5 Aristotle Quotes on Excellence

Aristotle quotes on excellence

43. For just as for a flute-player, a sculptor, or an artist, and, in general, for all things that have a function or activity, the good and the well is thought to reside in the function, so would it seem to be for man, if he has a function.

44. If ... we state the function of man to be a certain kind of life, and this to be an activity or actions of the soul implying a rational principle, and the function of a good man to be the good and noble performance of these, and if any action is well performed when it is performed in accordance with the appropriate excellence ... human good turns out to be activity of the soul in accordance with virtue, and if there are more than one virtue, in accordance with the best and most complete.

64. With regard to excellence, it is not enough to know, but we must try to have and use it.

121. No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness.

171. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.