--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some 2,600 years ago the ancient Greek…" description: "\"“Some 2,600 years ago the ancient Greek poet Pindar wrote, “Become who you are by learning who you are.” What he meant is the following: You are born w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/robert-greene-498_ancient-greek_some-2-600-years-ago-the-ancient-greek-p_2897206.jpg" --- # Some 2,600 years ago the ancient Greek poet Pindar wrote… ![“Some 2,600 years ago the ancient Greek poet Pindar wrote, “Become who you are by learning who you are.” What he meant is the following: You are born with a particular makeup and tendencies that mark you as a piece of fate. It is who you are to the core. Some people never become who they are; they…” quote by Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/robert-greene-498_ancient-greek_some-2-600-years-ago-the-ancient-greek-p_2897206.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/robert-greene-498_ancient-greek_some-2-600-years-ago-the-ancient-greek-p_2897206.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4f/robert-greene-498_ancient-greek_some-2-600-years-ago-the-ancient-greek-p_2897206.jpg) > ““Some 2,600 years ago the ancient Greek poet Pindar wrote, “Become who you are by learning who you are.” What he meant is the following: You are born with a particular makeup and tendencies that mark you as a piece of fate. It is who you are to the core. Some people never become who they are; they stop trusting in themselves; they conform to the tastes of others, and they end up wearing a mask that hides their true nature. If you allow yourself to learn who you really are by paying attention to that voice and force within you, then you can become what you were fated to become—an individual, a Master.”” [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates self‑knowledge as destiny; knowing innate traits enables authentic fulfillment and mastery. **In simple terms:** Know yourself to fulfill destiny. Key Takeaway Discover your true self. Themes self‑knowledge authenticity destiny Mood reflective philosophical Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - career choice - relationship building - creative expression Key Concepts identity personal development Questions to Reflect On - How do you discover your core self? - What masks are you wearing? A Different Perspective Self‑knowledge can be elusive or painful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancient greek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-greek/) [Fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fate/) [Fate Core](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fate-core-4100606/) [Fated Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fated-individual-1778488/) [Following Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/following-born-4100607/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Paying Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paying-attention/) [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Piece Fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piece-fate-4100608/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [True nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-nature/) [Wearing a mask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wearing-a-mask/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/) ## Related quotes > [“If you allow yourself to learn who you really are by paying attention to that voice and force within you, then you can become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/if-you-allow-yourself-to-learn-who-you-really-are-by-paying-attention-2/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [“If you allow yourself to learn who you really are by paying attention to that voice and force within you, then you can become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/if-you-allow-yourself-to-learn-who-you-really-are-by-paying-attention/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [Actually learning ancient Greek was a brilliant practice of mine because you'd sit there and you'd read a sentence and sometimes it would take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/actually-learning-ancient-greek-was-a-brilliant-practice-of-mine/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [I find if you can look in the mirror and see something other than the face you see every day, it can free you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stuhlbarg/i-find-if-you-can-look-in-the-mirror-and-see-something-other-than-the/) [Michael Stuhlbarg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stuhlbarg/) > [He often felt that too many people lived their lives acting and pretending,wearing masks and losing themselves in the process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/he-often-felt-that-too-many-people-lived-their-lives-acting-and/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [People ask what the advantages are of wearing a mask, and the first thing, of course, is the mystery - people don't know exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kane/people-ask-what-the-advantages-are-of-wearing-a-mask-and-the-first/) [Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kane/) > [I'm a very positive person, but this whole concept of having to always be nice, always smiling, always happy, that's not real. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-keys/i-m-a-very-positive-person-but-this-whole-concept-of-having-to-always/) [Alicia Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-keys/) > [Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/give-him-a-mask-and-he-will-tell-you-the-truth/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“Their conversation ceased abruptly with the entry of an oddly-shaped man whose body resembled a certain vegetable. He was a thickset fellow with calloused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-phillips/their-conversation-ceased-abruptly-with-the-entry-of-an-oddly-shaped/) [Jeff Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-phillips/) > [“Even when in the deepest distress, the actor ultimately cannot cease to think of the impression he and the whole scenic effect is making,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/even-when-in-the-deepest-distress-the-actor-ultimately-cannot-cease/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Evil is a faceless stranger, living in a distant neighborhood. Evil has a wholesome, hometown face, with merry eyes and an open smile. Evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/evil-is-a-faceless-stranger-living-in-a-distant-neighborhood-evil-has/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“All her memories have a fragile nature to them. She needed it to be that way to fool herself and everyone else in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-gong/all-her-memories-have-a-fragile-nature-to-them-she-needed-it-to-be/) [Chloe Gong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-gong/) > [I hope I can make some Hollywood-type action films like 'Batman' or 'Spiderman', action films like that. With some wire work, maybe wearing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/i-hope-i-can-make-some-hollywood-type-action-films-like-batman-or/) [Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/) > [“The biggest mistake people make when trying to be authentic is just that: they try. They see these role models of what an "authentic"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vironika-tugaleva/the-biggest-mistake-people-make-when-trying-to-be-authentic-is-just/) [Vironika Tugaleva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vironika-tugaleva/) > [I had to get used to wearing a mask and wearing a prosthetic and performing with those things while singing and expressing myself through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-butler/i-had-to-get-used-to-wearing-a-mask-and-wearing-a-prosthetic-and/) [Gerard Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-butler/) ## More by Robert Greene > [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. Actors get stage fright, but they wouldn't be on the stage in the first place if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-whole-concept-of-stage-fright-is-fascinating-actors-get-stage/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [I'm