The democratic youth lives along day by day, gratifying the desire that occurs to him, at one time drinking and listening to the flute, at another downing water and reducing, now practicing gymnastic, and again idling and neglecting everything; and sometimes spending his time as though he were occupied in philosophy.

No town can live peacefully whatever its laws when its citizens do nothing but feast and drink and tire themselves out in the cares of love

Take charge of your thoughts. You can do what you will with them

The fear of death is indeed the pretence of wisdom, and not real wisdom, being the appearance of knowing the unknown.

Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.

So the nature required to make a really noble Guardian of our commonwealth will be swift and strong, spirited, and philosophic.

Whence comes war and fighting, and factions? Whence but from the body and the lust of the body? Wars are occasioned by the love of money, and money has to be acquired for the same and service of the body.