you are worthy of. One would then become ecstatic, ecstatic by coming to a step closer to the meaning of life. It is that ecstasy that would madden you, help you grow and it will be totally worth it.

7. “Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider.” — Francis Bacon

One must be genuinely able to read anything without immediately taking it to heart because there are so many opinions and points of view in the world that are freely communicated through both online and offline means. Thus, developing analytical reading skills in our students is important. Encouraging children to think critically while they read is one thing we can do for them in this vein. The purpose for this is simple; not only does it cultivate independent critical thinking skills, but it helps students enjoy reading more. Rather than passively consuming the words they read, they are questioning and observing, looking for hidden meanings, recognizing patterns and relations to experiences they’ve had, and more.

8. “My father used to say ‘Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.”— Desmond Tutu

This can occur when a person who wasn’t nearly as informed as they thought is suddenly confronted with evidence that contradicts their strongly held beliefs. This may be concerning because our opinions are significant to us and help to define who we are. As a result, this person may respond hastily and out of fear; their natural tendency is to shout louder to drown out the offensive opponent. That is not how critical thinkers operate. Instead, they come prepared to open discussions with a solid bedrock of knowledge and experience to rest on about the discussion topic. They’ll listen openly to the views of others and consider anything that another’s perspective may have to teach them, and share in any and all discussions as constructively as possible.

9. “Right is right even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.” —Augustine of Hippe

In the past, or in the future, righteousness has never depended on its adherents. Even if just a small portion of a population supports it, what is right must remain right. Not everyone has the strength to follow the correct route since it is less appealing than the other one. And more people will always be drawn to what is attractive and simple. For students and for them to adhere to critical thinking, it is essential they first abide by and think about what’s right.

10. “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” — Albert Einstein

It is an unavoidable fact that not everyone has potential that is similar to another person. A student’s ability is facilitated by their environment, society, and upbringing, which helps them see their value. Every student is capable of thinking, but also has his own special abilities that must be nourished, nurtured, and garnered.

11.“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” — Jimmy Johnson

Students rather are distinguished from the commonplace and be viewed as extraordinary. They must therefore ask themselves, “Have we really made that extra effort that would make us the latter?” today. When someone gives up the impulse to always take the easy route and instead makes the necessary extra effort, they become special.

12. “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost

There is no way to succeed in life and climb above the rat race by adhering to it. You must possess the courage to travel the less traveled route. It is important to inculcate in the students that someday, they could be a pioneer in a field that they wouldn’t become aware of until years later. Fear keeps you from stepping into an unfamiliar environment. Once you let go of it there would be nothing holding you back.

Both you and your students deserve to hear all the uplifting and motivating things that are said.

With a bouquet of flowers, make sure to send these thoughtful quotes to a friend or family member who might or might not be a student as a way to express care and the importance of critical thinking.

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of  Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

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7 Powerful Critical Thinking Quotes – Deconstructed

• Self-improvement

Online, you often find yourself surrounded by extracts, maxims, carefully manufactured word combinations. Or if we can place them inside a single category: quotes. Quotes that make you feel hopeful about the future and comfortable with your past. And while reading those your mind gets pumped. When you close the browser. Open the door to life. You start making the same mistakes you ordinarily do.

The fad of sharing quotes never gets old.

I don’t know which one is more popular.

Sharing quotes of famous people like Albert Einstein or sharing cat memes. Probably something in between – an Einstein quote made like a cat meme.

What makes quotes a preferred online asset – for both consumption and creation – can be portrayed in two points:

• Quotes provide packed wisdom and a delusional state of awe.
• The person sharing quotes believes that he’s getting closer to smartness by the mare recitation of wisdom words.

Both of these, are heavily over-represented.

When you read a quote. While it might feel like you are collecting coins that pump your IQ. It’s just a temporary feeling of satisfaction.

You feel motivated – or smarter, or better, or all included. But this mixture of sensations completely vanishes when your finger scrolls down the page.

All of this, might make you wonder…

Why then create a whole post that talks about quotes – critical thinking quotes, as the title suggests?

Why Spend Time Pondering Critical Thinking Quotes?

The main value of words on a page is misunderstood.

We think that the actual words are the main nugget. That’s not the case.

Real gold is always under a layer of thick wrapping.

As we have to remove the packaging to get and use an item we’ve purchased. In a similar fashion, we need to unpack great quotes.

What I mean by unpacking is not just reading a strangely good word combination and then moving along. Rather, stopping to think about what the person said, why he said it, and what we can derive from these words that can make our lives less miserable.

That’s the essence of critical thinking .

You don’t just glance at something and think you understand it. No. You gently grab it. Hold it. And examine it from all sides. Look at it from the microscope of your consciousness to comprehend it. To find the real value hidden inside.

Quotes. Well-crafted words can acquire your attention.

But to leave a lasting impact on your mind. They need to be deconstructed.

That’s what we are going to do below.

I’m taking the best quotes from some of the great thinkers on critical thinking and inspecting them.

While I’m positive that you’ll be familiar with some of the citations below. I’m also sure that we’ll uncover more insights than you’ll ordinarily get when consuming words on a page.

Here we go…

7 Powerful Critical Thinking Quotes:

1. “the value of a college education is not the learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think.” albert einstein.

What’s considered important in school is unusable in real life. You are trained and optimized around remembering facts about the past that make little positive difference about your future. We are rarely taught how to think properly. How to think better .

Surely having a broad understanding of our history is beneficial. Sadly, teachers embed a belief that we should know dates of past events with surgical precious.

And not only in schools. Modern media is also trying to convince us that we should master isolated facts. That richness is in knowing random inputs about all sorts of things.

That’s a phenomenon observed in the book Amusing Ourselves To Death . Ever since the telegraph was invented, we believe that we should learn about things that have a little positive impact on our lives.

For instance, solving a crossword puzzle might seem like a worthy exercise. But how answering 50+ completely random questions will help you in life?

The value in learning. Reading books. Watching videos even online. It’s not so much about remembering the facts. But about tailoring, adjusting how you think.

When you think better. You’ll perform better.

Thinking is the particle that pushes you in the right direction. Not holding all sorts of random facts.

2. “When we blindly adopt a religion, a political system, a literary dogma, we become automatons.” Anaïs Nin

From an early age, we are steered towards certain beliefs and value systems. Some good. Some bad. Some awfully wicked.

Some of these are intentionally promoted by our teachers and parents – i.e., religion, good manners, etc. Some simply occur by the act of living and by our biological needs – desire for money, power, appreciation.

There is no harm in automatically adopting a behavior such as helping an old lady cross the street. But for most of the other things we hold in our heads, we should know why we have them.

For instance, these days it seems natural to be online. To have a social media profile and to participate in the never-ending race of awesomeness. Who got a new car? Who got a new job? Who went on vacation?

Involvement in the social media race seems so unquestionable.

But have you recently asked yourself, “Why are you really using social media?” Is it because you want to connect with others? Because it makes you feel motivated and inspired? Or because you feel the need to be inside because others are there, too? Because you want to showcase how much cooler you are than the rest of the walking undead?

I bet is the last part.

Too often, we watch and get things because others watch them and own them. But as Anaïs Nin above said. This blind obeying makes us mere automatons. We don’t hold the steering wheel of our lives. We are simply responding to the reaction of others. Which means that we are passengers on a bus that is headed towards somewhere. Somewhere we don’t know.

3. “If chess has any relationship to film-making. It would be in the way it helps you develop patience and discipline in choosing between alternatives at a time when an impulsive decision seems very attractive.” Stanley Kubrick

The only way an impulsive decision can be the best decision is when you’ve mastered a field . When you’re well-versed in a topic and extremely confident in your skills. In these situations, your intuition and tacit knowledge provide involuntarily a good answer. Plainly, you think fast.

This type of response – quick and precise – however. It’s usually only available to you in areas where you have extensive experience.

For the rest of the cases, the quote above stands.

Any activity that allows you to slow down and think before you act. That gives you room to consider the alternatives. Is an activity worth holding.

As you can’t win a chess game if you don’t pause and consider the contra moves of your opponent. You can’t win in life if you don’t pause and consider how what you do today can turn around and slap you back in the future.

4. “You do not win by struggling to the top of a caste system. You win by refusing to be trapped within one at all.” Naomi Wolf

As the authors of the book The Social Animal explain, we are social animals.

Our foundational particles push us towards relationships. We feel better when we are around other people.

But this comes with certain costs. When people are around other people. A natural hierarchy is formed. There is an alpha male/woman and people who want to take his/her place.

And even if you do reach the top position in your social circle. Which is also the case for any other tall structure formed by men – e.g., the corporate ladder. The battle is never over. You now have to defend your place.

A solution few are willing to accept is gently removing yourself from the modern rat race .

Take social media for example.

If you use it. You use it for validation. Every time you throw something in the endless abyss of filtered pictures, you are doing it to tell others that you are progressing in some way. But others are not sitting idle. They are, too, advancing. So the only way you can keep your position is to keep throwing status updates about how you are improving – even if you are not really improving.

This creates quite a stressful daily life. You no longer just live. Life becomes a sophisticated arena. There are no fist fights, however. The battle is for prestige – who is richer, better, smarter. Therefore, your day-to-day life becomes trying to figure out how to show to others that your life is good – even when life is bad.

The only way you can win this game is if you totally remove yourself from the equation.

You no longer share how life is treating you. Nor remain interested in how others apparently become richer and prettier. You just focus on the act of living.

5. “People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.” Søren Kierkegaard

Our desire to self-express is motivated by our need to feel valued. What we say is optimized not based on thinking. But optimized towards receiving – these days – likes and comments.

All of this means that we say a lot of things, but we don’t say anything important.

We just dump out more noise in the already noisy world. Hoping, praying, that others will notice us.

For the critical thinker, silence is more than the absence of noise. It’s opening the window and taking a breath of fresh air. A refreshing change from the polluted atmosphere.

Speaking because you can doesn’t mean that you necessarily should. Thinking, however, shouldn’t follow this logic. You should always think. Which will oftentimes lead to not speaking.

6. “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” Marie Curie

We fear the unknown for a simple reason. The brain is constantly trying to predict what will happen next. What the other person will do, so we can prepare the body and the mind for our reaction.

When we face an unfamiliar situation. The brain simply freezes. It doesn’t know what to do. That’s why we tend to avoid things we don’t quite understand.

Paradoxically, the only way we can advance. The only way we can get outside our comfort zone is to put ourselves in positions we are not fully prepared for – e.g., a new job, facing a new challenge, a new field altogether.

So, when you find yourself struggling to find a good solution to a problem. Or you a presented with a hard-to-digest concept. This is a sign. It means that you don’t yet know the full story. You don’t completely understand the situation. What you need to do is to go and find it.

When you understand the problem. Learn more about difficult concepts. You will clear away the fog. You will be prepared. You’ll have the courage to move forward.

7. “I don’t care that they stole my idea. I care that they don’t have any of their own.” Nikola Tesla

Lack of critical thinking will lead to either stealing ideas or trying to discourage others to pursue their ideas.

Ideas. Fresh perspectives that suggest a certain course of action. These are needed for better decision-making and moving further ahead.

But how to have them?

