Tag Archives: Aristotle

The whole is more than the sum of its parts

Posted on 17 March 2016 by philosiblog

The whole is more than the sum of its parts – Aristotle What does that mean? Also translated as “The whole is greater than the part,” this quote is about how much better things are together than as pieces. The … Continue reading →

Posted in communication, contribution, friendship, help, learning, potential | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Anybody can become angry. But to be angry… at the right time and for the right purpose is not within everybody’s power.

Posted on 7 August 2013 by philosiblog

Anybody can become angry. But to be angry… at the right time and for the right purpose is not within everybody’s power. – Aristotle What does that mean? This is a popular quote, but shortened for twitter. The longer version is: … Continue reading →

Posted in anger, calm, compassion, relaxation, time, understanding | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

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

Posted on 7 May 2013 by philosiblog

You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor. – Aristotle What does that mean? While the word ‘anything’ is an absolute, and I try to avoid absolutes … Continue reading →

Posted in action, courage, fear, knowledge, perseverance, understanding | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.

Posted on 2 January 2013 by philosiblog

Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work. – Aristotle What does that mean? When you are enjoying what you are doing, you tend to do a little better work than when you don’t. Perhaps you work a little longer, pay … Continue reading →

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Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.

Posted on 29 October 2012 by philosiblog

Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. – Aristotle What does that mean? This is another neat quote, being based on mythology written about by Aristotle’s mentor, Plato (in his work, Symposium). The story goes that humans … Continue reading →

Posted in communication, hope, love, respect, sharing, understanding | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

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

Posted on 7 August 2012 by philosiblog

For though we love both the truth and our friends, piety requires us to honor the truth first. – Aristotle What does that mean? For the sake of this quote, we will use an alternate (and older) definition for piety, which normally … Continue reading →

Posted in character, friendship, honest, integrity, love, truth | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

No one loves the man whom he fears.

Posted on 18 July 2012 by philosiblog

No one loves the man whom he fears. – Aristotle What does that mean? This quote goes way back in time. While this could apply to twisted love relationships, it can also apply to loyalty relationships, as well as leadership … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, dignity, emotion, fear, inspire, love, self-image | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

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

Posted on 7 March 2012 by philosiblog

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. – Aristotle What does that mean? I’m not sure ‘educated’ is the word I would use (it might be an artifact of the … Continue reading →

Posted in belief, contemplation, judgement, question, skepticism, thinking | Tagged , , , , | 25 Comments

The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal

Posted on 11 January 2012 by philosiblog

The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal. – Aristotle What does that mean? For those who never had two or more dogs, this might not make much sense. But if you ever had more … Continue reading →

Posted in beauty, effort, friendship, ideals, integrity, sympathy | Tagged , , , , | 23 Comments

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

Posted on 4 January 2012 by philosiblog

It is best to rise from life as from a banquet, neither thirsty nor drunken. – Aristotle What does that mean? If I had been thinking, this would have been posted on the 31st of December, where it would have … Continue reading →

Posted in freedom, governance, individuality, judgement, limits, perspective | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.

Posted on 7 September 2011 by philosiblog

I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self. ~ Aristotle What does that mean? To me, this is talking about the eternal internal struggle of humanity. We … Continue reading →

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The high-minded man must care more…

Posted on 23 June 2011 by philosiblog

The high-minded man must care more for the truth than for what people think. – Aristotle What does that mean? Once again, we have a translation from ancient Greek that I believe needs a little more help in the translation. At … Continue reading →

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Suffering becomes beautiful when…

Posted on 14 May 2011 by philosiblog

Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility but through greatness of mind.  – Aristotle What does that mean? Once again, we have a translation from Ancient Greek.  Just what are the flavors of calamity … Continue reading →

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The greatest virtues are those which are most useful to other persons.

Posted on 5 May 2011 by philosiblog

The greatest virtues are those which are most useful to other persons. – Aristotle What does that mean? Let’s start with the definition of Virtue in the context of this saying.   At thefreedictionary.com, virtue is defined as “Moral excellence … Continue reading →

Posted in friendship, honest, integrity, personal growth, strategy, tactics, virtue | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Good habits formed at youth make all the difference.

Posted on 25 April 2011 by philosiblog

Good habits formed at youth make all the difference. – Aristotle What does that mean? Like anything that travels, setting a proper course at the beginning is critical.  If the airplane you are in is off course by 30 degrees, … Continue reading →

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