Quotes & anectdotes from the wise, the foolish, the courageous & the drunk

Aristotle Philosopher

  • Gender: Male
  • Citizenship: Greece
  • Born: Jan 1, 0000
  • Died: Jan 1, 0000

Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and scientist born in the Macedonian city of Stagirus, in 384 BCE. His father, Nicomachus, died when Aristotle was a child, whereafter Proxenus of Atarneus became his guardian. At eighteen, he joined Plato's Academy in Athens and remained there until the age of thirty-seven. His writings cover many subjects – including physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, theater, music, rhetoric, linguistics, politics and government – and constitute the first comprehensive system of Western philosophy. Shortly after Plato died, Aristotle left Athens and, at the request of Philip of Macedon, tutored Alexander the Great between 356 and 323 BCE. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, "Aristotle was the first genuine scientist in history ... [and] every scientist is in his debt."

Teaching Alexander the Great gave Aristotle many opportunities and an abundance of supplies. He established a library in the Lyceum which aided in the production of many of his hundreds of books.

I have gained this from philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the law. fear

Happiness depends upon ourselves. happiness

For though we love both the truth and our friends, piety requires us to honor the truth first. love & truth

It is unbecoming for young men to utter maxims. men

The best friend is the man who in wishing me well wishes it for my sake. best

In a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme. power

Friendship is essentially a partnership. friendship

Poetry is finer and more philosophical than history for poetry expresses the universal, and history only the particular. history & poetry

A great city is not to be confounded with a populous one. greatness

Bashfulness is an ornament to youth, but a reproach to old age. aging

Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work. work

The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. art

What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do. power

Change in all things is sweet. change

At his best, man is the noblest of all animals separated from law and justice he is the worst. best

Politicians also have no leisure, because they are always aiming at something beyond political life itself, power and glory, or happiness. happiness, life, politics & power

If one way be better than another, that you may be sure is nature's way. nature

He who hath many friends hath none. friendship

The least initial deviation from the truth is multiplied later a thousandfold. truth

Men are swayed more by fear than by reverence. fear & men

Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity. education

Youth is easily deceived because it is quick to hope. hope

We make war that we may live in peace. peace & war

Good habits formed at youth make all the difference. being good

For one swallow does not make a summer, nor does one day and so too one day, or a short time, does not make a man blessed and happy. time

Education is the best provision for old age. aging, best & education

Mothers are fonder than fathers of their children because they are more certain they are their own. motherhood

The one exclusive sign of thorough knowledge is the power of teaching. knowledge, power & teacher

Wit is educated insolence. intelligence

Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit. friendship & work

Personal beauty is a greater recommendation than any letter of reference. beauty & beauty

Thou wilt find rest from vain fancies if thou doest every act in life as though it were thy last. life

The state comes into existence for the sake of life and continues to exist for the sake of good life. being good & life

A friend to all is a friend to none. friendship

What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies. friendship

Man is by nature a political animal. nature

Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies. friendship

For as the eyes of bats are to the blaze of day, so is the reason in our soul to the things which are by nature most evident of all. nature

He who can be, and therefore is, another's, and he who participates in reason enough to apprehend, but not to have, is a slave by nature. nature

Courage is a mean with regard to fear and confidence. courage & fear

It is best to rise from life as from a banquet, neither thirsty nor drunken. best & life

Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting in a particular way. men

Homer has taught all other poets the art of telling lies skillfully. art

Bad men are full of repentance. men

Plato is dear to me, but dearer still is truth. truth

Hope is the dream of a waking man. hope

There is no great genius without a mixture of madness. greatness & intelligence

Men create gods after their own image, not only with regard to their form but with regard to their mode of life. life & men

The secret to humor is surprise. humor

Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility but through greatness of mind. greatness

You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor. courage

Hope is a waking dream. hope & inspirational

Quality is not an act, it is a habit. motivation

All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire. nature

It is Homer who has chiefly taught other poets the art of telling lies skillfully. art

He who is to be a good ruler must have first been ruled. being good

The virtue of justice consists in moderation, as regulated by wisdom. wisdom

He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god. God & society

My best friend is the man who in wishing me well wishes it for my sake. best & friendship

Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god. God & God

Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil. fear

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. education

Those who excel in virtue have the best right of all to rebel, but then they are of all men the least inclined to do so. best & men

The energy of the mind is the essence of life. life

All men by nature desire knowledge. knowledge, men & nature

Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others. courage

The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. education

Therefore, the good of man must be the end of the science of politics. being good, politics & science

Piety requires us to honor truth above our friends. truth

Nature does nothing in vain. nature

Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. love

The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances. best & life

The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival. life & power

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. nature

Democracy is when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers. men & politics

Mother's Day May 12, 2025

Motherhood: All love begins and ends there. 22 other quotes from Robert Browning

22 other quotes from Robert Browning

A mother's happiness is like a beacon, lighting up the future but reflected also on the past in the guise of fond memories. 53 quotes from Honore de Balzac

53 quotes from Honore de Balzac

With what price we pay for the glory of motherhood. 5 views from Isadora Duncan

5 views from Isadora Duncan

The babe at first feeds upon the mother's bosom, but it is always on her heart. 58 thoughts from Henry Ward Beecher

58 thoughts from Henry Ward Beecher