The Wisdom Letter #216
3 quotes from Aristotle (384–322 BC)
✹ For today’s Wisdom Letter, we have carefully curated three bite-sized quotes from the Greek philosopher and polymath, Aristotle (384–322 BC), each paired with a philosophical question meant to provoke deep reflection:
Quote № 01:
“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, “Nicomachean Ethics, Book I”
~ Follow-up Question:
Can true happiness be measured by individual moments, or must it be assessed over the course of an entire life?
Quote № 02:
“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, for the right purpose, and in the right way, that is not within everybody's power and is not easy.”
— Aristotle, “Nicomachean Ethics, Book II”
~ Follow-up Question:
How can one develop the discernment necessary to ensure that their anger is justified, proportional, and constructive rather than destructive?
Quote № 03:
“The best friend is he that, when he wishes a person's good, wishes it for that person's own sake.”
— Aristotle, “Nicomachean Ethics, Book IX”
~ Follow-up Question:
How can we distinguish between genuine goodwill toward a friend and a desire to shape their life according to our own values and preferences?
✽ Thank you for reading today’s Wisdom Letter.
✺ Support Philosophors!
Philosophors is a one-person labor of love, born out of my deep passion for wisdom. I’ve been fortunate enough to sustain this project through the generous donations of my audience, for which I’m incredibly grateful. If you would also like to support and help Philosophors thrive while remaining completely ad-free, please consider making a small donation and joining me on a mission to make wisdom more accessible.
✦ Donate Here → buymeacoffee.com/philosophors
A single moment in time can foster happiness throughout life.
Compassion, paired with an understanding of a person's difficulties, should alleviate anger.
To look within, avoid forming judgments, and have confidence in thoughts to understand and communicate effectively and kindly.
Can true happiness be measured by individual moments, or must it be assessed over the course of an entire lifetime?
I would suggest, that ‘true’ happiness, like ‘true’ love, cannot be measured. Like true love, true happiness is a gift, a choice to love, to be happy, unconditionally; independent of moments.