character Quotes

Friends are much better tried in bad fortune than in good.

Moral qualities, then, are not given to us by nature or against nature. Nature does prepare us to receive them, but they are fully formed by habit.

Music directly represents the passions of the soul. If one listens to the wrong kind of music, he will become the wrong kind of person.

Both Self-restraint and Unrestraint are a matter of extremes as compared with the character of the mass of mankind; the restrained man shows more and the unrestrained man less steadfastness than most men are capable of.

Of means of persuading by speaking there are three species: some consist in the character of the speaker; others in the disposing the hearer a certain way; others in the thing itself which is said, by reason of its proving,... ...

In order to be effective you need not only virtue but also mental strength.

It belongs to small-mindedness to be unable to bear either honor or dishonor, either good fortune or bad, but to be filled with conceit when honored and puffed up by trifling good fortune, and to be unable to bear even... ...

There are, then, these three means of effecting persuasion. The man who is to be in command of them must, it is clear, be able (1) to reason logically, (2) to understand human character and goodness in their various forms,... ...

All are agreed that the various moral qualities are in a sense bestowed by nature: we are just, and capable of temperance, and brave, and possessed of the other virtues from the moment of our birth. But nevertheless we expect... ...

I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.