Inspirational Quotes with Images: Greek Philosophy Useful for Bloggers

Aren’t there enough pages on the web pushing inspirational quotes down our throats?

Maybe.

But, since I am presently on vacation in Lichnos, Greece, I’m feeling like I have my two feet planted in the classical world!

While I’ve been enjoying my time lounging by the pool at my hotel, I’ve been reading about Greek philosophers. It’s been very interesting to see how their ideas are as relevant today as they were during the days of Ancient Greece.

I thought it would be useful to pick out some quotes to share with you and how they relate to blogging or building a business today.

I hope you find the following inspirational quotes with images useful. Please feel free to share them or use them in your blog / social media posts.

Aristotle’s Inspirational Quotes

Aristotle lived between 384 and 322 BC and is thought of as one of the fathers of Western Philosophy. Here a some inspirational quotes from Aristotle… hopefully motivational for bloggers!

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

Aristotle

Excellence is a hot topic for bloggers and site owners, especially when it comes to content quality. How do we attain it though? Well… through practise.

Through striving for excellence and practise over time we can make quality a habit… and there are far worse habits to have.

Probable impossibilities are to be preferred to improbable possibilities.

Aristotle

When you are thinking about starting a blog you might be enthusiastic but also daunted. There are so many people publishing blog content every minute of every day and no niche is untouched by this. You might wonder is there too much competition?

You might also believe it’s probably impossible that you’ll be able to find a tribe interested in what you have to say… and you might be right.

However if it’s probably impossible, that just means that statistically the odds are stacked against you… and that’s all.

It doesn’t mean you won’t succeed. It would be far worse if  possibilities for success were improbable!

Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.

Aristotle

This is a very wise appreciation that if you enjoy doing something it’s more likely that you’ll be good at it.

This is absolutely true in my experience. However, more than this, if you enjoy your work and derive pleasure from it, it never really feels like work.

We have to spend many years of our life at work so it’s important to enjoy what we do for a living. This is 100% true for me in the case of blogging.

What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do.

Aristotle

For me this is about choice. We have the power to choose to do something, or choose not to do something.

For example, I use lists and schedules to manage the work I have to do on the SideGains blog. I sometimes look at these lists and think to myself “I can’t be bothered”.

But allowing myself not to be bothered and not carrying out the tasks on the list is a choice.

It’s within my power not to be bothered, so it’s in my power to pull myself together and make the effort to get my tasks done. It’s a choice.

The end of labor is to gain leisure.

Aristotle

This is my end goal. I need to work my socks off to make this happen. Of course, I want to gain leisure so I can do the things I really want to do in my life. I love blogging and all things related to the Internet… but it’s my aim to end my labor!

Well begun is half done.

Aristotle

Starting something new is great. It’s exciting and it holds promise for us. We have great enthusiasm for it and the possibilities seem limitless, even if they are improbable!

However, starting something is just one piece of the puzzle. Starting a blog well should absolutely be our initial aim. But driving it forward beyond the start takes determination and courage. To drive it forward well takes sustained passion.

Happiness depends upon ourselves.

Aristotle

This I another quote about choice. We can’t choose to be happy, but we can choose a path that leads to happiness.

What is that path? Of course it’s a different one for each of us, and the choices we make along the way depend upon us each individually. However, I believe the right path is the one that takes you to what you truly want to do in life.

Change in all things is sweet.

Aristotle

Sweet? I’m not sure to be honest. But change is inevitable and so we need to learn to adapt to it rather than try to resist it.

Everything will change in the world of blogging over time. These changes might be search engine algorithms, blogging / social media platforms or link building practises.

If we’re unable to adapt, well lose out to others who can.

Inspirational Quotes by Socrates

Socrates lived between 470 and 399 BC. and is thought of as One of the fathers of Western Philosophy. He is another important classical Greek figure, and is considered the first philosopher of morality.

Doo what inspirational quotes have I lined up from Socrates?

The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.

Socrates

There are lots of ways to interpret this in terms of blogging.

Firstly, we might say you have to behave in the way you want people to perceive you. If you want a good online reputation, you have to behave in a way that is likely to earn you one.

Secondly, have you ever heard the expression “fake it until you make it”? Perhaps we could translate this quote to mean something similar.

Finally, we might say this quote simply advises you to be the best that you can be.

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for.

Socrates

This is a great way to say that there is so much to learn from others who have gone before us. I wouldn’t personally just read “men’s” writings though… it’s a sexist quote.

Nonetheless, reading the experiences and advice of people who’ve made a successful living from blogging is going to save you heaps of time.

Successful bloggers have worked long and hard to get where they are. They’ve made lots of mistakes along the way and learned to correct and avoid them as they’ve gone along. Learning from these bloggers will help you to avoid the mistakes they’ve made so you can reach your goals more quickly.

Plato Quotes

Plato lived between 428 and 347 BC. He was a student of Socrates and created the first higher learning school in Western history.

Here are some of Plato’s most inspirational quotes.

Without effort, you cannot be prosperous.

