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Heraclitus
- Profession: Philosopher
Heraclitus of Ephesus (/ˌhɛrəˈklaɪtəs/;Greek: Ἡράκλειτος ὁ Ἐφέσιος, Hērákleitos ho Ephésios; c. 535 – c. 475 BCE) was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, a native of the Greek city Ephesus, Ionia, on the coast of Asia Minor. He was of distinguished parentage. Little is known about his early life and education, but he regarded himself as self-taught and a pioneer of wisdom. From the lonely life he led, and still more from the riddling nature of his philosophy and his contempt for humankind in general, he was called "The Obscure" and the "Weeping Philosopher".
Heraclitus is famous for his insistence on ever-present change in the universe, as stated in the famous saying, "No man ever steps in the same river twice" (see panta rhei, below). He believed in the unity of opposites, stating that "the path up and down are one and the same", all existing entities being characterized by pairs of contrary properties. His cryptic utterance that "all entities come to be in accordance with this Logos" (literally, "word", "reason", or "account") has been the subject of numerous interpretations.
Heraclitus is famous for his insistence on ever-present change in the universe, as stated in the famous saying, "No man ever steps in the same river twice" (see panta rhei, below). He believed in the unity of opposites, stating that "the path up and down are one and the same", all existing entities being characterized by pairs of contrary properties. His cryptic utterance that "all entities come to be in accordance with this Logos" (literally, "word", "reason", or "account") has been the subject of numerous interpretations.
Heraclitus said
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Our envy always lasts longer than the happiness of those we envy.
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God is day and night, winter and summer, war and peace, surfeit and hunger.
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Corpses are more fit to be thrown out than is dung.
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Big results require big ambitions.
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Time is a game played beautifully by children.
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No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.
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Nothing endures but change.
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Whoever cannot seek the unforeseen sees nothing for the known way is an impasse.
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Much learning does not teach understanding.