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| 501 | Reason is a more powerful persuader than gold |
| Full Idea: In power of persuasion, reasoning is far stronger than gold. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B051), quoted by John Stobaeus - Anthology 2.04.12 |
| 514 | Beauty is merely animal without intelligence |
| Full Idea: Physical beauty is merely animal unless intelligence be present. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B105) |
| 525 | Behave well when alone, and feel shame in you own eyes |
| Full Idea: Do not say or do what is base, even when you are alone. Learn to feel shame in your own eyes much more than before others. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B244), quoted by John Stobaeus - Anthology 3.31.7 | |||
| A reaction: I like this. How you think and behave when unobserved is the true test of who you are. Feeling shame at a very private failing is an interesting phenomenon. |
| 502 | Good breeding in men means having a good character |
| Full Idea: Good breeding in cattle depends on physical health, but in men on a well-formed character. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B057), quoted by John Stobaeus - Anthology 4.29.18 | |||
| A reaction: In our ultra-democratic age (supposedly) it is heresy to talk about good breeding, or some people being superior to others. But surely people should aim to improve their characters? |
| 507 | Virtuous love consists of decorous desire for the beautiful |
| Full Idea: Virtuous love consists of decorous desire for the beautiful. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B073), quoted by John Stobaeus - Anthology 3.5.23 | |||
| A reaction: Is it possible to love something without seeing it as beautiful? A badly crippled dog, for example. If not, that seems to reveal something about beauty. |
| 505 | Good and true are the same for everyone, but pleasures differ |
| Full Idea: For all men, good and true are the same; but pleasant differs for different men. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B069) | |||
| A reaction: Truth is not 'for' anyone, but there's good-in-itself, and good-for-me. Are there some pleasures we should all enjoy (such as watching our children flourish)? |
| 521 | We should only choose pleasures which are concerned with the beautiful |
| Full Idea: One should choose not every pleasure, but only that concerned with the beautiful. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B207), quoted by John Stobaeus - Anthology 3.05.22 | |||
| A reaction: The pleasures we should prefer are those which involve the whole person, rather than the mere stimulation of one sense. Sez me. |
| 508 | Only accept beneficial pleasures |
| Full Idea: Accept no pleasure unless it is beneficial. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B074) | |||
| A reaction: Maybe all pleasures bestow some benefit - even if they are linked to harm. I struggle to see what is wrong with a harmless and non-beneficial pleasure, and I doubt if anyone could explain it to me. |
| 520 | The great pleasures come from the contemplation of noble works |
| Full Idea: The great pleasures come from the contemplation of noble works. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B194), quoted by John Stobaeus - Anthology 3.03.46 | |||
| A reaction: Only, of course, for those able to perceive the nobility. In what does the 'nobility' consist, other than in the morally acceptable pleasure? Hard to explain 'noble'. Just 'wow!'? |
| 522 | Moderation brings more pleasures, and so increases pleasure |
| Full Idea: Moderation multiplies pleasures, and increases pleasure. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B211), quoted by John Stobaeus - Anthology 3.05.27 | |||
| A reaction: So moderation is a sneaky trick to avoid moderation? I presume the most intense pleasures are mostly unfamiliar, and so add novelty to the mix. Apart from eating chocolate, of course. |
| 506 | Immoderate desire is the mark of a child, not an adult |
| Full Idea: Immoderate desire is the mark of a child, not a man. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B070) | |||
| A reaction: Not factually correct, since the world is full of adults who have immoderate desires (notably for money). However, there are plenty of grown ups who don't seem very adult. |
| 523 | It is as brave to master pleasure as to overcome the enemy |
| Full Idea: The brave man is not only he who overcomes the enemy, but he who is stronger than pleasures. Some men are masters of cities, but are enslaved by women. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B214), quoted by John Stobaeus - Anthology 3.07.25 | |||
| A reaction: I'm not sure if 'bravery' is the relevant virtue here.Sounds like self-control or temperance. I suspect that mastering a city is quite pleasurable, if that's your thing. |
| 497 | Be virtuous from duty, not from fear |
| Full Idea: Refrain from crimes not through fear but through duty [deon]. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B041), quoted by John Stobaeus - Anthology 3.01.95 | |||
| A reaction: [not sure about the translation here] |
| 503 | Virtue doesn't just avoid evil, but also doesn't desire it |
| Full Idea: Virtue consists, not in avoiding wrong-doing, but in having no wish thereto. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B062), quoted by John Stobaeus - Anthology 3.17.37 |
| 518 | A bad life is just a drawn-out death |
| Full Idea: To live badly is not just to live badly, but to spend a long time dying. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B160), quoted by (who?) - where? |
| 499 | Repentance of shameful deeds is salvation |
| Full Idea: Repentance for shameful deeds is salvation in life. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B043) |
| 524 | Virtue comes more from practice than from nature |
| Full Idea: More men become good through practice than by nature. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B242), quoted by John Stobaeus - Anthology 3.29.66 |
| 519 | One must avoid even speaking of evil deeds |
| Full Idea: One must avoid even speaking of evil deeds. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B190), quoted by John Stobaeus - Anthology 3.01.91 |
| 500 | The wrongdoer is more unfortunate than the person wronged |
| Full Idea: The wrongdoer is more unfortunate than the man wronged. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B045) |
| 1539 | The endless desire for money is a crueller slavery than poverty |
| Full Idea: Unless a point of satiety is reached, the desire for money is far more cruel than the utmost poverty, because the greater the desire, the greater the need | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B219), quoted by John Stobaeus - Anthology 3.10.43 |
| 526 | Small appetite makes poverty equal to wealth |
| Full Idea: Small appetite makes poverty equivalent to wealth. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B284), quoted by John Stobaeus - Anthology 4.33.24 |
| 511 | It is better to have one intelligent friend than many unintelligent |
| Full Idea: The friendship of one intelligent man is better than that of all the unintelligent. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B098) |
| 498 | It is a great thing, when one is in adversity, to think of duty |
| Full Idea: It is a great thing, when one is in adversity, to think of duty. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B042), quoted by John Stobaeus - Anthology 4.44.68 | |||
| A reaction: Something wrong with the translation here, if there is no Greek word for 'duty'. |
| 1541 | It is better to be poor in a democracy than be rich without freedom |
| Full Idea: Poverty in a democracy is as preferable to what is called prosperity under autocracy as freedom is to slavery. | |||
| From: Democritus (attrib) (reports [c.250 BCE], B251), quoted by John Stobaeus - Anthology 3.40.42 |