Here’s where one more quote by Nikola Tesla enters on how to produce good ideas:

“Be alone, that is the secret of invention; be alone, that is when ideas are born.” Nikola Tesla

Some of the ideas that will emerge in your brain will be useless. That’s for sure. But that’s part of the process of generating great ideas and great thinking.

Each of us has an idea-generation style. A way to find solutions to problems. Some instantaneously generate reasonable ideas regardless of the location. Others are capable of doing this exercise only when alone.

Make things easier for yourself by figuring out how you think best. Do you have to be alone? Surrounded by others? Or a combination of both – a time around others and then taking some time away to process the information.

Some Closing Thoughts

Quotes shared online seem like a desperate attempt to capture the attention of other people.

Simply because you can quote someone doesn’t mean anything particular.

You found useful words said by someone else. Good. Now what?

To be sufficiently skillful at this critical thinking judo requires questioning and observation.

This also applies when we examine the words of great people. The people who said the things above.

One smart person saying something is as useful as finding a wrench on the street. If you don’t know how to use it. It will be of no use to you.

I hope that you found handy the deconstruction of some of the best quotes on critical thinking. But what I also hope is that the whole post provided you with a new way to approach words on a page.

Not just agreeing with what was said – regardless of who said it. But to try something new. Something different.

Take an idea. Hold it in your hand and look at it from all sides.

Then, after examining it. Ask yourself: “What’s true about this and what is not?”

Add to your critical thinking knowledge by reading the following:

• 9 Provoking Critical Thinking Questions to Ignite Deep Reflective Discourse
• 5 Critical Thinking Strategies To Sharpen Your Thinking
• Critical Thinking Process (Or Acting Wisely Even If You’re Not Very Bright)
• 7 Popular Self-Discipline Quotes Explained

Trouble Saying No to Temptations?

Join Farview: A newsletter fostering long-term thinking in a world driven by impatience. Trusted by over 4,300 thinkers, Farview is a concise, thoughtfully organized newsletter helping you handle the self-sabotaging thoughts trying to corrupt you.

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Inspiring Critical Thinking Quotes to Stimulate Intellectual Curiosity

Annie Walls

Critical thinking is an essential skill that allows individuals to analyze information, evaluate arguments, and make informed decisions. It is a process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach well-founded conclusions. In this article, we will explore the importance of critical thinking, share inspiring quotes to stimulate intellectual curiosity, and discuss how to apply critical thinking in everyday life.

Key Takeaways

• Developing analytical skills is crucial for enhancing critical thinking.
• Enhancing problem-solving abilities is a key outcome of critical thinking.
• Promoting effective decision making is a result of applying critical thinking.
• Encouraging curiosity is essential for fostering critical thinking.
• Challenging assumptions is a fundamental aspect of critical thinking.

The Importance of Critical Thinking

Developing Analytical Skills

Developing analytical skills is crucial for success in today's complex and data-driven world. Analytical skills refer to the ability to collect, analyze, and interpret information to make informed decisions and solve problems. These skills involve critical thinking, logical reasoning, and attention to detail. Analytical skills are highly valued in various industries, including finance, consulting, and technology. They enable individuals to identify patterns, uncover insights, and make data-driven recommendations. By honing analytical skills, individuals can enhance their problem-solving abilities and contribute to the success of their organizations.

Enhancing Problem-Solving Abilities

Enhancing problem-solving abilities is a crucial aspect of critical thinking. It involves the ability to analyze complex situations, identify potential solutions, and make informed decisions. Problem-solving requires a combination of logical reasoning, creativity, and open-mindedness. By developing this skill, individuals can effectively navigate challenges and find innovative solutions.

One effective way to enhance problem-solving abilities is by using a structured approach . This involves breaking down the problem into smaller components, analyzing each component individually, and then integrating the findings to develop a comprehensive solution. Additionally, collaboration with others can provide different perspectives and insights, leading to more effective problem-solving.

To further improve problem-solving abilities, it is important to embrace failure as a learning opportunity. By viewing failures as stepping stones to success, individuals can develop resilience and perseverance. This mindset allows for experimentation, exploration, and the willingness to take risks in order to find optimal solutions.

In summary, enhancing problem-solving abilities is a key aspect of critical thinking. By using a structured approach, collaborating with others, and embracing failure, individuals can develop the skills necessary to effectively solve complex problems and make informed decisions.

Promoting Effective Decision Making

Promoting effective decision making is crucial in both personal and professional settings. Making informed choices based on careful analysis and critical thinking can lead to better outcomes and minimize the risk of making hasty or irrational decisions.

One effective way to promote effective decision making is by using a decision matrix. A decision matrix is a structured tool that helps evaluate different options based on multiple criteria. By assigning weights to each criterion and scoring each option, individuals or teams can objectively compare and prioritize choices.

Another strategy for promoting effective decision making is to seek diverse perspectives. By actively seeking out different viewpoints and considering alternative opinions, individuals can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the situation and make more well-rounded decisions.

Remember, effective decision making is not just about making the right choice, but also about the process of decision making itself. Taking the time to gather relevant information, analyze the pros and cons, and consider the potential consequences can greatly enhance the quality of decisions made.

Quotes to Inspire Critical Thinking

Encouraging Curiosity

Encouraging curiosity is essential for developing critical thinking skills. By fostering a sense of wonder and inquisitiveness, individuals are more likely to explore new ideas and perspectives. Curiosity fuels the desire to seek knowledge and understand the world around us. It pushes us to ask questions and challenge assumptions, leading to deeper insights and innovative solutions.

To cultivate curiosity, it can be helpful to:

• Engage in active learning : Actively participate in discussions, ask thought-provoking questions, and seek out new information.
• Embrace uncertainty : Embracing uncertainty allows for open-mindedness and the willingness to explore different possibilities.
• Encourage exploration : Encourage individuals to explore diverse topics, engage in new experiences, and pursue their interests.

As Albert Einstein once said, 'The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.' By embracing curiosity, we can unlock our full potential for critical thinking and intellectual growth.

Challenging Assumptions

Challenging assumptions is a crucial aspect of critical thinking. It involves questioning the underlying beliefs and ideas that we often take for granted. By challenging assumptions, we open ourselves up to new perspectives and possibilities. It allows us to break free from the constraints of conventional thinking and explore innovative solutions. Questioning our assumptions can lead to breakthrough insights and help us overcome biases that may hinder our ability to think critically.

Embracing Different Perspectives

Embracing different perspectives is a crucial aspect of critical thinking. It allows us to broaden our understanding and challenge our own assumptions. By considering alternative viewpoints, we can gain new insights and develop a more well-rounded perspective. This openness to different perspectives fosters creativity and innovation, as it encourages us to think beyond our own limited experiences and beliefs.

Questioning Authority

Questioning authority is a fundamental aspect of critical thinking. It involves challenging the status quo and not accepting information or decisions blindly. By questioning authority, individuals can uncover hidden biases, explore alternative perspectives, and promote a culture of intellectual curiosity. It is important to approach authority with a healthy skepticism and seek evidence-based justifications for their claims. Questioning authority encourages independent thinking and helps prevent the spread of misinformation.

Applying Critical Thinking in Everyday Life

Evaluating Information Sources

When evaluating information sources, it is important to consider the credibility and reliability of the information. Accuracy is key, as misleading or false information can lead to incorrect conclusions. Additionally, verifiability is crucial, as information that can be independently confirmed is more trustworthy. It is also important to consider the objectivity of the source, as biased information may present a skewed perspective. Finally, currency is important, as outdated information may no longer be relevant or accurate.

To assist in evaluating information sources, a table can be used to present structured, quantitative data. This allows for easy comparison and analysis. Alternatively, a bulleted list can be used for less structured content, such as qualitative points or a series of related items.

Remember to critically analyze the information presented and question its validity. Trustworthy sources are essential for making informed decisions and avoiding misinformation.

Making Informed Choices

When it comes to making informed choices, it is crucial to gather reliable and accurate information. Research plays a vital role in this process as it allows us to explore different perspectives and evaluate the credibility of sources. Additionally, critical thinking skills enable us to analyze the information we have gathered and make logical and well-informed decisions. It is important to consider multiple factors and weigh the pros and cons before making a choice. By applying critical thinking, we can avoid hasty decisions and ensure that our choices align with our goals and values.

Solving Complex Problems

When faced with complex problems, critical thinking becomes even more crucial. It requires the ability to analyze information from multiple sources, evaluate different perspectives, and consider various solutions. Creativity is also an important aspect of solving complex problems, as it allows for innovative thinking and the exploration of unconventional ideas. Additionally, collaboration plays a significant role in problem-solving, as it enables individuals to leverage the diverse skills and knowledge of a team. By applying critical thinking skills and utilizing creativity and collaboration, individuals can effectively tackle complex problems and find optimal solutions.

Avoiding Cognitive Biases

When it comes to critical thinking, it is important to be aware of and avoid cognitive biases. Cognitive biases are inherent tendencies to think in certain ways that can lead to errors in judgment and decision-making. By understanding and recognizing these biases, we can make more objective and rational choices.

One way to avoid cognitive biases is to evaluate information from multiple sources. This helps to minimize the impact of confirmation bias, which is the tendency to seek out information that confirms our existing beliefs. By seeking diverse perspectives and considering different viewpoints, we can gain a more comprehensive understanding of a topic.

Another strategy is to be mindful of our own biases and assumptions. It is natural for our experiences and beliefs to shape our thinking, but it is important to challenge these assumptions and consider alternative explanations. By being open-minded and willing to question our own beliefs, we can overcome biases and make more informed decisions.

In addition, it is helpful to be aware of common cognitive biases, such as the availability heuristic and the anchoring effect. These biases can influence our judgment and lead to faulty reasoning. By understanding these biases, we can be more vigilant in our thinking and avoid making decisions based on flawed logic.

Remember, critical thinking requires us to be aware of our own biases and to actively seek out diverse perspectives. By doing so, we can overcome cognitive biases and make more informed and rational choices.

Applying Critical Thinking in Everyday Life is an essential skill that can greatly enhance decision-making and problem-solving abilities. Whether it's analyzing information, evaluating arguments, or challenging assumptions, critical thinking allows individuals to approach situations with a rational and logical mindset. By applying critical thinking in everyday life, individuals can make more informed choices, avoid biases, and navigate complex situations with clarity and confidence. To learn more about the power of critical thinking and how it can transform your life, visit our website.

In conclusion, critical thinking is an essential skill that allows individuals to analyze information, evaluate arguments, and make informed decisions. The quotes presented in this article serve as a reminder of the importance of intellectual curiosity and the power of questioning. By embracing critical thinking, we can expand our knowledge, challenge assumptions, and contribute to a more informed and innovative society. So, let's embrace the spirit of curiosity and continue to question, explore, and think critically.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is critical thinking.

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze and evaluate information objectively, using logic and reasoning to make informed decisions and solve problems.

Why is critical thinking important?

Critical thinking is important because it helps individuals develop analytical skills, enhance problem-solving abilities, and promote effective decision making.

How can critical thinking be developed?

Critical thinking can be developed through practice and exposure to diverse perspectives. Engaging in activities that require analysis, evaluation, and problem-solving can also help enhance critical thinking skills.

What are some strategies for applying critical thinking in everyday life?

Some strategies for applying critical thinking in everyday life include evaluating information sources, making informed choices, solving complex problems, and avoiding cognitive biases.

