Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and mathematician , one of the most important in history, who lived between 384 BC and 322 BC. His ideas have inspired many for over 2000 years, and his thinking is still alive today.

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Aristotle’s Best Quotes

During his lifetime, Aristotle uttered many famous phrases that have remained in memory and history.

In this article you can find a compilation of some of his great quotes.

1. Intelligence consists not only of knowledge, but also of the ability to apply knowledge in practice

Knowledge is important, but if we do not put it into practice we will not manage to master it.

2. I consider more courageous the one who conquers his desires than the one who conquers his enemies, since the hardest victory is the victory over oneself

Achieving what one wants is not always easy, one has to fight against the world and against oneself.

3. They desire the good for each other in the same way

A sentence that invites the reader to free reflection.

4. There is only happiness where there is virtue and serious effort, for life is not a game

If we strive and achieve something we want, then we will find happiness

5. A faithful friend is a soul in two bodies

Authentic friendship is a divine gift

6. You don’t know what you know until you can teach someone else

If we don’t master something, it’s impossible for us to teach it to anyone else.

7. It is not enough to tell only the truth, but it is better to show the cause of the falsehood

Proving the lie may be necessary for them to believe us.

8. Hope is a waking man’s dream

Hope motivates us to keep going. To be on the move in spite of the difficulties.

9. True happiness consists in doing good

If we’re not honest and upright, we’ll hardly be happy.

10. Friendship is a soul that lives in two bodies; a heart that lives in two souls.

A nice word game about friendship and love between friends.

11. The friend is another me. Without friendship a man cannot be happy

Friendship is one of the sources of happiness. A true friend is an extension of ourselves.

12. What is acquired with much work, is loved more

The effort makes us value things when we have them.

13. It is important for those who wish to achieve certainty in their research to know how to doubt in time

Doubt can make us reflect and grow.

14. The punishment of the liar is not to be believed, even if he tells the truth

An ironic phrase about liars and their punishment.

15. Perfect friendship is that of the good and of those who are similar in virtue

Another quote from Aristotle about friendship and how perfection in relationship is based on honesty.

16. It is thought that what is just is the same, and so it is; but not for all, but for the same. It is thought, on the contrary, that what is just is what is unequal, and so it is; but not for all, but for the unequal.

We decide what is good or bad by consensus, but also by interest.

17. Some believe that to be friends it is enough to want, as if to be healthy it is enough to want health

Friendship has to be worked on, not just loved.

18. The ignorant assert, the wise doubt and reflect

Wisdom is found in reflection and in questioning things.

19. Lonely man is a beast or a god

A quote from Aristotle referring to loneliness.

20. You never reach the full truth, nor are you ever totally removed from it

Truths are relative, as Aristotle says.

21. Anyone can get angry, that’s a simple thing. But getting angry at the right person, in the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way, that’s certainly not so easy

We all get angry, and expressing it incorrectly can get us into trouble.

22. Everyone’s Friend is Not a Friend

A friend is not the same as a person who is nice to everyone.

23. It is ignorance not knowing how to distinguish between what needs demonstration and what does not

Some things don’t need to be explained. An act is worth a thousand words.

24. The purpose of art is to give body to the secret essence of things, not to copy their appearance

Art is creativity, not plagiarism.

25. It is an indisputable principle that to know how to command well, one must know how to obey

When one has lived it in one’s own flesh, then one can do something with knowledge.

26. Wisdom is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity

Wisdom helps us to act in difficult times.

27. The soul is what we live, feel, and think about

What we carry in our soul is our motivation, our engine to move.

28. You cannot be and not be something at the same time and under the same aspect

A phrase that speaks of hypocrisy.

29. Time is the measure of movement between two moments

Aristotle, reflecting on what time is.

30. In reality, living as a man means choosing a target-honor, glory, wealth, culture-and aiming at it with all one’s behavior, for not ordering one’s life to an end is a sign of great foolishness

People are moved by objectives and that’s why we fight for them.

31. A state is better governed by a good man than by good laws

An honest leader is more than just good laws.

32. In adversities virtue comes to light

It is in the difficult moments when we find ourselves again.

33. The story tells what happened; the poetry tells what should happen

A nice reflection on what poetry is.

34. Those who do well are the only ones who can aspire to happiness in life

If we do things wrong, sooner or later we’ll pay for it.

35. The wise man does not say everything he thinks, but always thinks everything he says

Wise people know that sometimes you have to shut up about things.

36. Love is only between virtuous people

Love is born within pure hearts.

37. The only truth is reality

Everything that cannot be proven can be falsified.

38. Miserly is he who does not spend what he owes, or when he owes

A play on words that is about greed.

39. Man can learn nothing except by virtue of what he already knows

Aristotle, philosophizing about people’s learning.

40. You cannot untie a knot without knowing how it is made

We can’t solve problems without thinking about how to do it.

41. Just as the eyes of bats are blinded by the light of day, so the intelligence of our soul is blinded by the things that are evident

A thought that allows us to reflect deeply.

42. Learning is not child’s play; we cannot learn without pain

The best learning experiences are those that have caused us suffering.

43. One wants more that which has been achieved with many efforts

Even if it’s hard for us at the moment, we’ll appreciate it in the long run.

44. Great knowledge begets great doubt

Existential doubts are those that make us reflect deeply and, at the same time, grow.

