Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.
AristotleRead
Neither by nature, then, nor contrary to nature do the virtues arise in us; rather we are adapted by nature to receive them, and are made perfect by habit.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Virtues are not innate nor imposed from outside; they develop through our natural capacity and habitual practice.
In this quote, Aristotle emphasizes that virtues are not inherent traits nor artificially instilled in us; instead, they emerge from our natural predisposition and are refined through consistent practice and habit. This understanding asserts that while we may have the potential to embody virtues, it is our daily actions and habits that shape and perfect these qualities over time.
Themes
VirtueNatureHabitPracticeCharacter
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about personal development, one might state: 'Remember, virtues are cultivated through your daily habits, as Aristotle taught us.'
More from Aristotle
All quotes βThose who cannot bravely face danger are the slaves of their attackers.
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For often, when one is asleep, there is something in consciousness which declares that what then presents itself is but a dream.
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You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.
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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.
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The whole is more than the sum of its parts.
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Seemingly, man has learned to live without God, preoccupied and indifferent toward Him and concerned only about material security and pleasure.
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He began to search among the infinite series of impressions which time had laid down, leaf upon leaf, fold upon fold softly, incessantly upon his brain; among scents, sounds; voices, harsh, hollow, sweet; and lights passing, and brooms tapping; and the wash and hush of the sea.
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Whether it was power they sought, or revenge, or love-well, those were all just different forms of hunger. The bigger the hole inside you, the more desperate you became to fill it.
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