How does critical thinking encourage curiosity?

Critical thinking encourages curiosity by promoting questioning, exploration, and a desire to seek knowledge and understanding. It challenges individuals to question assumptions and explore different perspectives.

What is the role of critical thinking in decision making?

Critical thinking plays a crucial role in decision making by helping individuals evaluate options, consider potential consequences, and make informed choices based on logical reasoning and evidence.

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Home › Socrates Quotes

119 Socrates Quotes That Offer A More Peaceful Way Of Life

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Socrates, a classical Greek philosopher who made a huge impact on Western logic and philosophy, was born around 470 BC, in Athens, Greece.

Although we know little about his life beyond the information recorded by his students like Plato, what we do know makes it clear that he had a unique and powerful philosophy and personality.

Socrates was son of Sophroniscus, a stone mason and sculptor, and Phaenarete, a midwife.

Because he was not from an aristocratic family, he most likely received a basic Greek education and learned his father’s craft at a young age before devoting his life to philosophy. He married Xanthippe and together they had three sons—Lamprocles, Sophroniscus and Menexenus.

Socrates believed that philosophy had the potential to cause greater well-being in society.

He aimed to establish an ethical system based on human reason by pointing out that our choices were motivated by the desire for happiness, and that wisdom comes from introspection.

While some Athenians admired Socrates’ challenges to conventional Greek wisdom, many felt he threatened a way of life that had persisted for generations. When the political climate of Greece turned, Socrates was sentenced to death by hemlock poisoning in 399 BC and accepted his judgment.

These Socrates quotes are still inspiring and profoundly thought provoking to people today.

Page Contents

Socrates Quotes

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings so that you shall come easily by what others have labored hard for.

Well I am certainly wiser than this man. It is only too likely that neither of us has any knowledge to boast of; but he thinks that he knows something which he does not know, whereas I am quite conscious of my ignorance. At any rate it seems that I am wiser than he is to this small extent, that I do not think that I know what I do not know.

The beginning of wisdom is a definition of terms.

What a lot of things there are a man can do without.

I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.

Slanderers do not hurt me because they do not hit me.

I was afraid that by observing objects with my eyes and trying to comprehend them with each of my other senses I might blind my soul altogether.

Know thyself.

He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.

If a man is proud of his wealth, he should not be praised until it is known how he employs it.

Where there is reverence there is fear, but there is not reverence everywhere that there is fear, because fear presumably has a wider extension than reverence.

They are not only idle who do nothing, but they are idle also who might be better employed.

Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us.

I only wish that ordinary people had an unlimited capacity for doing harm; then they might have an unlimited power for doing good.

How many are the things I can do without!

I was really too honest a man to be a politician and live.

Ordinary people seem not to realize that those who really apply themselves in the right way to philosophy are directly and of their own accord preparing themselves for dying and death.

See one promontory, one mountain, one sea, one river and see all.

A system of morality which is based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar conception which has nothing sound in it and nothing true.

By all means marry. If you get a good wife you will become happy, and if you get a bad one you will become a philosopher.

When desire, having rejected reason and overpowered judgment which leads to right, is set in the direction of the pleasure which beauty can inspire, and when again under the influence of its kindred desires it is moved with violent motion towards the beauty of corporeal forms, it acquires a surname from this very violent motion, and is called love.

I pray Thee, O God, that I may be beautiful within.

Nature has given us two ears, two eyes, and but one tongue-to the end that we should hear and see more than we speak.

In childhood be modest, in youth temperate, in adulthood just, and in old age prudent.

The end of life is to be like God, and the soul following God will be like Him.

We are in fact convinced that if we are ever to have pure knowledge of anything, we must get rid of the body and contemplate things by themselves with the soul by itself. It seems, to judge from the argument, that the wisdom which we desire and upon which we profess to have set our hearts will be attainable only when we are dead and not in our lifetime.

Nothing is to be preferred before justice.

Let him that would move the world, first move himself.

The comic and the tragic lie inseparably close, like light and shadow.

I am not an Athenian, nor a Greek, but a citizen of the world.

Call no man unhappy until he is married .

Happiness is unrepentant pleasure.

Wars and revolutions and battles are due simply and solely to the body and its desires. All wars are undertaken for the acquisition of wealth; and the reason why we have to acquire wealth is the body, because we are slaves in its service.

No man undertakes a trade he has not learned, even the meanest; yet everyone thinks himself sufficiently qualified for the hardest of all trades, that of government.

The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.

The nearest way to glory is to strive to be what you wish to be thought to be.

Be slow to fall into friendship ; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant.

Worthless people love only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.

Once made equal to man, woman becomes his superior.

Crito, I owe a cock to Asclepius; will you remember to pay the debt?

Fame is the perfume of heroic deeds.

The envious person grows lean with the fatness of their neighbor.

An education obtained with money is worse than no education at all.

Whom do I call educated? First, those who manage well the circumstances they encounter day by day. Next, those who are decent and honorable in their intercourse with all men, bearing easily and good naturedly what is offensive in others and being as agreeable and reasonable to their associates as is humanly possible to be… those who hold their pleasures always under control and are not ultimately overcome by their misfortunes… those who are not spoiled by their successes, who do not desert their true selves but hold their ground steadfastly as wise and sober — minded men.

False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.

The fewer our wants the more we resemble the Gods.

Life contains but two tragedies. One is not to get your heart’s desire; the other is to get it.

Whenever, therefore, people are deceived and form opinions wide of the truth, it is clear that the error has slid into their minds through the medium of certain resemblances to that truth.

If I tell you that I would be disobeying the god and on that account it is impossible for me to keep quiet, you won’t be persuaded by me, taking it that I am ionizing. And if I tell you that it is the greatest good for a human being to have discussions every day about virtue and the other things you hear me talking about, examining myself and others, and that the unexamined life is not livable for a human being, you will be even less persuaded.

The hour of departure has arrived and we go our ways; I to die, and you to live. Which is better? Only God knows.

To fear death, my friends, is only to think ourselves wise, without being wise: for it is to think that we know what we do not know. For anything that men can tell, death may be the greatest good that can happen to them: but they fear it as if they knew quite well that it was the greatest of evils. And what is this but that shameful ignorance of thinking that we know what we do not know?

Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions, but those who kindly reprove thy faults.

Give me beauty in the inward soul; may the outward and the inward man be at one.

He is rich who is content with the least; for contentment is the wealth of nature.

Remember, no human condition is ever permanent. Then you will not be overjoyed in good fortune nor too scornful in misfortune.

Beauty is a short-lived tyranny.

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.

There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

Every action has its pleasures and its price.

Remember what is unbecoming to do is also unbecoming to speak of.

Be as you wish to seem.

Do not do to others what angers you if done to you by others.

Bad men live that they may eat and drink, whereas good men eat and drink that they may live.

I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing.

Are you not ashamed of heaping up the greatest amount of money and honor and reputation, and caring so little about wisdom and truth and the greatest improvement of the soul?

Remember that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore avoid undue elation in prosperity, or undue depression in adversity.

We cannot live better than in seeking to become better.

Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, stupid people already have all the answers.

Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.

The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world, is to be in reality what we would appear to be; and if we observe, we shall find, that all human virtues increase and strengthen themselves by the practice of them.

No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.

I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance.

If you don’t get what you want, you suffer; if you get what you don’t want, you suffer; even when you get exactly what you want, you still suffer because you can’t hold on to it forever. Your mind is your predicament. It wants to be free of change. Free of pain, free of the obligations of life and death. But change is law and no amount of pretending will alter that reality.

There are two kinds of disease of the soul, vice and ignorance.

Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.

Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.

The secret of happiness , you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.

Having the fewest wants, I am nearest to the gods.

The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.

Falling down is not a failure. Failure comes when you stay where you have fallen.

Prefer knowledge to wealth, for the one is transitory, the other perpetual.

Get not your friends by bare compliments, but by giving them sensible tokens of your love.

All wars are fought for the acquisition of wealth.

Thou shouldst eat to live; not live to eat.

If you want to be a good saddler, saddle the worst horse; for if you can tame one, you can tame all.

One should never do wrong in return, nor mistreat any man, no matter how one has been mistreated by him.

Be the kind of person that you want people to think you are.

The greatest way to live with honour in this world is to be what we pretend to be.

If all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be content to take their own and depart.

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.

Children nowadays are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food, and tyrannise their teachers.

The greatest blessing granted to mankind come by way of madness, which is a divine gift.

The years wrinkle our skin, but lack of enthusiasm wrinkles our soul.

The highest realms of thought are impossible to reach without first attaining an understanding of compassion.

The easiest and noblest way is not to be crushing others, but to be improving yourselves.”

When you want wisdom and insight as badly as you want to breathe, it is then you shall have it.

To move the world we must move ourselves.

Through your rags I see your vanity.

5 Fun Facts About Socrates

• His wife was not happy with his ‘philosopher’ profession and constantly complained that he did not support his family the way he should.
• Socrates was short and stocky with big eyes and snub nose, very much unlike the usual masculine Athenian.
• After Socrates’ death sentence was announced, many of his friends told him to flee and offered to bribe the guards.
• According to Plato, during the last moment before he passed, Socrates claimed that his soul had been released from his body.
• By law, at the age of 18, Socrates was ordered to serve in the military and took part in the Peloponnesian war , a conflict that lasted about thirty years.

We hope this collection of Socrates quotes has opened up your mind to a new way of living. If you are moved by these Socrates quotes, feel free to share them with your friends!

Hannah Hutyra

8 thoughts on “119 Socrates Quotes That Offer A More Peaceful Way Of Life”

A great philosopher and a Prophet. Sad, he had to die drinking poison, and how peacefully he faced death! Socrates will ever enlighten the human beings.

Many of these quotes are literally awesome, enlightening and sagacious words to live by. So moving, captivating and inspirational to the core. Thanks for sharing this knowledge.

Noble and great work for the well-being of the mankind. Keep it up. Wishing you all the best.

This is the finest collection of Socrates’ quotes I have come across on the internet so far. Compile and share quotes from the Vedic scriptures as well. Bring wisdom in your life and brighten up other’s lives with it.

Oh…What amazing quotes… I’m surprised that the younger generation of those days too were criticised as we too do today about they being disobedient and spoilt….?? Overall, soul inspiring quotes. ❤️❤️

It is great to bring great work of great people in the knowledge of ordinary people like me.

I really enjoyed the quotes

I don’t believe a person could understand these quotes without acquiring a mind open to a new way of living. I don’t believe that a person’s behaviour would not so attract in an acquaintance a respect for the person’s behaviour.

Those quotes are very thought provoking and encouraging to the soul, heart, and mind.

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100 Philosophical Quotes from History’s Greatest Thinkers

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It's completely normal to have a whirlwind of questions when faced with a difficult situation. ‘Why did it happen?' ‘What could I have done differently?' ‘Will I ever get over it?'

However, it's important to remember that we may not always find the answers we’re looking for. And that strength may need to be found in other places, such as these philosophical quotes.

Unlike most of our gadgets, life doesn’t come with a How-To guide, or a Fix-It manual to download. But we can find solace in the wisdom and experiences of those who walked before us, such as Aristotle and Socrates.

Their words remind us that we're not alone; that we're doing OK. And sometimes, that’s all we need to be able to look towards a brighter future.

