The phrases of C-zero have won in time and remain very current, most surprisingly they were pronounced a century before our era and survived social changes.
This Roman philosopher and historian can be considered one of the first humanists; in his day, he was not only famous for his philosophy, but also for his oratory and for his precise and committed political analyses.
- The phrases cover a wide range of topics.
- From friendship and love to good state management.
- His world view was anti-dogmatic and very ethical.
- The phrases we have selected condense some of his most important reflections.
“Luck is not only blind, but also tends to blind those you prefer. “Cicero
The rejection of dogmatism is one of the most recurring themes of Cicero’s phrases, for him the rigidity of thought was deplorable and was seen as a deficiency that led to great mistakes, as is clear from this statement:
“No educated man would say that change of heart is an inconsistency. “
What you are saying here is that changing your mind has nothing to do with inconsistency, on the contrary, it is an intelligent attitude, the result of an open mind, no one who is permeable to reality has immutable opinions.
One of C-zero’s phrases raises an interesting question. He said, “I don’t understand why the lucky one seeks greater happiness. “This is what can be called “happiness greed. “This tendency to accumulate greater happiness.
That’s a very clear observation. Human beings seem doomed not to be content with anything. Even at the end of happiness, human beings are not satisfied. Paradoxically, this condemns us to live with a point of eternal unhappiness.
The theme of friendship is one of Cicero’s most recurrent phrases, it is clear that for him friends were one of the greatest treasures of his life, that is precisely why he reflects deeply on the subject.
One of his statements reads: “Nature wants friendship to be an aid to virtues, but not a companion of addictions. “This means that there is a big difference between real friends and those who simply want favors or reinforce our most negative behaviors.
They say Cicero’s oratory was extraordinary. Even in a trial in which he practiced as a lawyer, it is said that the accused voluntarily assumed responsibility after hearing the impressive arguments of the philosopher’s speech.
Despite this, Cicero himself is a critic of the oratory. On this subject, he said, “There is nothing so bad that oratory cannot make it acceptable. “That’s not true.
Although he served in the army and served in the army for more than three years, he was still sure that peace as courage and the law as the highest authority saw armed clashes as an expression of the worst barbarism.
Another of his sentences read: “I would prefer a more unjust peace than the most beautiful of wars. “This statement has been quoted countless times by all kinds of leaders around the world. He argues that peace, however imperfect, is always better than war.
This is the subject of some of Cicero’s phrases that are still repeated today. It says: “Men are like wine: age sours evil and improves good. “A beautiful and safe analogy.
This means that age reinforces the essence of people’s real character. It’s a great way to see the evolution of age. Instead of representing a step towards decomposition, we talk about a purification process.
This is one of Cicero’s most incredible phrases, which has become universal and timeless: he speaks of the value of truth. He says, “Truth is corrupted by both lies and silence. “
It is a wonderful phrase, because it faces an undisputed reality, the responsibility for the truth is not limited to not telling or repeating lies, it also has to do with not shutting up when an injustice is committed.
Like many of his time, Cicero was repeatedly persecuted for the entanglement of political intrigue that occurred in the Roman Empire, in the end he was executed after being declared an enemy of the state, but his work remained alive forever.