Greek Wisdom

PLATO 347BC - 428 BC

He was an aristocrat and popular to western culture. He studied under Socrates and taught Aristotle. His philosophy influenced Christianity.

Here are his most important life lessons:

1- Conquer yourself - Avoid your temptations ! Control your passions! Do not let them control your actions which can jeopardize your future. Ask yourself: are your choices you make beneficial in your life?

2- Being angry solves nothing! Avoid anger! There are two opposing areas of anger: they are things you can help and things you cannot help. Another way to look at are problems you can solve and those you cannot. The former requires developing a plan to solve it. Make a plan and follow it through. If the problem cannot be solved. Just accept what you cannot change and adjust your life accordingly. The other problem is what you cannot solve. It wastes your time and energy to be angry over this problem. So accept the situation, move on, and learn from your mistake. By using reason, you evaluate the problem more objectively. You rise up to a superior level , and you come closer to the truth of that situation. Thus getting angry never solves anything. It is a negative emotion which must be avoided. Approach problems calmly and assiduously.

3- Choose the people you spend time with wisely. These people can either help you grow as a person or hinder your growth.

4- Find a good partner who will love you and encourage you.

5- Learn to be a follower first, then a master. A great teacher needs first to be a great student. A great boss needs first to be a great worker. It takes hard work and dedication. Be reliable, fulfill your obligations, be kind to others, and tough at work.

6- Be content with little and show gratitude. It is counter-intuitive but contentment with little will assure you happiness. For example, if you have a roof over your head, food to eat, and can get to work then you are wealthy enough. Any excess of these things will not make you happier. Many chase after material things. But these things will not make you happier. Instead, cultivate gratitude, see the blessings in everything you have in life, avoid resentfulness in others because they have money, fame, large houses, etc. Their wealth is only apparent. It is impossible to know how happy they really are. For example, they may have family problems, drug addiction, debts, foreclosure, etc. You never know.

7- Be in charge of your own happiness. You must depend on yourself for your own happiness and not from others. Hedonism and pleasure is not the most important thing in life. Look for the importance of wisdom, moderation, and hard work. If at all possible avoid worrying, fear, and thoughts of “what if.” They only rob you of you happiness.