Table of Contents

Why Do the Great Philosophers Play Such an Important Part in Today’s World?

Sharing knowledge is a beautiful way to connect with other people. Whether it's teaching our kids the secrets of the world, or passing on some valuable information to our friends, there's something truly heartwarming about sharing our knowhow.

And, it's through this exchange of information that we collectively move forward in life. From the basics of tying shoelaces to discovering the mystery spice that adds that wow factor to our slow-cooked Chilli, every piece of information shared enriches our lives.

So, it's no wonder that the wisdom of the great philosophers has left an undeniable mark on humanity, shaping our thoughts and actions in ways that we might not even realize.

From Lao Tzu's emphasis on harmony and balance to Friedrich Nietzsche's radical philosophies which challenge us to embrace our individuality, their words can help us to unearth a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

They inspire us to question , ponder, and evolve, igniting a passion for exploration and discovery.

That doesn't mean we'll always find the answers we’re searching for. But we can find comfort and acceptance. We can find light in the darkness. And we can find a way forward, no matter how impossible it may, at times, feel.

The wisdom of these, and many more great philosophers, continues to shape our world in the most extraordinary of ways. Their words echo through history, inspiring individuals and shaping societies from around the globe.

And, as we navigate the difficulties of our modern world, we can embrace and apply these timeless philosophies in our daily lives.

We can draw strength and guidance from the words in these philosophical quotes. And strive to create a better world for ourselves and future generations.

100 Philosophical Quotes from History's Greatest Thinkers

• “To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
• “There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance” – Socrates
• “Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny.” – Christopher Markus
• “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” – the Dalai Lama
• “Well, I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
• “What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “Every man is a creature of the age in which he lives and few are able to raise themselves above the ideas of the time.” – Voltaire
• “Man is a mystery. It needs to be unraveled, and if you spend your whole life unraveling it, don’t say that you’ve wasted time. I am studying that mystery because I want to be a human being.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky

Man is a mystery. It needs to be unraveled, and if you spend your whole life unraveling it, don’t say that you’ve wasted time. I am studying that mystery because I want to be a human being.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky

• “Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose .” – Victor Frankl
• “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free.” – Baruch Spinoza
• “Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.” – William James
• “You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius
• “The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” – Albert Camus
• “I started my life with a single absolute: that the world was mine to shape in the image of my highest values and never to be given up to a lesser standard, no matter how long or hard the struggle.” – Ayn Rand
• “If you are lonely when you're alone, you are in bad company.” – Jean-Paul Sartre

• “Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” – Marcus Aurelius
• “Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.” – Henry David Thoreau
• “Those who educate children well are more to be honored than they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well.” – Aristotle
• “The mind is furnished with ideas by experience alone” – John Locke
• “The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science.” – Albert Einstein
• “We live in the best of all possible worlds” – Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
• “The flame that burns Twice as bright burns half as long.” – Lao Tzu
• “It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

• “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” – Marcus Aurelius
• “Let come what comes, let go what goes. See what remains.” – Ramana Maharshi
• “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
• “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” – Aristotle
• “One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don’t throw it away.” – Stephen Hawking
• “Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right.” – Isaac Asimov
• “You always admire what you really don't understand.” – Blaise Pascal
• “Without music, life would be a mistake.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

• “He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything.” – Thomas Carlyle
• “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” – George Bernard Shaw
• “A truth that’s told with bad intent. Beats all the lies you can invent.” – William Blake
• “No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience” – John Locke
• “Maybe everyone can live beyond what they’re capable of.” – Markus Zusak
• “I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think” – Socrates
• “Morality is not the doctrine of how we may make ourselves happy, but of how we may make ourselves worthy of happiness.” – Immanuel Kant
• “We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking.” – Santosh Kalwar
• “Liberty consists in doing what one desires” – John Stuart Mill
• “Whoever will be free must make himself free. Freedom is no fairy gift to fall into a man's lap. What is freedom? To have the will to be responsible for one's self.” – Max Stirner

Whoever will be free must make himself free. Freedom is no fairy gift to fall into a man's lap. What is freedom? To have the will to be responsible for one's self.” – Max Stirner

• “A concept is a brick. It can be used to build a courthouse of reason. Or it can be thrown through the window.” – Gilles Deleuze
• “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius
• “Without struggle, no progress and no result. Every breaking of habit produces a change in the machine.” – George Gurdjieff
• “No! Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.” – George Lucas
• “Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they be not altered for the better designedly” – Francis Bacon
• “It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” – Marcus Aurelius
• “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” – Aristotle
• “Out of difficulties grow miracles.” – Jean de la Bruyere
• “Devotion to the truth is the hallmark of morality; there is no greater, nobler, more heroic form of devotion than the act of a man who assumes the responsibility of thinking.” – Ayn Rand
• “The journey is what brings us happiness not the destination.” – Dan Millman

• “Our life is what our thoughts make it.” – Marcus Aurelius
• “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit” – Aristotle
• “The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don’t wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
• “It may be important to great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to love the world, not to despise it, not for us to hate each other, but to be able to regard the world and ourselves and all beings with love, admiration, and respect.” – Hermann Hesse
• A healthy social life is found only when, in the mirror of each soul, the whole community finds its reflection, and when, in the whole community, the virtue of each one is living.” – Rudolf Steine r
• “If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.” – René Descartes
• “Life must be understood backward. But it must be lived forward ” – Søren Kierkegaard
• “Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust.” – Sun Tzu
• “The past has no power over the present moment.” – Eckhart Tolle
• “Don’t just say you have read books. Show that through them you have learned to think better, to be a more discriminating and reflective person. Books are the training weights of the mind. They are very helpful, but it would be a bad mistake to suppose that one has made progress simply by having internalized their contents.” – Epictetus

Don’t just say you have read books. Show that through them you have learned to think better, to be a more discriminating and reflective person. Books are the training weights of the mind. They are very helpful, but it would be a bad mistake to suppose that one has made progress simply by having internalized their contents.” – Epictetus

• “If ignorance is bliss, there should be more happy people.” – Victor Cousin
• “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” – Epictetus
• “If someone is able to show me that what I think or do is not right, I will happily change, for I seek the truth, by which no one was ever truly harmed. It is the person who continues in his self-deception and ignorance who is harmed.” – Marcus Aurelius
• “I never found beauty in longing for the impossible and never found the possible to be beyond my reach.” – Ayn Rand
• “The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.” – Plutarch
• “The more you struggle to live, the less you live. Give up the notion that you must be sure of what you are doing. Instead, surrender to what is real within you, for that alone is sure….you are above everything distressing.” – Baruch Spinoza
• “The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.” – William James
• “Seize the moments of happiness, love and be loved! That is the only reality in the world, all else is folly. It is the one thing we are interested in here.” – Leo Tolstoy
• “One’s life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, and compassion” – Simone de Beauvoir
• “The energy of the mind is the essence of life.” – Aristotle

• “History is Philosophy teaching by examples” – Thucydides
• “Words do not express thoughts very well; everything immediately becomes a little different, a little distorted, a little foolish. And yet it also pleases me and seems right that what is of value and wisdom of one man seems nonsense to another.” – Siddhartha Gautama
•  “Happiness is the feeling that power increases — that resistance is being overcome.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
• “Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.” – Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
• “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation” – Plato
• “Life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced.” – SorenKierkegaard
• “The only thing I know is that I know nothing” – Socrates
• “I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong” – Bertrand Russell
• “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein
• “Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are travelling the dark journey with us. Oh be swift to love, make haste to be kind.” – Henri Frederic Amiel

Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are travelling the dark journey with us. Oh be swift to love, make haste to be kind.” – Henri Frederic Amiel

• “ Self-respect is the fruit of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.” – Abraham Joshua Heschel
• “The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it” – Epicurus
• “If men were born free, they would, so long as they remained free, form no conception of good and evil” – Baruch Spinoza
• “Happiness radiates like the fragrance from a flower and draws all good things towards you.” – Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
• “The secret of happiness is: Find something more important than you are and dedicate your life to it.” – Daniel Dennett
• “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” – Marcus Aurelius
• “I think therefore I am” (“Cogito, ergo sum”) – René Descartes
• “Freedom is secured not by the fulfilling of one’s desires, but by the removal of desire.” – Epictetus
• “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” – Nicolas Chamfort

• “The unexamined life is not worth living” – Socrates
• “What is rational is actual and what is actual is rational” – G. W. F. Hege
• “Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.” – Lao Tsu
•  “Rules for happiness: something to do, someone to love, something to hope for.” – Immanuel Kant
• “It is one thing to show a man that he is in error, and another to put him in possession of truth” – John Locke
• “When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love …” – Marcus Aurelius
• “Man is born free, but is everywhere in chains” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• “We are too weak to discover the truth by reason alone” – St. Augustine
• “I can, therefore I am.” – Simone Weil

Final Thoughts on History’s Greatest Thinkers

History is undeniably filled with brilliant minds who have shaped the world with their philosophical ideas. Their ideas on morality, ethics, and the nature of reality continue to challenge and inspire us today.

They have paved the way for future generations to question, analyze, and seek truth. And their legacy will forever be etched in history, reminding us of the power of critical thinking and the pursuit of knowledge.

For more inspirational quotes, be sure to check out these blogs:

• 77 Determination Quotes to Inspire Your Persistence
• 65 Positive Affirmations to Overcome Fears in Life
• 100 Making Progress Quotes to Help You Succeed

Finally, if you want to use these quotes to make a lasting change to your life, then check out and recite these 57 affirmations for success .

wisdom quotes trending all quotes

145 Thinking Quotes To Make You More Thoughtful

By Maxime Lagacé

Maxime is the founder of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm and peaceful mind. Learn more about him on his about page .

Here are 145 of the most inspiring thinking quotes. And please keep in mind: if you think each day, you’ll solve 90% of your problems. The problem is that most people live on autopilot. So slow down, and think about these quotes. Enjoy!

