Gorgias, 485e

And this is true, as you may ascertain, if you will
leave philosophy and go on to higher things: for philosophy, Socrates,
if pursued in moderation and at the proper age, is an elegant accomplishment,
but too much philosophy is the ruin of human life. Even if a man has
good parts, still, if he carries philosophy into later life, he is
necessarily ignorant of all those things which a gentleman and a person
of honour ought to know; he is inexperienced in the laws of the State,
and in the language which ought to be used in the dealings of man
with man, whether private or public, and utterly ignorant of the pleasures
and desires of mankind and of human character in general. And people
of this sort, when they betake themselves to politics or business,
are as ridiculous as I imagine the politicians to be, when they make
their appearance in the arena of philosophy. For, as Euripides says,

Every man shines in that and pursues that, and devotes the greatest
portion of the day to that in which he most excels, but anything in
which he is inferior, he avoids and depreciates, and praises the opposite
partiality to himself, and because he from that he will thus praise
himself. The true principle is to unite them. Philosophy, as a part
of education, is an excellent thing, and there is no disgrace to a
man while he is young in pursuing such a study; but when he is more
advanced in years, the thing becomes ridiculous, and I feel towards
philosophers as I do towards those who lisp and imitate children.
For I love to see a little child, who is not of an age to speak plainly,
lisping at his play; there is an appearance of grace and freedom in
his utterance, which is natural to his childish years. But when I
hear some small creature carefully articulating its words, I am offended;
the sound is disagreeable, and has to my ears the twang of slavery.
So when I hear a man lisping, or see him playing like a child, his
behaviour appears to me ridiculous and unmanly and worthy of stripes.
And I have the same feeling about students of philosophy; when I see
a youth thus engaged-the study appears to me to be in character, and
becoming a man of liberal education, and him who neglects philosophy
I regard as an inferior man, who will never aspire to anything great
or noble. But if I see him continuing the study in later life, and
not leaving off, I should like to beat him, Socrates; for, as I was
saying, such a one, even though he have good natural parts, becomes
effeminate. He flies from the busy centre and the market-place, in
which, as the poet says, men become distinguished; he creeps into
a corner for the rest of his life, and talks in a whisper with three
or four admiring you, but never speaks out like a freeman in a satisfactory
manner. Now I, Socrates, am very well inclined towards you, and my
feeling may be compared with that of Zethus towards Amphion, in the
play of Euripides, whom I was mentioning just now: for I am disposed
to say to you much what Zethus said to his brother, that you, Socrates,
are careless about the things of which you ought to be careful; and
that you

Who have a soul so noble, are remarkable for a puerile exterior;

Neither in a court of justice could you state a case, or give any

reason or proof, offer valiant counsel on another's behalf. And you
must not be offended, my dear Socrates, for I am speaking out of good-will
towards you, if I ask whether you are not ashamed of being thus defenceless;
which I affirm to be the condition not of you only but of all those
who will carry the study of philosophy too far. For suppose that some
one were to take you, or any one of your sort, off to prison, declaring
that you had done wrong when you had done no wrong, you must allow
that you would not know what to do:-there you would stand giddy and
gaping, and not having a word to say; and when you went up before
the Court, even if the accuser were a poor creature and not good for
much, you would die if he were disposed to claim the penalty of death.
And yet, Socrates, what is the value of

An art which converts a man of sense into a fool, who is helpless,
and has no power to save either himself or others, when he is in the
greatest danger and is going to be despoiled by his enemies of all
his goods, and has to live, simply deprived of his rights of citizenship?-he
being a man who, if I may use the expression, may be boxed on the
ears with impunity. Then, my good friend, take my advice, and refute
no more:

Learn the philosophy of business, and acquire the reputation

of wisdom.
But leave to others these niceties, whether they are to be described
as follies or absurdities:

For they will only
Give you poverty for the inmate of your dwelling.

Cease, then, emulating these paltry splitters of words, and emulate
only the man of substance and honour, who is well to do.