Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.
The eyes of some persons are large, others small, and others of a moderate size; the last-mentioned are the best. And some eyes are projecting, some deep-set, and some moderate, and those which are deep-set have the most acute vision in all animals; the middle position is a sign of the best disposition.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Different qualities in people can reflect their character and abilities, with moderation often representing the best traits.
In this quote, Aristotle explores the idea that physical attributes, such as eye size and eye placement, can symbolize deeper qualities of a person’s character and abilities. He suggests that moderation is preferable, as it indicates balance and can lead to superior capabilities, particularly regarding perception and insight. This perspective reflects his broader philosophical views on virtue and the importance of balance in human traits.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion about the relationship between physical traits and personality in a psychology class.
More from Aristotle
All quotes →Those who cannot bravely face danger are the slaves of their attackers.
For often, when one is asleep, there is something in consciousness which declares that what then presents itself is but a dream.
You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.
But if nothing but soul, or in soul mind, is qualified to count, it is impossible for there to be time unless there is soul, but only that of which time is an attribute, i.e. if change can exist without soul.
The whole is more than the sum of its parts.
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I felt like a Tinker toy kid building my own self out of one of those toy building sets; for as she laid her life before me, I reassembled the tableau of her words like a picture puzzle, and as I did, so my own life was rebuilt.
Change of state is not the point; recognizing the Changeless is the point, recognizing primordial Emptiness is the point, and if you are breathing and vaguely awake, that state of consciousness will do just fine.
And so everything I see in this world, it all moves backward and forward at the same time, like a black-smith's bellows, like everything in my press, turning into its opposite at the command of the red and green buttons, and that's what makes the world go round.
An opponent is entitled to the same regard for his principles as we would expect others to have for ours. Non-violence demands that we should see every opportunity to win over opponents.