If everyone is thinking alike, then no one is thinking. Benjamin Franklin

You were born with the greatest weapon in all of nature — the rational, conscious mind. Robert Greene

To think is easy. To act is difficult. To act as one thinks is the most difficult of all. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The student reflects rarely and unconsciously. The smart reflects daily and consciously. The master let it go. Maxime Lagacé

Right thinking comes with self-knowledge. Without understanding yourself, you have no basis for thought. Jiddu Krishnamurti

There is no conversation more boring than the one where everybody agrees. Michel de Montaigne

Think for yourself, not of yourself. Think of others, not for others. Naval Ravikant

I insist on a lot of time being spent, almost every day, to just sit and think. Warren Buffett

We waste our time with short term thinking and busywork. Warren Buffett spends a year deciding and a day acting. That act lasts decades. Naval Ravikant

We like it when other people agree with us, which is why we rarely say what we are thinking. Shane Parrish

An opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it. Jef Mallett

Writing is not the most important thing; thinking is. But writing is probably the best way to improve your thinking. Matt Mullenweg

Every deep thinker is more afraid of being understood than of being misunderstood. Friedrich Nietzsche

Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. John F. Kennedy

If you can think and speak and write, you are absolutely deadly, nothing can get in your way. Jordan Peterson

• 65 Growth Mindset Quotes (To Improve Your Life)
• 75 Understanding Quotes To Bring Clarity Into Your Life
• 77 Intelligence Quotes (From The Best Minds Ever)

The Best Thinking Quotes

The best thinking is rethinking. Shane Parrish

As soon as you have made a thought, laugh at it. Lao Tzu

The person who consistently makes you think, is the most undervalued person in your life. Shane Parrish

Thinking is the ability to strip away what doesn’t matter from a situation so you can see what does matter. Shane Parrish

Spend at least one hour a day thinking . Just thinking, alone, in silence. No music. No book. No one. Your mind gets clearer. Your relationships get healthier. Your life gets better. @orangebook_

The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind. Friedrich Nietzsche

New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not common. John Locke

If you overthink you become stressed and confused. If you think too little they will think for you. Maxime Lagacé

Anxiety is thought without control. Flow is control without thought. James Clear

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. Albert Einstein

Few men think, yet all will have opinions. Hence men’s opinions are superficial and confused. John Locke

I think (too much), therefore I am (not there to live my life). Thich Nhat Hanh

Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so. Bertrand Russell

Regular minds find similarities in stories (and situations); finer minds detect differences. Nassim Nicholas Taleb ( The Bed of Procrustes , Amazon book)

Think for yourself. Some people see warnings signs when they are alone. I see warning signs in a crowd. Maxime Lagacé

As a rule, you must always reserve the right to laugh the next day at your thoughts of the previous night. Napoleon Bonaparte

We only labor to stuff the memory, and leave the conscience and the understanding unfurnished and void. Michel de Montaigne

Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers. Voltaire

Thinking too little about things or thinking too much both make us obstinate and fanatical. Blaise Pascal

One of the painful signs of years of dumbed-down education is how many people are unable to make a coherent argument. They can vent their emotions, question other people’s motives, make bold assertions, repeat slogans – anything except reason. Thomas Sowell

Don’t just follow people because you agree with what they think. Follow them because you’re intrigued by how they think – and how they make you think. Adam Grant

The task is not so much to see what no one has seen, but to think what nobody has yet thought, about that which everybody sees. Erwin Schrödinger

If you’re overthinking, write. If you’re underthinking, read. Alex Wieckowski ( Source )

Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. David Foster Wallace

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. Aristotle

Good that you ask – you should always ask, always have doubts. Hermann Hesse

Part 2. Thinking Quotes That Are…

The most famous thinking quotes.

Go to table of contents

I think, therefore I am. René Descartes

To know what people really think, observe what they do, not what they say. René Descartes

The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud. Coco Chanel

Combinatory play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought. Albert Einstein ( Related : How To Boost Your Creativity The Einstein Way—With Combinatory Play , blog.trello.com)

We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them. Albert Einstein

People don’t like to think, if one thinks, one must reach conclusions. Conclusions are not always pleasant. Helen Keller

Think for yourself and let others enjoy the privilege of doing so too. Voltaire

Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right. Henry Ford

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei

Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action comes, stop thinking and go in. Napoleon Bonaparte

All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking. Friedrich Nietzsche

I still live, I still think: I still have to live, for I still have to think. Friedrich Nietzsche

Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well. Mahatma Gandhi

Knowledge is real knowledge only when it is acquired by the efforts of your intellect, not by memory. Henry David Thoreau

Five percent of the people think; ten percent of the people think they think; and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think. Thomas A. Edison

Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains. Steve Jobs

Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one’s thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

We more readily confess to errors, mistakes and shortcomings in our conduct than in our thought. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Hold your council before dinner; the full belly hates thinking as well as acting. Benjamin Franklin

I don’t care what people think, because people don’t think. Kanye West

What we think, we become. Buddha

Short Thinking Quotes

Schedule time to think. Shane Parrish

Rewriting is rethinking. David Perell

Learn to enjoy silence. Maxime Lagacé

Learn to enjoy not thinking. @orangebook_

Don’t outsource your thinking. Angela Jiang

Overthinking, a.k.a. underacting. Jack Butcher

The less men think, the more they talk. Montesquieu

Much learning does not produce thought. Heraclitus

The best way to minimize risk is to think. Shane Parrish

Build your own judgment, don’t rely on anyone. @AmuseChimp

Thinking is the talking of the soul with itself. Plato

For the busy mind it is painful to stop and think. Shane Parrish

Wise? No, I simply learned to think. Christopher Paolini

Calm? No, I simply learned to watch my thoughts. Maxime Lagacé

Writing is the art of thinking clearly — on paper. Julian Shapiro

Idiots ‘think’ alike, intelligent people different. @AmuseChimp

Thinking is difficult, that’s why most people judge. Carl Jung

A man has free choice to the extent that he is rational. Thomas Aquinas

Think for yourself, with humility and compassion. Lex Fridman ( Source )

The best way to improve your ability to think is to spend time thinking. Shane Parrish

My position on most things is this: I could be wrong, but I think I’m right. Jack Peach

Just think. Just be quiet and think. It’d make all the difference in the world. Fred Rogers

A clear mind is both confident and curious, calm and loving, courageous and humble. Maxime Lagacé

Inspirational Thinking Quotes

You can achieve anything you want if you just change the way you think. Will you? Maxime Lagacé

Genius is finding the invisible link between things. Vladimir Nabokov

We shouldn’t be looking for heroes, we should be looking for good ideas. Noam Chomsky

Your best thoughts will come from being in flow and not thinking at all. Dan Go ( Source )

Closed in a room, my imagination becomes the universe, and the rest of the world is missing out. Criss Jami

It’s the most powerful weapon you can possibly provide someone with. Jordan Peterson (On thinking and writing)

It becomes clear when you love silence, boredom and hard work. For the wise it’s play. For the ordinary it’s hell. Maxime Lagacé

Think not so much of what you lack as of what you have: but of the things that you have, select the best, and then reflect how eagerly you would have sought them if you did not have them . Marcus Aurelius

A thinker sees his own actions as experiments and questions – as attempts to find out something. Success and failure are for him answers above all. Friedrich Nietzsche

You must learn to master a new way to think before you can master a new way to be. Marianne Williamson

Deep understanding requires deep thinking which requires focused time alone, away from the chatter of people online and offline. It requires staying with a single thought for a long time, focusing on it and developing it. In solitude is the genesis of great ideas. @TheAncientSage

What you think constantly becomes your reality. The seed of thought is converted into action and eventually becomes the tree of your being. @TheAncientSage

It’s only by concentrating, sticking to the question, being patient, letting all the parts of my mind come into play, that I arrive at an original idea. By giving my brain a chance to make associations, draw connections, take me by surprise. William Deresiewicz

A truth, an insight, which you have slowly and laboriously puzzled out by thinking for yourself could easily have been found already written in a book; but it is a hundred times more valuable if you have arrived at it by thinking for yourself. Arthur Schopenhauer

If you want to get smart, the question you have to keep asking is why, why, why, why? Charlie Munger

Related : “You NEED to LEARN to THINK!” – Jordan B. Peterson (11-minute YouTube video)

Funny Thinking Quotes

Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again? Winnie the Pooh

Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try! Dr. Seuss

The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. Terry Pratchett

I’ll be more enthusiastic about encouraging thinking outside the box when there’s evidence of any thinking going on inside it. Terry Pratchett

There is nothing wrong with standing back and thinking. To paraphrase several sages: “Nobody can think and hit someone at the same time”. Susan Sontag

Evidence shows that we do much less thinking than we believe we do — except, of course, when we think about it. Nassim Nicholas Taleb

You’ll have better thoughts staring at a wall than watching 24-hour news. Michael ( @mmay3r )

Stop looking for angels, and start looking for angles. Ryan Holiday

Many a man fails as an original thinker simply because his memory it too good. Friedrich Nietzsche

Our heads are round so thought can change direction. Allen Ginsberg

Deep Thinking Sayings

To dare a thought is to risk being wrong. James Dale Davidson ( The Sovereign Individual , Amazon book)

The people who don’t think are the ones who never listen. Haruki Murakami

Our judgment is amongst the most subtle things that power corrupts. Naval Ravikant

Many a serious thinker has been produced in prisons, where we have nothing to do but think. Robert Greene

Your hard work and focus will give you speed. Your thoughts and judgments will give you direction. Maxime Lagacé

If people cannot write well, they cannot think well. And if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them. George Orwell

Controlling your life starts with controlling your thoughts. Dan Go ( Source )

Your mind is working at its best when you’re being paranoid. You explore every avenue and possibility of your situation at high speed with total clarity. Banksy

If you make people think they’re thinking, they’ll love you; but if you really make them think, they’ll hate you. Harlan Ellison

The challenge of our time is relearning how to concentrate. The past decade has seen an unparalleled assault on our capacity to fix our minds steadily on anything. To sit still and think, without succumbing to an anxious reach for a machine, has become almost impossible. Thibaut

Related : How To Clear Your Mind (4-minute YouTube video by SciShow Psych)

The thinker needs no one to refute him, for that he has himself. Friedrich Nietzsche

Each person is sitting alone in front of the tube, you know. It’s very hard to have ideas or thoughts under those circumstances. You can’t fight the world alone. Noam Chomsky

A truly independent thinker is neither with nor against the crowd. James Pierce ( Source )

Be careful what you put in. Those are seeds. Don’t water them. Those will grow. Clean your garden once in a while and go for a walk. Maxime Lagacé

In much of your talking, thinking is half murdered. For thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words may indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly. Kahlil Gibran

The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think. Horace Walpole

Madness is the result not of uncertainty but of certainty. Friedrich Nietzsche

Wise Thinking Sayings

Stop thinking, and end your problems. Lao Tzu

The mark of a moderate man is freedom from his own ideas. Lao Tzu

In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple . In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present. Lao Tzu

Nothing in life matters quite as much as you think it does while you are thinking about it. Daniel Kahneman

Your thoughts shape the world you see. The world you see shapes the experiences you have. Your experiences shape your thoughts. Shane Parrish

Amateurs go with the first idea that comes into their head. Professionals realize the first idea is rarely the best idea. Shane Parrish

The true test of a long term thinker is whether you can think in decades, while your peers think in days. Anthony Pompliano ( Source )

Think through time – what do the consequences look like in 10 minutes? 10 months? 10 Years? Shane Parrish

Thinking clearly and rationally will bring you satisfaction. Listening to your heart will give you peace. Maxime Lagacé

Seek clearer thinking, not faster thinking. You acquire faster thinking on the way. @orangebook_

Just because you’ve been doing something a certain way doesn’t mean you have to continue to. Don’t let momentum make your decisions for you. Justin Kan

Related : Second-Order Thinking: What Smart People Use to Outperform (fs.blog)

Thinking is by far the most underrated activity. People consider it “unproductive” to sit on a bench and think. So they spend their lives doing things they never thought through. An hour of clear thinking can yield a conclusion that changes your life. Johnny Uzan

Twenty years after my own graduation, I have come gradually to understand that the liberal arts cliché about “teaching you how to think” is actually shorthand for a much deeper, more serious idea: Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think . It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed. David Foster Wallace ( This is Water )

Further Readings

• Topic: Education
• 100 Education Quotes That Will Inspire You To Keep Growing
• 100 Learning Quotes To Inspire You To Learn (Forever)
• 100 Knowledge Quotes That Will Change Your Perspective
• 100 Reading Quotes Every Book Lover Can Relate To
• 100 Curiosity Quotes To Increase Your Desire To Learn
• Why You’re Not Thinking Clearly (7-minute YouTube video by Nathaniel Drew)
• How to Think Clearly: 7 Tips for Success (euruni.edu)
• How To Learn Faster (Based on Science)

Hope you enjoyed these inspiring thinking quotes. If you did, please share them with a friend today!

