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Aristotle
O Aristotle, O mind’s vastness of your day,
Your youth was reckless and wild.
But your brain never exiled
The thought that clasped the myriad knowledge-ray.
Yours was the student Alexander the Great.
The mighty culture Greek
Slowly began to leak
With you, Aristotle; and now reigns a huge regret.
Excerpt from Philosopher-Thinkers: The Power-Towers Of The Mind And Poet-Seers: The Fragrance-Hours Of The Heart In The West by Sri Chinmoy
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Wisdom of Aristotle
Poetry is finer and more philosophical than history; for poetry expresses the universal, and history only the particular.
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A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side.
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At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst.
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As a rock on the seashore he standeth firm, and the dashing of the waves disturbeth him not. He raiseth his head like a tower on a hill, and the arrows of fortune drop at his feet. In the instant of danger, the courage of his heart sustaineth him; and the steadiness of his mind beareth him out.
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Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies.
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I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.
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Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.
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Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility but through greatness of mind.