Pythagoras, born around 570 BCE in Samos, Ionia (Greece), was a Greek philosopher, mathematician, and the founder of the Pythagorean Brotherhood. Although religious, his principles influenced the thought of Plato and Aristotle and contributed to the development of mathematics and Western rational philosophy. Early in his life. Pythagoras likely went to Egypt and Babylon as a young man. He later emigrated to southern Italy around 532 BCE and established his academy at Croton (now Crotone, Italy), which focused on political morality or public ethics. He is credited with the theory of the functional significance of numbers in the objective world and music. Pythagoras is also associated with the Pythagorean theorem for right triangles. Much of what we know about Pythagoras comes from later accounts, his influence on mathematics and philosophy remains significant.
“Educate the children and it won’t be necessary to punish the men.”
“We come from God. As the tree from the root and the stream from the spring; that’s why we should always be in contact with Him, as the trunk from the root. Because the stream dries up when it is separated from the spring and the tree dies when is uprooted.”
“It is better to be silent than to dispute with the Ignorant.”
“A fool is known by his speech, and a wise man by silence.”
“Evolution is the Law of Life. Number is the Law of the Universe. Unity is the Law of God.”
“Do not go to bed until you have gone over the day three times in your mind. What wrong did I do? What good did I accomplish? What did I forget to do?”
“The oldest, shortest words – ‘yes’ and ‘no’ – are those which require the most thought.”
“Truth is so great a perfection, that if God would render himself visible to men, he would choose light for his body and truth for his soul.”
“Learn to be silent. Let your quiet mind listen and absorb.”
“The soul of man is divided into three parts, intelligence, reason, and passion. Intelligence and passion are possessed by other animals, but reason by man alone.”
“You should make great things, not promising great things.”
“You should help a man to take up a burden, but you should not help him put it back down.”
“As soon as laws are necessary for men, they are no longer fit for freedom.”
“I would have to say the probability of us dying seems extremely high.”