Do you think often? What’s your favorite thinking quote? And remember: words can transform your life, if you find the right ones.

Video About Thinking (And Overthinking)

Table Of Contents

Part 1 Top 15 Images Best Quotes

Part 2 Thinking Quotes That ARE Famous Short Inspirational Funny Deep Wise

Part 3 Conclusion

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"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." -Aristotle

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5 Critical Thinking Quotes That Will Instantly Sharpen Your Mind

Anthony metivier.

• June 14, 2021
• Critical Thinking

Let’s fix that right now.

I taught critical thinking for four years and here are some of the quotes I’ve never forgotten.

They helped me improve my thinking and many others too.

Let’s dive in.

The 5 Best Critical Thinking Quotes For People Who Want Laser Sharp Minds

Is there a best place to start?

I believe so.

It’s with humility. 

One: Start With What You Don’t Know

And Socrates was one of the first to nail down just how important humility is if you want to think well.

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”

This is probably one of the first and most important logical thinking quotes. 

It makes mathematical sense, for one thing.  

There’s so much to know, and only one life to live. 

By being intellectually honest that there will always be more to learn than any individual person could ever hope to know, you’ll be more open to collaborating with others.

And that’s exactly what Socrates did, leading to Plato’s Dialogues. It is one of the finest examples of collaborative thinking history has ever produced. 

Remember this quote and repeat it often. It will keep you open, curious and humble.

Two: An Imperfect Circle Only You Can Fix

Few people know the name Wilfred Bion now, but he was an important psychoanalyst in his time. In fact, he was even president of the British Psychoanalytical Society for some time.

When he noted that “thinking has to be called into existence to cope with thoughts,” Bion hit on something very important. It’s the core of what spiritual traditions have been struggling with for thousands of years: psychological suffering.

What Bion is essentially talking about is meta thinking or meta cognition. And as he warned his fellow psychoanalysts, how we think about thinking can either create more suffering or the release from suffering.

So as a quick exercise, ask yourself: Does how you think about your thinking increase or reduce your suffering? 

If you’re having problems, give this TEDx Talk and its simple suggestion a try:

By practicing an awareness of the difference between your thoughts and your thoughts about your thoughts, great peace and better thinking is possible.

As Bion says, you can call simple thoughts into existence to “neutralize” the thoughts that cause distress.

Three: The Reality Check

Marcus Aurelius does not strike me as a depressed person. 

But he certainly was a realistic person. And as a morning exercise, he reminded himself of all the good things in the world, without leaving out the bad.

Let’s look at the full quote in context:

“When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: the people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous and surly. They are like this because they can’t tell good from evil. But I have seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil, and have recognized that the wrongdoer has a nature related to my own – not of the same blood and birth, but the same mind, and possessing a share of the divine. And so none of them can hurt me. No one can implicate me in ugliness. Nor can I feel angry at my relative, or hate him. We were born to work together like feet, hands and eyes, like the two rows of teeth, upper and lower. To obstruct each other is unnatural. To feel anger at someone, to turn your back on him: these are unnatural.”

― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Why commit this quote to memory? 

The answer is simple:

To keep yourself balanced and to think critically as you go throughout your day. 

Inspired by Marcus Aurelius, I think of it this way:

The scales of justice are constantly thrown out of balance. Being ignorant of that fact helps no one. But cultivating discernment about this truth can help us better navigate the world. 

Four: Cherish And Seek Originality

A lot of people copied Nikola Tesla. 

But instead of getting mad, he said:

“I don’t care that they stole my idea …  I care that they don’t have any of their own.”

What makes this a great quote about critical thinking?

Tesla noticed the real behavior and the real problem. 

In a word, a lot of people suffer from scarcity-thinking. They don’t believe in themselves. And that leads them into behaviors that reduce their abilities to generate unique ideas.

Tesla, like Einstein, practiced something like image streaming . 

And not just for a few minutes. The practice went on over years. 

As Einstein said, ““It is not that I’m so smart. But I stay with the questions much longer.”

As a result of sticking with visualization and working through problems longer than others were willing to do, powerful ideas emerged. These ideas went on to positively impact millions of people.

Tesla knew that if only more people would engage in deeper thinking, they would not have to steal the ideas of others.

That said, there’s nothing wrong with getting inspired by others. Check out these critical thinking examples if you need a starting point for coming up with ideas of your own.

Five: Don’t Settle Too Quickly

Joseph Joubert knew the dangers of deciding too quickly. As the inspector-general of universities for Napoleon, it was his job to ensure that intellectual conversations were flourishing. 

More importantly, he wanted to make sure that debates continued to happen, especially when certain parties wanted to shut them down.

That’s why he said:

“It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.”

The next time you find yourself dodging an argument, stop and remember this quote. Debating is almost always worth it, even if you cannot always come to a consensus. 

A Few Resources That Help You Take Action From These Quotes on Critical Thinking

Going over famous critical thinking quotes is one thing.

Remembering them forever is another. 

If you’d like to commit these quotes to memory, I suggest you learn how to use a Memory Palace . It’s a fun and easy way to use a location (like your home or a classroom) to remember any information. 

Here’s where to learn all about the technique with some videos and worksheets:

For more on critical thinking, check out these resources:

• 11 Benefits of Critical Thinking That Rapidly Improve Your Life
• 9 Critical Thinking Strategies That Lifelong Learners Need To Know
• Reflective Thinking: 5 Powerful Thought Strategies For Improving Your Life
• The 7 Main Types Of Thinking (And How To Improve Them)
• Independent Thinking: 7 Tips On Becoming An Individual Thinker
• 3 Ways to Improve Your Reasoning Skills (With Examples)
• How to Think Logically (And Permanently Solve Serious Problems)
• Objective vs. Subjective Reasoning: Everything You Need to Know
• How to Think Faster And Avoid 9 Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making

I hope you enjoy going through them.

Why bother?

Well, as I often like to say (another quote for you): 

“Content may be king, but context is god.”

The more you know, the more you can know, especially when you read these critical thinking books .

One more before we go:

“I don’t write a book so that it will be the final word; I write a book so that other books are possible, not necessarily written by me.” ― Michel Foucault

Like Foucault, I write these blog posts so that posts from others become possible.

So let me know in the comments:

What are your favorite quotes about thinking? And why have they created an impact in your life?

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55 Jordan Peterson Quotes to Inspire You in Your Life

A bestselling author, world-famous psychologist, and a former professor at Harvard, Jordan Peterson has gained a reputation worldwide for his critical thinking and provocative writings. He has appeared on numerous podcasts such as The Rubin Report and The Joe Rogan Experience , with many YouTube videos featuring him reaching millions of views. Regarded by many as a modern philosopher, Peterson’s lectures and writings have proven highly influential among political and business leaders.

55 of the Best Jordan Peterson Quotes

7. “You must determine where you are going in your life, because you cannot get there unless you move in that direction. Random wandering will not move you forward. It will instead disappoint and frustrate you and make you anxious and unhappy and hard to get along with (and then resentful, and then vengeful, and then worse).”

13. “Don’t underestimate the power of vision and direction. These are irresistible forces, able to transform what might appear to be unconquerable obstacles into traversable pathways and expanding opportunities. Strengthen the individual. Start with yourself. Take care with yourself. Define who you are. Refine your personality. Choose your destination and articulate your Being. As the great nineteenth-century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche so brilliantly noted, ‘He whose life has a why can bear almost any how.’”

20. “You need to consider the future And think, ‘What might my life look like if I were caring for myself properly?’”

28. “It is much better to make friends with what you do not know than with what you do know, as there is an infinite supply of the former but a finite stock of the latter.”

35. “If your life is not what it could be, try telling the truth. If you cling desperately to an ideology or wallow in nihilism, try telling the truth. If you feel weak and rejected, and desperate, and confused, try telling the truth. In Paradise, everyone speaks the truth. That is what makes it Paradise. Tell the truth. Or, at least, don’t lie.”

Top Resources by Jordan Peterson

12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos

You can also watch the following videos featuring Jordan Peterson.

30 Minutes for the NEXT 30 Years of Your LIFE

Looking for more inspirational quotes? Check out the following:

65 Positive Thinking Quotes to Inspire You

If you’re looking for positive thinking quotes to improve your mood, you’ve come to the right place. These 65 quotes on positive thinking will help you look on the bright side. These positive thinking quotes can increase your productivity at work and help you feel more optimistic about your life. Read on.

Feel free to share these positive thinking quotes with your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest.

Positive Thinking Quotes

1. “live life to the fullest, and focus on the positive.” – matt cameron.

2. “A strong, positive self-image is the best possible preparation for success.” – Joyce Brothers

3. “You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.” – Joyce Meyer

4. “Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.” – Zig Ziglar

5. “In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision.” – Dalai Lama

6. “When you wake up every day, you have two choices. You can either be positive or negative; an optimist or a pessimist. I choose to be an optimist. It’s all a matter of perspective.” – Harvey Mackay

7. “It’s a wonderful thing to be optimistic. It keeps you healthy and it keeps you resilient.” – Daniel Kahneman

8. “Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.” – Michael Jordan

9. “Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.” – Roy T. Bennett

10. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” – Thomas Edison

11. “All things are difficult before they are easy.” – Thomas Fuller

12. “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” – Mark Twain

Related : 65 Motivational Quotes About Goal Setting

13. “Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.” – Mary Tyler Moore

14. “The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.” – Winston Churchill

15. “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” – Norman Vincent Peale

16. “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.” – Marcus Aurelius

17. “To live a fulfilled life, we need to keep creating the ‘what is next’, of our lives. Without dreams and goals there is no living, only merely existing, and that is not why we are here.” – Mark Twain

18. “What we think, we become.” – Buddha

19. “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney

20. “A negative mind will never give you a positive life” – Unknown

21. “One small positive thought can change your whole day.” – Zig Ziglar

22. “The difference in winning and losing is most often…not quitting.” – Walt Disney

23. “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” – Anais Nin

24. “Being miserable is a habit; being happy is a habit, and the choice is yours.” – Tom Hopkins

Related : 60 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Follow Your Dreams

Related : 52 Motivational Quotes that Will Help You Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

25. “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” – Abraham Lincoln

26. “There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.” – W. Clement Stone

27. “The next time you feel slightly uncomfortable with the pressure in your life, remember no pressure, no diamonds. Pressure is a part of success.” – Eric Thomas

28. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Teddy Roosevelt

29. “You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot – it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.” – Maya Angelou

30. “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” – Willie Nelson

31. “You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ See the positive in negative events.” – Joel Osteen

32. “If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you are ready for greater challenges.” – Pat Riley

33. “When you wake up every day, you have two choices. You can either be positive or negative; an optimist or a pessimist. I choose to be an optimist. It’s all a matter of perspective.” – Harvey Mackay

34. “When the negative thoughts come – and they will; they come to all of us – it’s not enough to just not dwell on it… You’ve got to replace it with a positive thought.” – Joel Osteen

35. “It takes but one positive thought when given a chance to survive and thrive to overpower an entire army of negative thoughts.” – Robert H. Schuller

36. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela

Related : Top 50 Motivational and Inspirational Picture Quotes

37. “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford

38. “Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success.” – Joyce Brothers

39. “The less you respond to negative people, the more positive your life will become.” – Paulo Coelho

40. “We are all here for some special reason. Stop being a prisoner of your past. Become the architect of your future.” – Robin Sharma

41. “Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.” – Francesca Reigler

42. “Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier

43. “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” – Dale Carnegie

44. “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” – Henry Ford

45. “With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose.” – Dr. Wayne W Dyer

46. “You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.” – Les Brown

47. “Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” – Roy T. Bennett

48. “There are far, far better things ahead than anything we leave behind.” – C.S. Lewis

Related : 95 Deep Quotes about Life that Make You Think

49. “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” – Norman Vincent Peale

50. “It’s most important that you surround yourself with positivity always, and have it in your mind at all times.” – Tyler Perry

51. “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

52. “Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think.” – Benjamin Disraeli

53. “Be vigilant; guard your mind against negative thoughts.” – Buddha

54. “In every day, there are 1,440 minutes. That means we have 1,440 daily opportunities to make a positive impact.” – Les Brown

55. “Virtually nothing is impossible in this world if you just put your mind to it and maintain a positive attitude.” – Lou Holtz

56. “Don’t focus on negative things; focus on the positive, and you will flourish.” – Alek Wek

57. “If you focus on the possible when you experience difficult situations, you can positively change your outlook, reduce your stress, and concentrate on achieving things that otherwise may not have been possible.” – Catherine Pulsifer

58. “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.” – Helen Keller

59. “Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity.” – Joseph Sugarman

60. “Faith is having a positive attitude about what you can do and not worrying at all about what you can’t do.” – Joyce Meyer

Related : 50 of the Most Powerful Quotes of All Time

61. “The happiest people don’t have the best of everything, they just make the BEST of everything.” – Unknown

62. “Don’t let someone who gave up on their dreams talk you out of yours.” – Zig Ziglar

63. “The power for creating a better future is contained in the present moment: You create a good future by creating a good present.” – Eckhart Tolle

64. “The only place where your dreams become impossible is in your own thinking.” – Robert H. Shuller

65. “You have to train your brain to be positive just like you work out your body.” – Shawn Achor

Don’t forget to share these positive thinking quotes on your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest.

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50 Of The Most Inspirational Quotes About Life

“Every act of perception is to some degree an act of creation, and every act of memory is to some degree an act of imagination.”

50 Inspirational And Motivational Quotes

by TeachThought Staff

What are some of the most inspirational quotes about life? Well, that depends on what kind of inspiration you’re looking for.

Life quotes range across the human condition, from suffering to possibility, hope to sacrifice, love to loss. The best quotes about life are often those that contain truth, motivation, and insight to some concept that, at that moment in your life, seems poignant, useful, and just the bit of wisdom you needed.

50 Quotes To Inspire

“You mustn’t wish for another life. You mustn’t want to be somebody else. What you must do is this: Rejoice evermore.” –Wendell Berry

“Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don’t be sorry.” –Jack Kerouac

“Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies, you will not find another.” –Carl Sagan

“A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.” –Kurt Vonnegut

“Self-improvement is delayed by the establishment of social regulation of education, by the diffusion of true knowledge, and by the improvement of mental faculties.” –Nietzsche

“Every act of perception, is to some degree an act of creation, and every act of memory is to some degree an act of imagination.” –Oliver Sacks

“Men must not only know, they must act.” –W.E.B. Du Bois

“You do not find the happy life. You make it.” –Camilla Eyring Kimball

‘Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” –William James

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” –Winston Churchill

See also 50 Of The Best Quotes About Teaching

“Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.” –Helen Keller

“Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.” –Henry David Thoreau

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” –Barack Obama

“Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get.” –Ray Kroc

“True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.” –Kurt Vonnegut

“Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others.” –John F. Kennedy

“Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.” –Robert Frost

“Live for yourself and you will live in vain; Live for others, and you will live again.” –Bob Marley

“The mind is everything. What you think you become.”–Buddha

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time….” –Jack Kerouac

“Defeat is not bitter unless you swallow it.”–Joe Clark

“Whoever loves much, performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.” – Vincent Van Gogh

“The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.” –Arthur C. Clarke

See also 40 Of The Best Quotes About Critical Thinking

“Be happy not because everything is good, but because you can see the good side of everything.” –Unknown

“The will must be stronger than the skill.” –Muhammad Ali

“One of the happiest moments in life is when you find the courage to let go of what you can’t change.” –Unknown

“Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle. Love is a war. Love is growing up.” –James Baldwin

“Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.” — Carlos Castaneda 

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” Henry David Thoreau

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.” — Helen Keller

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose.” — Dr. Seuss

“A sad soul can kill quicker than a germ.” –John Steinbeck

“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside while still alive.” –Tupac Shakur

“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” –Marcus Aurelius

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” — Steve Jobs

“Follow your inner moonlight; don’t hide the madness.” –Allen Ginsberg

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, you ought to set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” — Seth Godin 

“Ever’thing there is but lovin’ leaves a rust on yo’ soul.” –Langston Hughes

“The problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.” — Lily Tomlin 

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.” — H. Jackson Brown Jr.

“Someone once told me that ‘time’ is a predator that stalks us all our lives. But I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey and reminds us to cherish every moment because it will never come again.” — Jean-Luc Picard 

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” — Charles Darwin 

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” — Thomas Edison

“If a man has lost a leg or an eye, he knows he has lost a leg or an eye; but if he has lost a self—himself—he cannot know it, because he is no longer there to know it.” –Oliver Sacks

“You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” — Wayne Gretzky 

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”–Henry Ford

“Do or do not. There is no try.” — Yoda

“Those who say it can not be done, should not interrupt those doing it.” — Chinese Proverb

“Self-improvement is delayed by the establishment of social regulation of education, by the diffusion of true knowledge, and by the improvement of mental faculties.” –Nietzsche 

TeachThought is an organization dedicated to innovation in education through the growth of outstanding teachers.

Critical Thinking Using Inspirational Quotes

• Vocabulary (What words within the quote should we look at more closely to understand the quote?)
• Literal Meaning (What's the author of the quote saying?)
• Deeper Meaning (What's the author really trying to say? Is there symbolism? metaphor? analogy?)
• Language (Does the author use word play? Is there an certain economy of words that adds clarity to the quote?)
• Context (What are the circumstances surrounding the time in which the quote was said? What is the historical background? What is the author of the quote famous for?)
• Transcendence (To whom does the quote apply? Does it transcend age? gender? culture? time period?)

• First, students record the exact quote and the author of the quote.
• Second, in their own words, students tell what they think the author of the quote was trying to say. What did they mean with these words? What did they want you to know?
• Third, students think about how the quote relates to their own life. How does this impact you? How are you affected by these words?
• Last, I like to have students give a rating, on a scale of one to four hearts, showing how personally meaningful the quote is to the student. Especially if they respond to quotes on a consistent basis, this allows them to quickly refer to which quotes they particularly like and want to remember.

DEEP THOUGHTS: 40 Confusing quotes that will get you thinking

Updated: March 5, 2019

To do two things at once is to do neither. – Publilius Syrus

The great blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach; but we shut our eyes, and like people in the dark, we fall foul on the very thing we search for, without finding it. – Seneca the Younger

To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness . – Bertrand Russell

To be 70 years young is sometimes far more cheerful and hopeful than to be 40 years old. – Oliver Wendell Holmes

The enemy is fear. We think it is hate, but it is fear. – Mahatma Gandhi

I don’t understand why when we destroy something created by man we call it vandalism, but when we destroy something created by nature we call it progress. – Ed Begley, Jr.

You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. – Mark Twain

Sometimes you face difficulties not because you’re doing something wrong, but because you’re doing something right. – Joel Osteen

Truth often suffers more by the heat of its defenders than the arguments of its opposers. – William Penn

No tree, it is said, can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell. – Carl Jung

The art of living well and the art of dying well are one. – Epicurus

By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you’ll become happy; if you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher. – Socrates

I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing. – Socrates

I only wish that ordinary people had an unlimited capacity for doing harm; then they might have an unlimited power for doing good. – Socrates

Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance. – Plato

There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot. – Plato

Jealousy is both reasonable and belongs to reasonable men, while envy is base and belongs to the base, for the one makes himself get good things by jealousy, while the other does not allow his neighbour to have them through envy. – Aristotle

A friend to all is a friend to none. – Aristotle

What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do. – Aristotle

If you are lonely when you’re alone, you are in bad company. – Jean-Paul Sartre

There are two types of poor people, those who are poor together and those who are poor alone. The first are the true poor, the others are rich people out of luck. – Jean-Paul Sartre

Once you hear the details of victory, it is hard to distinguish it from a defeat. – Jean-Paul Sartre

When you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you. – Friedrich Nietzsche

The changes in our life must come from the impossibility to live otherwise than according to the demands of our conscience not from our mental resolution to try a new form of life. – Leo Tolstoy

Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal. – Friedrich Nietzsche

The most thought-provoking thing in our thought-provoking time is that we are still not thinking. – Martin Heidegger

Every man is born as many men and dies as a single one. – Martin Heidegger

Genuine tragedies in the world are not conflicts between right and wrong. They are conflicts between two rights. – Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

You can have religion with spirituality. You can also have religion without spirituality. – Eckhart Tolle

You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger. – Buddha

I sit on a man’s back, choking him and making him carry me, and yet assure myself and others that I am very sorry for him and wish to ease his lot by all possible means—except by getting off his back. – Leo Tolstoy

To say that a work of art is good, but incomprehensible to the majority of men, is the same as saying of some kind of food that it is very good but that most people can’t eat it. – Leo Tolstoy

The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Some lose all mind and become soul: insane. Some lose all soul and become mind: intellectual. Some lose both and become: accepted. – Charles Bukowski

image 1: Simon Daniel Photography (Creative Commons BY); image 2: darkmatter (Creative Commons BY-NC-ND); image 3: AlicePopkorn (Creative Commons BY-NC-ND); image 4: www.rowenawaack.com (Creative Commons BY-NC-ND); image 5: Pink Sherbet Photography (Creative Commons BY)

Dont really care about how u feel, care about how u think,because its the source of ur feelings

thts might b just 1 of the best qoutes … very true indeed..

Dont realy care about how u feel, care about how u think,because its the source of ur feelings

it achieves nothing to succeed in doing nothing

Do not just think about your future goals,make an action towards achieving them.

Happiness and sadness depends on the result of comparison of our present condition with that of past

Agreed… and also on our comparison of our own situation with the (perceived) situations of others.

If you think you’re free, there’s no escape possible

The easiest way to be deceived is to react everytime

The easiest way to make someone vulnerable, Is to treat them with courtesy…

Understanding the supreme being is a syntax error.

It is not the lie that promotes ignorance, but the one who believes it.

Do no punish yourself of you , humans judge, nature does not!

