Socrates — Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.
Before any answer comes the openness to ask. Wonder — that willingness to be amazed, to not-know pleasurably — is where every wise thought first catches light.
Protect your wonder as you learn English. The learner who still finds words delightful, who pauses at a strange idiom to marvel rather than groan, is the one wisdom keeps rewarding.
Words that widen the world
A feeling of amazement and curious admiration.
Synonyms: awe, curiosity, marvel
Wonder kept her learning for years.
The quality of having good judgment and deep understanding.
Synonyms: insight, sagacity, understanding
Wonder is where wisdom begins.
Common questions
It means curiosity and amazement are the starting point of wisdom — the desire to understand begins with the willingness to wonder.
It is attributed to Socrates (and echoed by Plato and Aristotle); because sourcing is uncertain, we mark it as attributed.
Carry it with you
In your own words, what does this thought mean to you? Write three or four sentences in English about a moment when it felt true — saying it yourself is how it stays with you.
Read more from Socrates
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