Plato

It’s obvious… you cannot achieve anything without hard work.

There is no such thing as get rich quick in the world of blogging. It’s a long game that you are going to have to work at.

Even if you’ve got the best tools, content and environment in which your blog can grow, nothing will come from it if you don’t apply yourself.

Honesty is for the most part less profitable than dishonesty.

Plato

This speaks to me about white hat and black hat SEO. It may be that Black hat marketers generate a lot of profits. I know there are a good deal of people who have become fabulously successful from black hat techniques.

So why should anyone bother playing an honest white hat SEO game?

Well it’s a choice really. For me I want to build something that will last for a long time and so I want to put my efforts towards this end.

Black Hat sites tend not to last forever before they need to be scrapped and new ones started. That is just not for me.

Wealth is well known to be a great comforter.

Plato

They say that money does not make you happy, but it can certainly make life more comfortable!

I think the pursuit of wealth for wealth’s sake does not lead to happiness. However, wealth gives you choice in life that’s for sure.

Necessity… the mother of invention.

Plato

I’ve heard this many times and it’s very true for me. Whenever I’ve needed to do something without the means to do so, I’ve had to be creative.

This is totally applicable to any situation when you think about it.

Better a little which is well done, than a great deal imperfectly.

Plato

In terms of content writing and blogging this is absolutely true in my view. Google emphasises high quality content too!

You could create a blog with 100s of thin, poorly researched articles and end up in a far weaker position than a blog with fewer posts of a much higher quality.

I know what I prefer!

Motivational Quotes by Epictetus

Epictetus lived between 55 and 135 AD. He was born in Turkey and spent many years as a slave in Rome. He is famous as a Stoic philosopher. 

And the inspirational pearls of wisdom from Epictetus are…

Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.

Epictetus

This is great advice. I take it to mean do the absolute best you can with whatever available to you but don’t then worry about what you cannot control after that. Once you’ve played your part, roll with the punches afterwards!

The greater the difficulty the more glory in surmounting it.

Epictetus

This has been said in many different ways through time, but the basic meaning is still true.

You might say the more difficult the task, the richer the reward. how about the bigger the challenge, the greater the prize. Or perhaps… the harder they come, the harder they fall!

It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.

Epictetus

Another inspirational quote about how we cope with change and the way in which we adapt to it. This quote is entirely consistent with Epictetus’s stoic philosophy. 

We can’t control the events that happen to us, but we can influence their effects on us by how we react. 

No greater thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig.

Epictetus

Blogging takes time. It takes time to write a well researched article. It takes even more time to build a blog that gets lots of visitors.

If you want a successful blog, it will not happen in a week or month. It will perhaps take years of dedicated effort… but it is within your power!

If you wish to be a writer, write.

Epictetus

How appropriate is this to blogging? I read this on a couple of different levels. 

Firstly, I read this as meaning of you want to be a writer you have to practise. How do you practise being a writer? You write of course!

Lastly, you are a writer if you write. You are a blogger the minute you have a blog and start writing posts! A blog is one way you can become a writer immediately. How many things can you say that about?

First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.

Epictetus

I take this as inspiration to be a full-time blogger. That’s my goal.

In order to achieve this I know there are several objectives along the way. I know what these are and I understand what’s involved. It’s just down to me to do what I have to do!

Plutarch’s Motivational Quotes

Plutarch lived between 46 and 120 AD. During his life he became a citizen of Rome.

How can Plutarch inspire us?

To make no mistakes is not in the power of man; but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future.

Plutarch

This is a great lesson about learning from your peers and competitors. We all make mistakes and we can learn from them and get better.

However, our competitors, especially those who’ve been blogging for longer than us, will have made lots more. We can learn from them. We can read about their experiences and learn everything we can to be (hopefully) better than them!

No man ever wetted clay and then left it, as if there would be bricks by chance and fortune.

Plutarch

Is this an inspirational quote? I think it is. 

To me it means that nothing gets made by itself. You can’t create a blog and just write the odd post and expect that it’ll grow on its own. You have to push hard, write often and promote it in lots of different ways. Over time you’ll have bricks you can build a house with!

Those who aim at great deeds must also suffer greatly.

Plutarch

Another great quote about effort vs. reward. The bigger the goal, the harder you’ll have to work. And if you’re setting your stall out to become a successful blogger, you’ll have to sweat!

Last but by No Means Least… Quotes by Epicurus

Epicurus lived between 341 and 270 BC. He founded a school of philosophy called Epicureanism.

Freedom is the greatest fruit of self-sufficiency.

Epicurus

This last in my list of inspirational quotes is perhaps one of the most significant and motivational for me.

Blogging for me is about being self-sufficient. I don’t want to rely on any organization or body to enable me to thrive.

Blogging will give me the perfect vehicle to attain the freedom I crave.

It will be tough, but the rewards are high!

That’s it for now.

Paul

If you’ve enjoyed these inspirational quotes (hopefully they’ve inspired you) then let me know in a comment below.