The great European scholar Desiderius Erasmus was one of the most influential and powerful figures who lived during the Renaissance period. He was a renowned theologian, Catholic priest, teacher and social critic. Erasmus was known as a Renaissance humanist and is exalted for translating the ‘New Testament’ to Greek and Latin languages. His translation helped many writers who translated the bible for over 250 years from then. His thoughts and sayings will give you hope in times of distress. Although he advocated reformation within the ‘Roman Catholic Church’, he never questioned The Pope or The Church. His books like ‘On Free Will’, ‘The Praise of Folly’, ‘Handbook of a Christian Knight’, and ‘On Civility in Children’ earned him great fame. Desiderius Erasmus is considered to be one of the greatest literary figures and pioneer scholars. His thoughts, sayings and quotations motivated people to think about their actions towards a better life. Here are some of his inspiring quotes that do the same.
Nature, more of a stepmother than a mother in several ways, has sown a seed of evil in the hearts of mortals, especially in the more thoughtful men, which makes them dissatisfied with their own lot and envious of another's.
Everyone knows that by far the happiest and universally enjoyable age of man is the first. What is there about babies which makes us hug and kiss and fondle them, so that even an enemy would give them help at that age?
Desiderius Erasmus
The more ignorant, reckless and thoughtless a doctor is, the higher his reputation soars even amongst powerful princes.
Desiderius Erasmus
Fools are without number.
Desiderius Erasmus
Concealed talent brings no reputation.
Desiderius Erasmus
It's the generally accepted privilege of theologians to stretch the heavens, that is the Scriptures, like tanners with a hide.
Great abundance of riches cannot be gathered and kept by any man without sin.
Desiderius Erasmus
Whether a party can have much success without a woman present I must ask others to decide, but one thing is certain, no party is any fun unless seasoned with folly.
By a Carpenter mankind was made, and only by that Carpenter can mankind be remade.
Desiderius Erasmus
What difference is there, do you think, between those in Plato's cave who can only marvel at the shadows and images of various objects, provided they are content and don't know what they miss, and the philosopher who has emerged from the cave and sees the real things?
Reflection is a flower of the mind, giving out wholesome fragrance; but revelry is the same flower, when rank and running to seed.
Desiderius Erasmus
Nowadays the rage for possession has got to such a pitch that there is nothing in the realm of nature, whether sacred or profane, out of which profit cannot be squeezed.
Great eagerness in the pursuit of wealth, pleasure, or honor, cannot exist without sin.
Desiderius Erasmus
Now I believe I can hear the philosophers protesting that it can only be misery to live in folly, illusion, deception and ignorance, but it isn't -it's human.
Now what else is the whole life of mortals, but a sort of comedy in which the various actors, disguised by various costumes and masks, walk on and play each ones part until the manager walks them off the stage?
At last concluded that no creature was more miserable than man, for that all other creatures are content with those bounds that nature set them, only man endeavors to exceed them.
For anyone who loves intensely lives not in himself but in the object of his love, and the further he can move out of himself into his love, the happier he is.
Given a choice between a folly and a sacrament, one should always choose the folly—because we know a sacrament will not bring us closer to god and there’s always the chance that a folly will.
It is wiser to treat men and things as though we held this world the common fatherland of all.
Desiderius Erasmus
...it is a sneaking piece of cowardice for authors to put feigned names to their works, as if, like bastards of their brain, they were afraid to own them.
I put up with this church, in the hope that one day it will become better, just as it is constrained to put up with me in the hope that I will become better.
The nearer people approach old age the closer they return to a semblance of childhood, until the time comes for them to depart this life, again like children, neither tired of living nor aware of death.
Tis the part of a truly prudent man not to be wise beyond his condition, but either to take no notice of what the world does, or run with it for company
Desiderius Erasmus
I hate one that remembers what's done over the cup.
And so when the whole man will be outside himself, and happy for no reason except that he is so outside himself, he will enjoy some of the ineffable share in the supreme good which draws everything into itself.
