7 Phrases By Cicero, A Universal Humanist Philosopher

Cicero’s phrases have overcome the passage of time thanks to the fact that they have not lost relevance. What is surprising about them is that they were enunciated a century before our era, and they have been maintained, surviving social transformations.

This Roman philosopher and historian can be considered one of the first humanists. In his time, he was not only famous for his philosophy, but also for his oratory and for his accurate and committed political analysis.

Cicero’s phrases hit the mark on a wide range of subjects. From friendship and love to the good conduct of the State. His way of seeing the world was antidogmatic and very ethically focused. The phrases that we collect below collect some of his most important reflections.

1. One of Cicero’s phrases about changing

Precisely the rejection of dogmatism is one of the recurring themes in Cicero’s phrases. He deplored the rigidity of thought and considered it a deficiency that led to great errors. Thus it is clear in this affirmation: ” No learned man has said that a change of opinion is inconstancy. “

What he is saying here is that changing your mind has nothing to do with fickleness. On the contrary, it is an intelligent attitude, the fruit of an open mind. No one who is permeable to reality has immutable opinions.

2. Greed for happiness

An interesting question appears in one of Cicero’s sentences. It goes like this: ” I do not understand why he who is happy seeks greater happiness. ” It is what could be called a “greed of happiness”. That tendency to accumulate greater happiness.

This is a very acute observation. Thus,  the human being seems to be condemned to be dissatisfied with anything. Even when you achieve happiness, your thirst is not quenched. Paradoxically, this condemns us to have to live with a point of eternal misery.

3. True friendship

The theme of friendship is one of the most recurrent in Cicero’s phrases. It is clear that friends were for him one of the greatest treasures of life. For this reason, he reflected in depth on the subject.

One of his statements states: ” Nature wants friendship to be a helper of virtues, but not a companion of vices. ” It means that there is a big difference between true friends and those who simply seek our favor or reinforce our most negative behaviors.

4. The power of public speaking

Cicero’s oratorical ability is said to be extraordinary. Even in a trial in which he acted as a lawyer, it is said that the defendant was voluntarily exiled after hearing the impressive arguments of the philosopher’s speech.

Despite this, Cicero himself is critical of oratory. In this regard, he says: ” There is nothing so incredible that oratory cannot make it acceptable. ” In other words, there is nothing that words fail to make credible, even if it is not true.

5. Peace and war

Although Marco Tulio Cicero served in the army and was a military man for more than three years, he was always convinced of peace as a value and of the law as the highest authority. He saw armed confrontations as the expression of the worst of barbarities.

One of his phrases states: ” I would prefer the most unjust peace to the most just of wars. ” This statement has been cited hundreds of times by all kinds of leaders in the world. He argues that peace, however imperfect, is always better than war.

6. The human being and the years

This is another one of those phrases of Cicero that continues to be repeated today. Reza: ” Men are like wines: age sour the bad and improves the good. ” A beautiful and accurate analogy.

By this he means that the years bring out the essence of the real character of people. It is a beautiful way to see the passage of age. Rather than representing a step toward decline, it is more of a purging process.

7. Truth and silence

This is one of those wonderful Cicero phrases that is universal and timeless. Talk about the value of truth. He says: ” The truth is corrupted both by lies and by silence. “

It is a wonderful phrase because it confronts us with an indisputable reality. Responsibility for the truth is not limited to not telling or repeating falsehoods. It also has to do with not being silent when an injustice is done.

Like many in his day, Cicero was persecuted on different occasions by the web of political intrigues that took place in the Roman Empire. In the end, he was executed, after declaring him an enemy of the state. Still, his work kept beating forever.