"Work at these things, practice them, these are the things you ought to desire; they are what will put you on the path of divine virtue — yes, by the one who entrusted our soul with the tetraktys, source of ever-flowing nature. Pray to the gods for success and get to work."

Pythagoras Mathematics See all quotes by Pythagoras →

React to this quote

More by Pythagoras

“It is better wither to be silent, or to say things of more value than silence. Sooner throw a pearl at hazard than an idle or useless word; and do not say a little in many words, but a great deal in a few.”

“Dear youths, I warn you cherish peace divine, And in your hearts lay deep these words of mine.”

“The most momentous thing in human life is the art of winning the soul to good or to evil.”

“When going to the temple to adore Divinity neither say nor do any thing in the interim pertaining to the common affairs of life.”

“Attempt nothing above thy strength!”

“Pythagoras and Pythagoreanism, The Catholic Encyclopedia”

Resonant Thoughts

"All of us want to be loved with unconditional, eternal love — a love that sees beyond beauty, intelligence, or any other superficial quality. We want to be loved simply because we are. At the same tim…"

— Bhakti Tirtha Swami

Literature1950–2005

#religion

"Someone has a great fire in his soul and nobody ever comes to warm themselves at it, and passers-by see nothing but a little smoke at the top of the chimney and then go on their way."

— Vincent van Gogh

Art1853–1890

#religion

"All things in nature become identical with the phenomena they present when submitted to the practices of our laboratories, whose problems no less than their apparatus express in turn the problems and …"

— Max Horkheimer

Philosophy1895–1973

#knowledge

"It seems to me that we do not pay enough attention to prayer, for unless it arises from the heart which ought to be its centre, it is no more than a fruitless dream. Prayer ought to carry over into ou…"

— Marguerite Bourgeoys

Education1620–1700

#love