Avoid doing what you would blame others for doing.
Nothing is more active than thought, for it travels over the universe, and nothing is stronger than necessity for all must submit to it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Thought is the most dynamic force, influencing everything, while necessity is an unavoidable power that everyone must respect.
This quote by Thales emphasizes the profound impact of thought as a powerful agent that transcends physical boundaries, suggesting that our minds can reach and traverse the vastness of the universe. It also highlights the concept of necessity as an ultimate force that governs actions and decisions, illustrating how individuals cannot escape the influence of necessity in their lives, thus reinforcing the idea that while thoughts may be limitless, the realities we face are often defined by critical needs.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about overcoming challenges, you might use this quote to emphasize the power of thought in shaping our lives.
More from Thales
All quotes βWe live not, in reality, on the summit of a solid earth but at the bottom of an ocean of air
Necessity is the strongest of things, for it rules everything.
Hope is the only good that is common to all men; those who have nothing else possess hope still.
Time is the wisest of all things that are; for it brings everything to light.
All things are from water and all things are resolved into water.
Similar quotes
Mind is nothing but dreams and dreams - dreams of the past, dreams of the future, dreams of how things should be, dreams of great ambitions, achievements. Dreams and desires, that is the stuff mind is made of. But it surrounds you like a China Wall. And because of it the fish remains unaware of the ocean.
I regard large inherited wealth as a misfortune, which merely serves to dull men's faculties. A man who possesses great wealth should, therefore, allow only a small portion to descend to his relatives. Even if he has children, I consider it a mistake to hand over to them considerable sums of money beyond what is necessary for their education. To do so merely encourages laziness and impedes the healthy development of the individual's capacity to make an independent position for himself.
They were still all beautiful and there was still enchantment and wonder, but she had crossed a line and now the fairy tale was green with corruption and evil.
In a public dialogue with Salman in London he [Edward Said] had once described the Palestinian plight as one where his people, expelled and dispossessed by Jewish victors, were in the unique historical position of being 'the victims of the victims': there was something quasi-Christian, I thought, in the apparent humility of that statement.
Not only does democracy make every man forget his ancestors, but also clouds their view of their descendants and isolates them from their contemporaries. Each man is for ever thrown back on himself alone, and there is danger that he may be shut up in the solitude of his own heart.
Who can map out the various forces at play in one soul? Man is a great depth, O Lord. The hairs of his head are easier by far to count than his feeling, the movements of his heart.