Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Philosopher Writer French 1712 – 1778

French writer and philosopher, author of The Social Contract.

381 quotes

"History shows us that mankind tends toward progress."
History
"Children must be taught to think for themselves."
Education
"Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is the belief that God will make it right."
Faith
"The best of all governments is that which teaches us to govern ourselves."
Politics
"Time is a river that flows through our lives, carrying all our yesterdays away."
Time
"True friendship requires time and trust to flourish."
Friendship
"The beginning of greatness is the understanding of smallness."
Wisdom
"A man is never completely alone. He carries within him the memories of his past and the hopes of his future."
Hope
"The greatest changes begin within the human heart."
Change
"Nature is the best teacher of morality."
Nature
"To know oneself is the beginning of all wisdom."
Knowledge
"The right to live is less important than living rightly."
Truth
"Work is not a curse but a blessing when done with purpose."
Work
"Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away to the next room."
Death
"True leadership is the power to inspire others to become their best selves."
Leadership
"Money is a barrier between the giver and the receiver of kindness."
Money
"The pursuit of health is the pursuit of happiness."
Health
"Every adventure begins with a single step of faith."
Adventure
"Imagination is more important than knowledge in the realm of possibilities."
Imagination
"The roots of a nation lie deeper than the monuments it builds."
History
"Philosophy teaches us to question, not merely to answer."
Philosophy
"In literature we find the mirror of human experience."
Literature
"War is the failure of diplomacy and the triumph of pride."
War
"Motivation comes from understanding why we desire something deeply."
Motivation
"The true measure of inspiration is the change it produces in the inspired."
Inspiration
"Relationships are the garden in which the soul grows."
Relationships
"In solitude, we discover who we truly are beneath the noise of the world."
Solitude
"The poor man is happy when he has enough; the rich man is never content."
Happiness
"Beauty is the language through which God speaks to the human soul."
Beauty
"Science seeks truth through observation; wisdom seeks truth through reflection."
Science