Quotes About Balance

Happiness, whether consisting in pleasure or virtue, or both, is more often found with those who are highly cultivated in their minds and in their character, and have only a moderate share of external goods, than among those who possess external goods to a useless extent but are deficient in higher qualities.

The most perfect political community is one in which the middle class is in control, and outnumbers both of the other classes.

The best political community is formed by citizens of the middle class.

One swallow does not make a summer.

The greatest crimes are caused by surfeit, not by want.

The most perfect political community must be amongst those who are in the middle rank, and those states are best instituted wherein these are a larger and more respectable part, if possible, than both the other; or, if that cannot be, at least than either of them separate.

One can aim at honor both as one ought, and more than one ought, and less than one ought. He whose craving for honor is excessive is said to be ambitious, and he who is deficient in this respect unambitious; while he who observes the mean has no peculiar name.

If then it be possible that one contrary should exist, or be called into existence, the other contrary will also appear to be possible.

Equity is that idea of justice which contravenes the written law.

He who takes his fill of every pleasure ... becomes depraved; while he who avoids all pleasures alike ... becomes insensible.

Both excess and defect are alike prejudicial to moral virtue.

Moral virtue is ... a mean between two vices, that of excess and that of defect, and ... it is no small task to hit the mean in each case, as it is not, for example, any chance comer, but only the geometer, who can find the center of a given circle.

There are, then, three states of mind ... two vices--that of excess, and that of defect; and one virtue--the mean; and all these are in a certain sense opposed to one another; for the extremes are not only opposed to the mean, but also to one another; and the mean is opposed to the extremes.

Nature flies from the infinite, for the infinite is unending or imperfect, and Nature ever seeks to amend.

Nature makes nothing incomplete, and nothing in vain.

We must as a second best, as people say, take the least of the evils.

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.

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

If one way be better than another, that you may be sure is Nature's way.

Nature does nothing in vain.

Excellence, then, is a state concerned with choice, lying in a mean, relative to us, this being determined by reason and in the way in which the man of practical wisdom would determine it.

Let us be well persuaded that everyone of us possesses happiness in proportion to his virtue and wisdom, and according as he acts in obedience to their suggestion.

We must as second best...take the least of the evils.

One swallow does not make a summer, neither does one fine day; similarly one day or brief time of happiness does not make a person entirely happy.