afraid I'm just too intense to have soft ideas, you know, about what to read when you're trying to pass the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/i-m-afraid-i-m-just-too-intense-to-have-soft-ideas-you-know-about/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [You are facing death and danger and competition, but at any moment, you can decide to have a fearless mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/you-are-facing-death-and-danger-and-competition-but-at-any-moment-you/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [Let me spell it out: with the psychotic boss, nothing you do is ever quite right. They set traps, asking you to do things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/let-me-spell-it-out-with-the-psychotic-boss-nothing-you-do-is-ever/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [Evil or manipulative people don't need a book, they just do it anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/evil-or-manipulative-people-don-t-need-a-book-they-just-do-it-anyway/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [Everybody knows what they were kind of drawn towards or what they're gifted at and it's more of courage and looking at yourself and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/everybody-knows-what-they-were-kind-of-drawn-towards-or-what-they-re/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [Remember: your bosses prefer to keep you in dependent positions. It is in their interest that you do not become self-reliant, and so they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/remember-your-bosses-prefer-to-keep-you-in-dependent-positions-it-is/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [I want to be able to write, that's my first love and I don't want to deviate from it even though I probably could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/i-want-to-be-able-to-write-that-s-my-first-love-and-i-don-t-want-to/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [It's sometimes hard to talk about politics and art. Obviously, I have my core beliefs, but I think art is best when it's troublesome…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/it-s-sometimes-hard-to-talk-about-politics-and-art-obviously-i-have/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [If you change and adapt your persona, you are seen as inauthentic; if you stay the angry young man, you fade from attention or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/if-you-change-and-adapt-your-persona-you-are-seen-as-inauthentic-if/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [Your energy, your spirit are important considerations. Feeling petty and frustrated can have reverberating consequences for your ability to think strategically and reach your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/your-energy-your-spirit-are-important-considerations-feeling-petty/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [Fear creates its own self-fulfilling dynamic- as people give into it, they lose energy and momentum. Their lack of confidence translates into inaction that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/fear-creates-its-own-self-fulfilling-dynamic-as-people-give-into-it/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [What I like about the internet, what I see there is that its much more democratic. I have much more control, and if what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/what-i-like-about-the-internet-what-i-see-there-is-that-its-much-more/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [“It is hard for us to imagine now, but our earliest human ancestors who ventured out onto the grasslands of East Africa some six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/it-is-hard-for-us-to-imagine-now-but-our-earliest-human-ancestors-who/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [“Let us call this quality the Original Mind. This mind looked at the world more directly—not through words and received ideas. It was flexible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/let-us-call-this-quality-the-original-mind-this-mind-looked-at-the/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) [Explore all 511 Robert Greene quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) ## More Ancient greek quotes > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [In all of Western civilization, there have been societies that celebrating the homosexuality, the ancient Greeks. But they, in fact, protected the institution of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-blackwell/in-all-of-western-civilization-there-have-been-societies-that/) [Ken Blackwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-blackwell/) > [The ancient Greek philosophers were all natural-born dialecticians and Aristotle, the most encyclopaedic intellect among them, had even already analysed the most essential forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-engels/the-ancient-greek-philosophers-were-all-natural-born-dialecticians/) [Friedrich Engels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-engels/) > [“Greek women were not allowed to be: free and untamed. In fact, Artemis is a bit of a paradox. On the one hand, her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/greek-women-were-not-allowed-to-be-free-and-untamed-in-fact-artemis/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [The ancient Greek oral poets all had this anxiety about the deficiencies of their memories and always began poems by praying to the Muse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-antin/the-ancient-greek-oral-poets-all-had-this-anxiety-about-the/) [David Antin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-antin/) > [“We will have have the dead at our councils. The ancient Greeks voted by stones; these shall vote by tombstones. It is all quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/we-will-have-have-the-dead-at-our-councils-the-ancient-greeks-voted/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [Again, if there are really no fairies, why do people believe in them, all over the world? The ancient Greeks believed, so did the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/again-if-there-are-really-no-fairies-why-do-people-believe-in-them/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [I believe in logic, the sequence of cause and effect, and in science its only begotten son our law, which was conceived by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-believe-in-logic-the-sequence-of-cause-and-effect-and-in-science/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain wisdom. ‘All men make mistakes,’ said the ancient Greek Sophocles. ‘But a good man yields…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-follett/tragedy-is-a-tool-for-the-living-to-gain-wisdom-all-men-make-mistakes/) [Ken Follett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-follett/) > [The ancient Greek definition of happiness was the full use of your powers along lines of excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/the-ancient-greek-definition-of-happiness-was-the-full-use-of-your/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [In some ways, Lotus Eaters is a journey disguised as a party film; there's a circus in the movie, and there are parties, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-mcguinness/in-some-ways-lotus-eaters-is-a-journey-disguised-as-a-party-film/) [Alexandra McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-mcguinness/) > [“Modern architects and engineers are still trying to understand how the ancient Greeks were able to build the Parthenon in ten years when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dunn/modern-architects-and-engineers-are-still-trying-to-understand-how/) [Christopher Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dunn/) > [Nobody can say a word against Greek: it stamps a man at once as an educated gentlemen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/nobody-can-say-a-word-against-greek-it-stamps-a-man-at-once-as-an/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“After he cut off their genitals, Chronos threw them into the sea, where they floated in a "white foam." 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