Aristotle Quotes

Powerful Aristotle for Daily Growth

About Aristotle

Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC), a prolific Greek philosopher and polymath, was born in Stagira, a small city in northern Greece. He is considered one of the most influential figures in Western philosophy and science, often referred to as the "Father of Western Philosophy." Aristotle's education began under the tutelage of Plato at age 17 in Athens. However, their intellectual relationship was short-lived due to a dispute over Plato's refusal to acknowledge Aristotle's Athenian citizenship. After leaving Plato's Academy, Aristotle established his own school called the Lyceum in the same city. Aristotle's works span various fields such as physics, metaphysics, ethics, logic, biology, politics, and aesthetics. His major contributions include: 1. "Metaphysics": A collection of 13 books where Aristotle discusses topics like substance, accident, potentiality, actuality, cause, and unity. 2. "Nicomachean Ethics": A treatise on ethics that provides an in-depth exploration into the nature of virtue and happiness. 3. "Physics": A comprehensive work discussing principles of physics, including motion, space, time, causation, generation, and destruction. 4. "Poetics": An analysis of poetry and dramatic arts, focusing on their origins, purpose, and structure. 5. "Politics": An examination of the best form of government and how to achieve a just society. Aristotle's works were heavily influenced by his teacher Plato but also differed significantly in some aspects. He rejected Plato's theory of forms and emphasized empirical observation and deductive reasoning. Aristotle's teachings profoundly impacted Western thought, shaping not only philosophy but also theology, politics, and science.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom."

Aristotle's quote, "Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom," emphasizes self-awareness as a foundational aspect of wisdom. It suggests that understanding oneself is crucial for making informed decisions, navigating life effectively, and ultimately achieving personal growth and fulfillment. By gaining insights into one's strengths, weaknesses, values, motivations, and emotions, one can make wise choices and lead a more satisfying life.


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

Aristotle's quote, "The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet," suggests that learning, especially at its foundational stages, can be difficult or challenging. However, the long-term benefits and rewards of knowledge and wisdom outweigh these initial struggles, making the ultimate outcome (or 'fruit') worthwhile and enjoyable. In essence, he encourages perseverance in the pursuit of education for personal growth and fulfillment.


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

Aristotle's quote emphasizes that our consistent actions define our character and personality more than any singular action does. In other words, it is the sum of daily habits that shape us into who we are, not just exceptional moments or achievements. Therefore, cultivating good habits leads to developing excellence over time.


"Happiness depends upon ourselves."

Aristotle's quote, "Happiness depends upon ourselves," suggests that individual happiness is not dictated by external circumstances but is a result of personal choices, actions, and virtues. It underscores the importance of self-improvement, character development, and self-determination in achieving true contentment and joy in life. In other words, we have the power to shape our own happiness through our thoughts, actions, and the values we uphold.


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

Aristotle's quote emphasizes the awe-inspiring aspect of nature, suggesting that everything within it possesses an element of wonder. It encourages us to appreciate the beauty and complexity found in natural phenomena, as well as to recognize the mysteries and wonders that are still waiting to be discovered through scientific exploration and understanding.


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

- Aristotle

Roots, Fruit, Sweet, Education

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

- Aristotle

Mind, Educated, Entertain, Education

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

- Aristotle

Inequality, Equal, Form, Equality

Anybody can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy.

- Aristotle

Anger, Purpose, Everybody, Person

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

- Aristotle

Most, Which, Persons, Virtues

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.

- Aristotle

Happy, One Day, Swallow, Short Time

Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion. This is not a function of any other art.

- Aristotle

Other, Given, Means, Available

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.

- Aristotle

Inspirational, Moments, See, Focus

In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge. The young they keep out of mischief; to the old they are a comfort and aid in their weakness, and those in the prime of life they incite to noble deeds.

- Aristotle

Young, Other, Misfortunes, Deeds

It is clearly better that property should be private, but the use of it common; and the special business of the legislator is to create in men this benevolent disposition.

- Aristotle

Business, Private, Use, Disposition

The eyes of some persons are large, others small, and others of a moderate size; the last-mentioned are the best. And some eyes are projecting, some deep-set, and some moderate, and those which are deep-set have the most acute vision in all animals; the middle position is a sign of the best disposition.

- Aristotle

Small, Some, Which, Disposition

What the statesman is most anxious to produce is a certain moral character in his fellow citizens, namely a disposition to virtue and the performance of virtuous actions.

- Aristotle

Produce, Statesman, Namely, Disposition

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

- Aristotle

Politics, Men, Rulers, Property

Different men seek after happiness in different ways and by different means, and so make for themselves different modes of life and forms of government.

- Aristotle

Seek, Means, Different Ways, Modes

But if nothing but soul, or in soul mind, is qualified to count, it is impossible for there to be time unless there is soul, but only that of which time is an attribute, i.e. if change can exist without soul.

- Aristotle

Soul, Mind, Which, Qualified

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

- Aristotle

Victory, Over, Desires, Overcomes

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.

- Aristotle

Best, Least, Inclined, Rebel

Man is by nature a political animal.

- Aristotle

Nature, Politics, Political, Animal

Man is the only animal capable of reasoning, though many others possess the faculty of memory and instruction in common with him.

- Aristotle

Memory, Reasoning, Though, Animal

Some animals are cunning and evil-disposed, as the fox; others, as the dog, are fierce, friendly, and fawning. Some are gentle and easily tamed, as the elephant; some are susceptible of shame, and watchful, as the goose. Some are jealous and fond of ornament, as the peacock.

- Aristotle

Shame, Cunning, Some, Goose

In constructing the plot and working it out with the proper diction, the poet should place the scene, as far as possible, before his eyes. In this way, seeing everything with the utmost vividness, as if he were a spectator of the action, he will discover what is in keeping with it, and be most unlikely to overlook inconsistencies.

- Aristotle

Eyes, Before, Proper, Unlikely

No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness.

- Aristotle

Soul, Madness, Excellent, Mixture

Long-lived persons have one or two lines which extend through the whole hand; short-lived persons have two lines not extending through the whole hand.

- Aristotle

Through, Short-Lived, Which, One Or Two

In making a speech one must study three points: first, the means of producing persuasion; second, the language; third the proper arrangement of the various parts of the speech.

- Aristotle

Study, Making, Means, Points

Some kinds of animals burrow in the ground; others do not. Some animals are nocturnal, as the owl and the bat; others use the hours of daylight. There are tame animals and wild animals. Man and the mule are always tame; the leopard and the wolf are invariably wild, and others, as the elephant, are easily tamed.

- Aristotle

Owl, Some, Nocturnal, Bat

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

- Aristotle

Art, Other, Telling, Chiefly

If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost.

- Aristotle

Equality, Thought, Some, Chiefly

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

- Aristotle

Art, Appearance, Inward, Significance

The true and the approximately true are apprehended by the same faculty; it may also be noted that men have a sufficient natural instinct for what is true, and usually do arrive at the truth. Hence the man who makes a good guess at truth is likely to make a good guess at probabilities.

- Aristotle

Good, Instinct, Faculty, Noted

A statement is persuasive and credible either because it is directly self-evident or because it appears to be proved from other statements that are so.

- Aristotle

Other, Credible, Persuasive, Directly

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