45. The dialectics and the sophists, in their disquisitions, take on the appearance of philosophers

For Aristotle, sophist is the one who uses sophism to reason.

46. There is only one driving force: desire

Desire makes us move and move on. It’s our motivation.

47. Man is, by nature, a political animal

People have always had political concerns.

48. To know is to remember

If we don’t remember something, it’s like we don’t know.

49. Tyrants surround themselves with evil men because they like to be flattered, and no man of high spirit will flatter them

Only the bad guys are gonna want to be with the bad guys.

50. Virtue is an acquired voluntary disposition, consisting of a middle ground between two bad extremes, one by excess and the other by default

Aristotle, with his reflection, reminds us what virtue is

51. Philosophy must be a special knowledge of the first principles and the first causes

Aristotle is undoubtedly one of the most famous philosophers in history.

52. He who possesses the most exact notions about the causes of things and is able to give a perfect account of them in his teaching is wiser than all others in any other science

There is no better expert than the one who is able to pass on the knowledge to his disciples.

53. A perfect government is not necessary; one that is practical is needed

What the people need is for the government to operate on the basis of their needs.

54. Doubt is the beginning of wisdom

Doubt moves our conscience towards reflection and true learning.

55. Acquiring such and such habits from a young age is not unimportant: it is of absolute importance

The habits we learn at an early age are hard to change.

56. Nature never does anything without reason

Nature has a purpose, according to Aristotle.

57. The antidote for fifty enemies is a friend

A single friend is worth more than all the enemies in the world.

58. Oral teachings should be adapted to the habits of the listeners

The sender must be aware of the needs and characteristics of the receiver.

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

Quality is what lasts over time.

60. A definition is a phrase that means the essence of a thing

Aristotle, ironically enough, defined the term definition.

61. The beauty of man is not in the sound, or in the meaning

It’s not how we say it, it’s what we mean.

62. Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the general and final goal of human existence

We all want to be happy . That is our great motivation.

63. By building well, one can become a good architect

With practice, we can become experts at something and improve our skills.

64. We become brave by doing brave acts

It’s not the words that count, but the actions.

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

Human beings can be good, although not everyone applies honesty and kindness.

66. The best thing is to leave life as if it were a party, neither thirsty nor drunk

Life has to be lived slowly but surely.

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

There is no such thing as destiny, but rather a set of circumstances.

68. The wise man does not needlessly expose himself to danger, since there are few things he cares enough about; but he is willing, in great crises, to give even his life, knowing that under certain circumstances life is not worth living

Wisdom is part of many of Aristotle’s reflections.

69. We acquire a particular quality by acting in a particular way

A quote with a certain touch of irony that speaks to the particular way of acting.

70. There is no great genius without a mixture of madness

In madness, creativity can be born.

71. A good style must have an air of novelty and at the same time hide its art

The novelty, no doubt, is the most valued.

72. True wisdom is in recognizing one’s own ignorance

Knowing that we are not perfect is a big step towards becoming wise.

73. Good style should be, above all, clear

A clear style is, without a doubt, the best option.

74. Pleasure in work puts perfection in work

When we love what we do, we work much better.

75. 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

In true democracy, the people are in charge.

76. In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a safe haven

True friends are there for good and bad.

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

In a real democracy, money does not rule.

78. Great men are always of an originally melancholy nature

Melancholy is part of the human essence.

79. The goal of the wise is not to ensure pleasure, but to avoid pain

It is in pain that true learning is born. That is, wisdom.

80. The law is reason free of passion

The law is made with the head rather than the heart.

81. Those who know, do. Those who understand, teach

Those who are experts in something have the ability to teach.

82. In all things of nature there is something wonderful

Nature, though sometimes we don’t see it, is magnificent.

83. To perceive is to suffer

If we expose ourselves to the world, we may suffer. This is what makes us grow.

84. I count as more courageous the one who overcomes his desires than the one who overcomes his enemies

The person who really finds himself is virtuous.

85. Victory has many mothers and defeat is an orphan

When things are going well, everyone loves us. When we’re doing badly, no one listens to us.

86. He who is unable to live in society or who has no need because he has enough of himself must be either a beast or a god

Society has an irritating habit of judging everything we do.

87. Character can almost be called the most effective means of persuasion

When we disagree, let’s try to impose our ideas.

88. A true friend is a soul in two bodies

True love lives inside two souls.

89. Love is composed of a soul inhabiting two bodies

Love and true friendship have great meaning for us.

90. The only unique sign of deep knowledge is the power to teach

Only if we are experts in something can we teach others.

91. Change is always sweet

This philosopher understood that change, modification and evolution are the norm.

92. The purpose of work is leisure

Aristotle saw work as something one resorts to simply in order to live by one’s means.

93. The secret of humor is surprise

A reflection on the main ingredient of humour.

94. Nature never does anything in vain

The natural is the spontaneous, which is simply.

95. Bad men are full of repentance

An appreciation of the minds of morally bad people .

96. Ingenuity is polite insolence

A clever phrase about human relationships.

97. All paid work degrades and absorbs the soul

Aristotle was a strongly moralistic philosopher, and this was reflected in his beliefs about work.

98. Philosophy can make people sick

Intellectual growth can have its risks.

99. The soul never thinks without a mental image

This is Aristotle’s conception of thought.

100. He who is not a good follower cannot be a good leader

Aristotle believed in a learning process based on humility.