Socrates

Hello, my friend. My name is Socrates. A very long time ago, around the year 400 BC, I lived in a warm, sunny place called Athens. It was a beautiful city with bright white buildings that touched the big blue sky. My favorite place was the busy marketplace, called the Agora. It was a big, open square where people came to buy yummy figs and olives. I loved to walk there with no shoes on my feet. I could feel the warm stones under my toes. It made me happy. I wasn't a king with a shiny crown. I wasn't a brave soldier with a big shield. I was just a person who loved to look at the world, watch the people, and think big thoughts.

Do you know what my favorite thing to do was? It was asking questions. I was like a little child who always asks, “Why? Why is the sky blue? Why do birds sing?” I thought asking questions was the best game in the world. I would walk up to my friends in the sunny marketplace and say, “Hello. Can I ask you something?” Then I would ask a big, fun question. I would ask, “What makes someone a good friend? Is it sharing your toys?” or “What does it mean to be brave? Is it being strong like a lion?” I didn't ask to be silly. I asked because I wanted to learn. When we ask questions together, we can find amazing answers. It helps our minds grow big and strong, just like eating healthy food helps our bodies grow.

I never wrote my questions or ideas in a book. I didn't have any paper or pencils. But I had wonderful friends. One of my best friends was a young man named Plato. He listened with his ears wide open and remembered all the things we talked about. He kept our big ideas safe. I grew very old and then I was gone, but my ideas kept traveling. Asking questions is the best adventure. It helps us learn about our amazing world and all the kind people in it. So always be curious, and never stop asking questions.