Perhaps my favorite one from your article is this one: “The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal.” ? Aristotle or this one too: “Sometimes you face difficulties not because you?re doing something wrong, but because you?re doing something right.” ? Joel Osteen

Also, I’d like to add another one: “The deeper thought is, the taller it becomes.? ? Dejan Stojanovic

Thanks, Maxime

?The past is to learn from, the present is to practice what you?ve learned, so that in the future you won?t have to live in regrets of the past.? Within Silence ?If you had control over how you would like to feel, how would this make you feel? Who is stopping you? If you give your power to control how you feel to someone else, from where did their power originate?? Within Silence ?Once you stop trying to be what you think everyone else thinks you should be, only then will you know your truest self and your real friends.? Within Silence

Wherever you go, there you are

Your future self is watching you through memories

??????????????????????

I know very little I tried to see myself in the mirror Little did I know that was just a reflection of me I tried to search myself little did I know I was fake I tried to question everyone Little did I know they were just supporting me I I tried to ask myself who am I Little did I know I was just an empty piece of paper I tried to fly from mountain to the cliffs Little did I know I had the courage but didn’t had the medium

I really like this blog about Quotes you have an amazing variety of quotes…Thanks for sharing..!!

hey, i can get everything i want here this is the best. 🙂

None of us is as smart as all of us….

Understanding the best being is a syntax error

No tree, it is said, can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell. Get motivated after reading this post thanks!

My favorite one from about is, I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing. – Socrates

This is my favourite one:

Once you hear the details of victory, it is hard to distinguish it from a defeat. – Jean-Paul Sartre

Thanks for this article!!

Hey, Really amazing and great variety of quotes you have shared with us. As a quote lover, I enjoyed to read this post. Thanks for this article. I appreciate your quality work and efforts you have put into this article.Keep sharing.

To be perfect is flawed, but to be flawed is perfect.

Time doesn’t tells your future,but your thoughts tells.

Thanks, these are quite deep quotes. The most inspiring quote for me is “To succeed in this world, you have to change all the time” Sam Walton

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99 Great Quotes That Will Help You Handle Criticism

It's never fun to be on the receiving end of criticism, but these thoughts can help you learn to deal with it more effectively..

Nobody likes being criticized. But how you handle it makes all the difference. If you lock up and become defensive, you're likely to waste a lot of time feeling bad--and repeating the same behavior that was a problem to begin with.

But if you can learn to take it in stride, with some genuine reflection on how you can use it as a basis for improvement, you can come to realize that criticism can actually be a gift.

Here are some quotes to help you think about criticism: giving it, receiving it, and understanding it.

1. "Don't be distracted by criticism. Remember, the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you." -- Zig Ziglar

2. "When criticized, consider the source." -- Unknown

3. "If we judge ourselves only by our aspirations and everyone else only by their conduct, we shall soon reach a very false conclusion." -- Calvin Coolidge

4. "The final proof of greatness lies in being able to endure criticism without resentment." -- Elbert Hubbard

5 . "We need very strong ears to hear ourselves judged frankly, and because there are few who can endure frank criticism without being stung by it, those who venture to criticize us perform a remarkable act of friendship, for to undertake to wound or offend a man for his own good is to have a healthy love for him." -- Michel de Montaigne

6. "When we speak evil of others, we generally condemn ourselves." -- Publius Syrus

7.  "The critic has to educate the public; the artist has to educate the critic." -- Oscar Wilde

8. "He who throws dirt always loses ground." -- Unknown

9. "You're never as good as everyone tells you when you win, and you're never as bad as they say when you lose." -- Lou Holtz

10. "The dread of criticism is the death of genius." -- William Gilmore Simms

11. "He has a right to criticize who has a heart to help." -- Abraham Lincoln

12. "The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism."  --Norman Vincent Peale

13. "You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one." -- John Wooden

14. "Most people have been brainwashed into believing that their job is to copyedit the world, not to design it." --Seth Godin

15. "Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. Love me, and I may be forced to love you." --Norman Vincent Peale

16. "Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing." --attributed to Aristotle

17. "A creative life cannot be sustained by approval any more than it can be destroyed by criticism." --Will Self

18. "It is a thing of no great difficulty to raise objections against another man's oration--nay, it is very easy; but to produce a better in its place is a work extremely troublesome." --Plutarch        

19. "When men speak ill of thee, live so as nobody may believe them." --Plato

20. "The individual must not merely wait and criticize, he must defend the cause the best he can. The fate of the world will be such as the world deserves."  --Albert Einstein

21. "Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

22. "If we had no faults we should not take so much pleasure in noting those of others." --François de La Rochefoucauld

23. "Don't criticize what you don't understand, son. You never walked in that man's shoes." --Elvis Presley

24. "Boredom, after all, is a form of criticism." --Wendell Phillips

25. "It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." --William Lonsdale Watkinson 26. "Every human being is entitled to courtesy and consideration. Constructive criticism is not only to be expected but sought." --Margaret Chase Smith

27. "If we are bold enough to point out problems, we must be brave enough to try to solve them." --Robert Alan Silverstein

28. "If you have no will to change it, you have no right to criticize it." --Mark Twain

29. "One of the criteria for national leadership should therefore be a talent for understanding, encouraging, and making constructive use of vigorous criticism." -- Carl Sagan

30. "Blame is safer than praise." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

31. "Don't let compliments get to your head and don't let criticism get to your heart."  -- Lysa TerKeurst

32. "Criticism is a privilege that you earn--it shouldn't be your opening move in an interaction." --Malcolm Gladwell

33. "Those of us who shout the loudest about Americanism are all too frequently those who...ignore some of the basic principles of Americanism--the right to criticize, the right to hold unpopular beliefs, the right to protest, the right of independent thought." --Margaret Chase Smith

34. "Think before you speak is criticism's motto; speak before you think, creation's." --E. M. Forster

35. "Analyses of others are actually expressions of our own needs and values." --Marshall Rosenberg

36. "Do what you feel in your heart to be right--for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't." --Eleanor Roosevelt

37. "Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man's growth without destroying his roots." --Frank A. Clark

38. "Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle." --Napoleon Hill

39. "You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something sometime in your life." --Winston Churchill

40. "If your heart acquires strength, you will be able to remove blemishes from others without thinking evil of them." --Mohandas K. Gandhi

41. "Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly reprove thy faults." --Socrates

42. "One mustn't criticize other people on grounds where he can't stand perpendicular himself." --Mark Twain

43. "My opinions and principles are subjects of just criticism." --Victoria Woodhull

44. "What distinguishes modern art from the art of other ages is criticism."  --Octavio Paz

45. "Critics sometimes appear to be addressing themselves to works other than those I remember writing."  --Joyce Carol Oates

46. "If someone criticizes you, give them a compliment." --Debasish Mridha

47. "Learn to see the difference between constructive and destructive criticism." --Anonymous 48. "Appreciate the constructive; ignore the destructive." --John Douglas 49. "I have already settled it for myself, so flattery and criticism go down the same drain and I am quite free." -- Georgia O'Keeffe

50. "How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct." --Benjamin Disraeli

51. "It is usually best to be generous with praise and cautious with criticism." --Anonymous

52. "Don't criticize what you can't understand." --Bob Dylan

53. "Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn--and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving." --Dale Carnegie

54. "But instead of spending our lives running towards our dreams, we are often running away from a fear of failure or a fear of criticism." --Eric Wright

55. "Criticism is information that will help you grow." --Hendrie Weisinger

56. "Concern over criticism clogs creativity." --Duane Alan Hahn

57. "Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." --Eleanor Roosevelt

58. "Before you go and criticize the younger generation, just remember who raised them."  --Anonymous

59. "Criticism is an indirect form of self-boasting." --Emmit Fox

60. "A critic is a legless man who teaches running." --Channing Pollock

61. "The pleasure we feel in criticizing robs us from being moved by very beautiful things." --Jean De La Bruyere

62. "A cynic is prematurely disappointed with the future." --Anonymous

63. "Criticism is the disapproval of people, not for having faults, but having faults different from your own." --Anonymous

64. "Any jackass can kick a barn down, but it takes a carpenter to build it." --Sam Rayburn

65. "There is no defense against criticism except obscurity." --Joseph Addison

66. "All my life, people have said that I wasn't going to make it." --Ted Turner

67. "You are a glorious, shining sword and criticism is the whetstone. Do not run from the whetstone or you will become dull and useless. Stay sharp." --Duane Alan Hahn

68. "The artist doesn't have time to listen to the critics. The ones who want to be writers read the reviews. The ones who want to write don't have the time to read reviews." --William Faulkner

69. "When we judge or criticize another person, it says nothing about that person; it merely says something about our own need to be critical." --Anonymous

70. "I have yet to find the man, however exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than under a spirit of criticism." --Charles Schwab

71. "The most noble criticism is that in which the critic is not the antagonist so much as the rival of the author." --Isaac Disraeli

72. "Pretty words are not always true, and true words are not always pretty." --Aiki Flinthart

73. "Sandwich criticism between two layers of praise." --Mary Kay Ash

74. "Remember: When people tell you something's wrong or doesn't work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong." --Neil Gaiman

75. "It's simpler and easier to flatter people than to praise them." --Jean Paul Richter

76. "It is much more valuable to look for the strength in others. You can gain nothing by criticizing their imperfections." --Daisaku Ikeda

77. "Don't mind criticism. If it is untrue, disregard it; if unfair, keep from irritation; if it is ignorant, smile; if it is justified, it is not criticism, learn from it." --Anonymous

78. "The person who offends writes as if it was written on sand, and the person who is offended reads it as if it were written on marble." -- Italian proverb

79. "Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do criticize him, you'll be a mile away and have his shoes." --Anonymous

80. "Having a sharp tongue will cut your throat." --Anonymous

81. "As much as we thirst for approval we dread condemnation." --Hans Selye

82. "Never retract, never explain, never apologize; get things done and let them howl." --Nellie McClung

83. "In order to excel, you must be completely dedicated to your chosen sport. You must also be prepared to work hard and be willing to accept constructive criticism. Without 100 percent dedication, you won't be able to do this." --Willie Mays

84. "When virtues are pointed out first, flaws seem less insurmountable." --Judith Martin

85. " I like criticism. It makes you strong." --LeBron James

86. "If a man isn't willing to take some risk for his opinions, either his opinions are no good or he's no good." --Ezra Pound

87. "It's too easy to criticize a man when he's out of favor, and to make him shoulder the blame for everybody else's mistakes." --Leo Tolstoy

88. "He only profits from praise who values criticism." --Heinrich Heine

89. "The price of success is to bear the criticism of envy." --Denis Waitley

90. "The trite saying that honesty is the best policy has met with the just criticism that honesty is not policy. The real honest man is honest from conviction of what is right, not from policy." --Robert E. Lee

91. "Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things." --Winston Churchill

92. "The greatest threat to freedom is the absence of criticism." --Wole Soyinka

93. "Honest criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance, or a stranger." --Franklin P. Jones

94. "Constructive criticism is about finding something good and positive to soften the blow to the real critique of what really went on." --Paula Abdul

95. "Opinion often consists of a kind of criticism. But criticism can come out of love." --Robert Frank

96. "Self criticism must be my guide to action, and the first rule for its employment is that in itself it is not a virtue, only a procedure." --Kingsley Amis

97. "While we would love to have no criticism, probably if we had no critique, we wouldn't be doing anything meaningful." --Erwin McManus

98. "Most of the criticism I have received over the years has been very good." --Van Morrison

99. "People ask for criticism, but they only want praise." --W. Somerset Maugham

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