Socrates, considered as one of the founders of Western philosophy, was once named the wisest man on earth by the Oracle of Delphi. When Socrates heard that the oracle had made such a comment, he believed that the statement was wrong.
Socrates said: â I know one thing: that I know nothing.â
How can the smartest man on earth know nothing? I heard this paradoxical wisdom for the first time from my school teacher when I was 14 or 15. It made such an impact on me that I used Socratesâs quote as my learning strategy.
âI know nothingâ to me, means that you might be a wise person, but still, you know nothing. You can learn from everything and everyone.
One thing that I like better than learning from my mistakes is to learn from other peopleâs mistakes. Over the years, Iâve been blessed to have great mentors, teachers, family, friends, that taught me about life.
What you will find below is a list of the most important things I learned from other people and books. Some of the lessons took me a long time to learnâbut if I had to learn these things all by myself, it would take me a lot longer.
We might learn things quickly, but we often forget things at the same rateâand sometimes we need to remind ourselves of the things weâve learned.
Here are 25 of those reminders that others taught me.
- Struggle Is Good
Never say âI canât take it anymore.â Say âBring it on!â - Donât Complain
Complaining is the biggest waste of time there is. Either do something about it, and if you canât, shut up about it. - Spend Time With People You Love
Thatâs your family and best friends. If you donât have a family, create one. Most people in life are only visitors. Family is for life. - Donât Start A Relationship If Youâre Not In Love
Iâve done this more than once. You kind of like someone and think: âWe might as well give it a shot.â Not a good idea. Youâre either in love, or you are not. Donât fool yourself. Itâs not fair to you and the other person. - Exercise Daily
I didnât get this until recently. A healthy body is where you have to start everything in life. If you canât build a healthy and strong body, what CAN you build in life? - Keep A Journal
No, keeping a journal is not for children. It helps you to become a better thinker and writer. âI donât want to be a writerâ you might think. Well, how many emails and texts do you send a day? Everybody is a writer. - Be Grateful
Say âthank youâ to everyone and everything. âThank you for this beautiful day.â âThank you for your email.â âThank you for being there for me.â - Donât Care About What People Think
We all die in the end, do you really think it matters what people think of you? - Take More Risks
Donât be such a wimp. - Pick An Industry, Not A Job
If you want to become good at something, you need to spend years and years doing that. You canât do that if you hop from industry to industry. Pick an industry you love and start at the bottom. You will find the perfect role for you eventually. - Lead The Way
When you find yourself in a situation where everyone looks at each other, itâs time for you to lead. Youâre a leader when you decide to become one. Thereâs no initiation or a title. Just a decision. - Money Is Not The Most Important Thing
You have to train yourself not to care about money and focus on providing value instead. Also, donât become too dependent on the stuff you own â otherwise, the stuff will own you. - Be Nice
I donât mean you should be a pushover. You can be someone that doesnât take shit and be nice about it. Just donât insult people, think youâre better than them, or act like an idiot. - Learn Every Day
Youâve got to train your brain to stay alert. You donât have to read a book a day to learn every day. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from the people around you â be open to what they can teach you. - Rest Before You Are Tired
Even if you love your job, and every day seems like a holiday, you need to take time to rest. Youâre a human and not an android, never forget that. - Donât Judge
Just because people make different choices than you, they are not stupid. Also, you donât know everything about people, so donât judge them â help them. - Think About Others
Just be mindful, thatâs all. We all have families, bills to pay, and our own issues. Donât always make everything about yourself. - Give Without Expecting Something In Return
Donât keep score. You will become a bitter person if you do that. Give solely for the joy of giving. If you get something in return, great, if you donât, great. - Thereâs No End Game
We, as species, just are. Donât try to figure it all out. Enjoy your journey. - Enjoy Small Things
I like clichĂ©s because they are true. Especially this one. You know why? Everyone says they know it, but no one lives up to it. They just chase big things. - Donât Take Yourself So Seriously
Yeah, yeah, youâre an individual, and people have to take you seriously, I get it. But at the end of the day, weâre all a bunch of ants trying to chase the same things. Lighten up. - Donât Blame People
Whatâs the point? Do you want to punish them? You donât do that to people. Also donât blame yourself â youâre only human. - Create Something
Not to leave a legacy, you wonât be here to see it anyway, but to be of use. Make music, write a book, build a table, anything. Youâll feel good about yourself, plus you give something back to people to use or enjoy. - Never Look Back Too Long
Reflecting on the past is only good for one thing: Learning. - Take Action
Donât just sit there, do something. Without action, there is no outcome.
You might know a lot about life. But like Socrates, you and I know nothing at all. So we have to keep learning.