Quotes About Excellence

Now to know anything that is noble is itself noble; but regarding excellence, at least, not to know what it is, but to know out of what it arises is most precious. For we do not wish to know what bravery is but to be brave, nor what justice is but to be just, just as we wish to be in health rather than to know what being in health is, and to have our body in good condition rather than to know what good condition is. (Eudemian Ethics, I, 5. 1216b, 20-26)

For moral excellence is concerned with pleasures and pains; it is on account of pleasure that we do bad things, and on account of pain that we abstain from noble ones. Hence we ought to have been brought up in a particular way from our very youth, as Plato says, so as both to delight in and to be pained by the things that we ought; for this is the right education.

One who surpasses his fellow-citizens in virtue is no longer a part of the city. Their law is not for him, since he is a law to himself.

Men may be bad in many ways, But good in one alone.

By choiceworthy in themselves are meant those from which nothing is sought beyond the act of Working: and of this kind are thought to be the actions according to Virtue, because doing what is noble and excellent is one of those things which are choiceworthy for their own sake alone.

Thus then Happiness is most excellent, most noble, and most pleasant, and these attributes are not separated as in the well-known Delian inscription-- Most noble is that which is most just, but best is health; And naturally most pleasant is the obtaining one's desires.

Everybody on this island has one ambition, which may be summed up very simply. It is to do something, however small it may be, better than anyone else. Of course, it's an ideal we don't all achieve. But in this modern world the great thing is to have an ideal. Achieving it is considerably less important.

Jan had always been a good pianist—and now he was the finest in the world.

The French produce the best second-raters in the world.

She was as good as she was beautiful and as intelligent as she was good.

They say that genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains

The man can kiss like it's an Olympic event and he's going for the gold.

Lo mejor es siempre enemigo de lo bueno

doing well at the things she wants to do well at.

All mediocrity flies from the light.

Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself; but talent instantly recognises genius.

There is a kind of excellence in me and you—born in us—and it cannot live in shame.

Good is the enemy of great.

To genius life never grows commonplace.

Ability can take you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there

I believe that in life, you have to give things your best shot, do your best. You have to focus on what needs to be done, do the right thing, not the popular thing.

The great aim of your life should be to keep your powers up to the highest possible standard, to so conserve your energies, guard your health, that you can make every occasion a great occasion.

Set great expectations for yourself.

We are not built for mediocrity, but we build it into our lives nonetheless.