Plato is anionic ancient philosopher who is a towering figure in the development of philosophy, especially the Western tradition. He is the founder of the first institute of higher education in Greece. His teachings have survived till today and his words of wisdom still hold relevance despite a lapse of over two millennia.
In this distraught world, Plato's words and thoughts still hold a beacon of light and wisdom for many young and old. They may seem quite banal yet upon deep reflection are exceptional and are founts of profound truth and wisdom. Although we live in very different times and circumstances than Plato did, a lot of what he said contains eternal truth which applies to what we all cherish in our lives: happiness, contentment and progress. Some of his saying are:
• "Be kind, for any one you meet is fighting a hard battle."
Here, kindness or compassion is the key word: moving away from self-centeredness and narcissism one needs to show empathy and compassion for other human beings. These are teachings of all major religions. Humanity is sometimes lacking as one is obsessed with the "me" syndrome and always being 'right' and 'infallible.' Compassion also means that the world is inter-connected and all co-dependent. These traits need to be encouraged despite the motives of the person - genuine, artificial or expedient.
• "Wise men talk because they have something to say, the fools talk because they have to say something."
With so many opportunities to voice one's opinions online and in public these days, it can be difficult to just sit with your own thoughts. Since the old saying goes that "silence is golden" but here it is meant that choice of words, appropriate occasion, and right proportion are important to have any positive impact. If one does not speak at all and keeps an inscrutable silence with ideas buried deep inside he may be viewed as self-oriented or overly timid. Also, nobody likes mysterious or inscrutable silence which means being selfish and uncaring. But on the other hand, if a person speaks without much thought and deliberation it can be also indiscreet; seeking an audience only is considered selfish, dominating or thrusting one's views on others.
Moreover, Plato reminds us that we should only speak when essential and of benefit, and not just to toot one's horn. For, sages and savants are known to have spoken sparingly but their words and sentences are weighty and have turned into veritable proverbs. That is why, their nuggets of precious words act as distilled wisdom and have been repeated ad infinitum over years by the young and old.
• "You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than year of conversation."
Competition is a good way to gauge how people react when the stakes are high. If one wants to know what someone is really like, get them to play a game with you. Plato reminds us that this applies to life situations as well; we need to be aware of our competitive side when engaging with others. Life is an amalgam of conflict and cooperation but this conflict should be healthy and improvement- oriented. Plato encourages us to look past the exterior motives of people and be kind anyway even if it doesn't get one anywhere.
• "The beginning is the most important part of the work."
Humans are habitual in putting off doing good to others; mostly only doing good to themselves and losing opportunities as they never seem hesitant to begin. Procrastination has become the 'thief of time' and brings many weird rationalizations. Fear stands in the way for most on how and when to start, but Plato encourages us to just get our hands dirty and start anyway. Even if with failure, at least one knows the outcome. Never starting doesn't only waste time and energy as doubt acts like a minefield. The journey of a thousand mile begins with the first step, says a Chinese adage.
• "One of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by inferiors."
Plato encourages people to participate in politics of the country. It is the Greeks who first gave the concept of democracy. Unfortunately, the word "politics" sometimes gets a bad connotation. In fact, politics is attaining of power for the general good and responsible allocation of resources. If one does not participate in national affairs it is a disservice to democracy to leave the arena to corrupt and undeserving people. Plato's Republic strongly speaks about it.
This doesn't just apply to only political voting arenas, but other domains of life; it is no use spending time complaining, carping and not taking action. Participation is healthy and could usher changes. Plato exhorts that we need to stand up for what we desire and make sure our voice is heard.
• "Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others."
Good actions are not good for one self but also inspire others to do good in return. Extending goodwill towards others will not only make one feel good, but encourages others to act in a similar manner. It is contagious and the chain reaction starts. Doing it once is not enough, though. One needs to be consistent and strive to make world a better place. It may seem hard but one has to get out of the inner shell and treat others with compassion and empathy.
• "The measure of a man is what he does with his power."
"Power can corrupt and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely. It is the greatness of a person how he uses when entrusted with power. Today many of the ills of the leaders arise from being power-obsessed and power-drunk. Power should be exercised with prudence and circumscription. There is something inside all of us that the world needs. Some of us choose to work in service of others, while some happen to claw their way to the top of corporate ladder. Whatever one's power is, it should be used beneficially to make the world a better place.
• "If a man neglects education he walks lame to the end of his life."
Education has been emphasized for a wholesome personality. There is a need to differentiate it from mere literacy. To be educated means to know the higher purpose of life: its 'hows' and 'whys.' It brings humanness and awareness. Life is an educational journey till end. Travel, reading, meeting new people all tend to broaden and educate human beings. Without education one lives a half-life bereft of amazing things to know and learn. One should not cut oneself off from all the things that are there waiting to be understood in life. Learning should make one more humane, empathetic, tolerant and progressive in outlook. In short a better and wiser person.
(The writer is visiting faculty, Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.)
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