Pythagoras

Pythagorean theorem, mathematics

Ancient influential 148 sayings

Sayings by Pythagoras

Do not eat beans.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — A well-known and often ridiculed prohibition among Pythagoreans, the reasons for which are debated (…
Shocking Unverifiable

Abstain from flesh.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — Pythagoreans were known for their vegetarianism, based on the belief in metempsychosis (transmigrati…
Shocking Unverifiable

A man is never free unless he is master of himself.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — Reflects the emphasis on self-control and virtue.
Shocking Unverifiable

The oldest and shortest words, 'yes' and 'no,' are those which require the most thought.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — A maxim emphasizing careful consideration.
Shocking Confirmed

Respect yourself, and others will respect you.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — General maxim.
Shocking Unverifiable

Man, know thyself; then thou shalt know the Universe and God.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — A common philosophical dictum, often attributed to him.
Shocking Confirmed

Power is the near neighbour of necessity.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — A philosophical observation on power.
Shocking Unverifiable

Choose always the way that seems the best, however rough it may be; custom will soon render it easy and agreeable.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — Advice on discipline and perseverance.
Shocking Confirmed

Concern should drive us into action and not into a depression. No man is free who is not master of himself.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — A two-part maxim on action and self-mastery.
Shocking Unverifiable

The highest good is the purification of the soul.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — Reflects the spiritual goals of Pythagorean philosophy.
Shocking Unverifiable

The soul is a self-moving number.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — A highly abstract and distinctively Pythagorean concept of the soul.
Shocking Unverifiable

Leave not a trace of the pot in the ashes.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — One of the 'symbols' or maxims, interpreted in various ways, e.g., don't harbor resentment, don't le…
Shocking Unverifiable

When you go to the temple to worship, do not wipe up the footprints.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — Another 'symbol,' possibly meaning to avoid erasing the memory of past good deeds or to not be overl…
Shocking Unverifiable

Do not break bread.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — A Pythagorean maxim, possibly related to the symbolism of unity or avoiding division.
Shocking Unverifiable

Do not sit on a quart measure.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — A 'symbol,' possibly advising against idleness or being unproductive.
Shocking Unverifiable

Do not wear a ring.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — A 'symbol,' possibly related to avoiding attachments or ostentation.
Shocking Unverifiable

The universe is a living creature, endowed with soul and reason.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — Reflects the animistic and rational view of the cosmos.
Shocking Unverifiable

The most beautiful thing is harmony.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — Central to his philosophy of music, mathematics, and cosmology.
Shocking Unverifiable

We come from God, and we return to God.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — Reflects a spiritual understanding of existence.
Shocking Unverifiable

The soul of man is immortal and that it changes into other kinds of animals.

c. 570 – c. 495 BC — A core tenet of metempsychosis, or transmigration of souls, central to Pythagorean thought and a rea…
Shocking Unverifiable