“Speak, so that I may see you” ~ (Socrates)

In this section we go through enduring sayings that still resonate, we read them to reflect on our own lives and choices.

Bust of Socrates, Louvre Museum, Paris. | Photo credit: Eric Gaba – Wikimedia Commons user: Sting

“Speak, so that I may see you” ~(Socrates)

In a world obsessed with the number of likes on social media and appearances, our words can be more revealing than our possessions. What we say, how we express ourselves, and the honesty behind our speech show our true character, beyond the material masks we wear every day.

"Speak so that I may see you" is a quote attributed to Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher and one of the most important figures in Western philosophy (470 BC- 379 BC), but it does not appear in Plato’s texts exactly like that.

It is traced back to the ideas in Plato's dialogues and later rephrased to stress how speech and dialogue reveal the real character and reflect one's soul more than the looks that can be confusing.

It is a statement that captures a timeless truth taken from the Socrates' teachings that emphasize virtue, by openly stating that ethical speech is a mirror for ethical character.

Socratic thought teaches us that to speak well is not just to persuade, but to show the listener the kind of person we truly are.  

The message it conveys is simple and straightforward: dialogue reveals the soul and expresses who you really are.