History Memes

Explanation: Socrates, who did not write down any of his teachings, was renowned for his style of philosophical dialogue and his profession that he knew nothing. In the words of one of his students, Plato, Socrates was a proud 'gadfly', one who stings and annoys others - but only in the interest of making them see exactly what stings and annoys them. Pointing out injustice or inconsistency may be frustrating to the recipient, but ultimately it is with an eye to making the listener realize that it is, in fact, unjust or inconsistent.

This was not always well-received, and certainly rubbed some people the wrong way. After the revived democratic government of Athens had restored power from the rule of a Spartan-installed oligarchy (which Socrates did not support, though some of his students did), Socrates' continued attacks on the established orthodoxy (including religious norms) of the democratic Athenian state proved unpopular enough to get him condemned to death by Athenian jurors after a trial. He chose to go out by drinking hemlock.