Academies that are founded at public expense are instituted not so much to cultivate men's natural abilities as to restrain them. Baruch Spinoza More Quotes by Baruch Spinoza More Quotes From Baruch Spinoza The more you struggle to live, the less you live. Give up the notion that you must be sure of what you are doing. Instead, surrender to what is real within you, for that alone is sure....you are above everything distressing. Baruch Spinoza giving-uprealstruggle The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free. Baruch Spinoza understandingeducationinspirational What Paul says about Peter tells us more about Paul than about Peter. Baruch Spinoza petersilence No matter how thin you slice it, there will always be two sides. Baruch Spinoza ive-learnedtwo-sidesmatter The most tyrannical of governments are those which make crimes of opinions, for everyone has an inalienable right to his thoughts. Baruch Spinoza politicalgovernmenttruth If you want the present to be different from the past, study the past. Baruch Spinoza philosophicallearningpast Men believe themselves to be free, simply because they are conscious of their actions, and unconscious of the causes whereby those actions are determined. Baruch Spinoza causesmenbelieve Reason connot defeat emotion, an emotion can only be displaced or overcome by a stronger emotion. Baruch Spinoza strongeremotionovercoming The highest endeavor of the mind, and the highest virtue, it to understand things by intuition. Baruch Spinoza intuitionunderstandingwisdom The holy word of God is on everyone's lips...but...we see almost everyone presenting their own versions of God's word, with the sole purpose of using religion as a pretext for making others think as they do. Baruch Spinoza lipspurposethinking The world would be happier if men had the same capacity to be silent that they have to speak. Baruch Spinoza philosophicalcommunicationmen Nothing in nature is by chance... Something appears to be chance only because of our lack of knowledge. Baruch Spinoza chancenaturelife God is not He who is, but That which is. Baruch Spinoza The more clearly you understand yourself and your emotions, the more you become a lover of what is. Baruch Spinoza emotionalemotionlove He who lives according to the guidance of reason strives as much as possible to repay the hatred, anger, or contempt of others towards himself with love or generosity. ...hatred is increased by reciprocal hatred, and, on the other hand, can be extinguished by love, so that hatred passes into love. Baruch Spinoza generositylifehands When a man is prey to his emotions, he is not his own master. Baruch Spinoza preyemotionmen A good thing which prevents us from enjoying a greater good is in truth an evil. Baruch Spinoza enjoygood-thingsevil He who seeks equality between unequals seeks an absurdity. Baruch Spinoza absurdity Men who are ruled by reason desire nothing for themselves which they would not wish for all mankind. Baruch Spinoza wishdesiremen We feel and know that we are eternal. Baruch Spinoza immortalityphilosophicalawareness
