Democritus

Everywhere man blames nature and fate, yet his fate is mostly but the echo of his character and passions, his mistakes and weaknesses.

If your desires are not great, a little will seem much to you; for small appetite makes poverty equivalent to wealth.

Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence.

By convention sweet and by convention bitter, by convention hot, by convention cold, by convention color; but in reality atoms and void.

To a wise and good man the whole earth is his fatherland.

Everything existing in the universe is the fruit of chance and necessity.

Men should strive to think much and know little.

Raising children is an uncertain thing success is reached only after a life of battle and worry.

No power and no treasure can outweigh the extension of our knowledge.

Many much-learned men have no intelligence.

Nothing exists except atoms and empty space everything else is opinion.

Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul.

Hope of ill gain is the beginning of loss.

If thou sustain injustice, console thyself; the true unhappiness is in doing it

Good means not merely not to do wrong, but rather not to desire to do wrong.

[I would] rather discover one cause than gain the kingdom of Persia.