Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character.
HeraclitusRead
What are men? Mortal gods. _x000D_ What are gods? Immortal men.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests a deep connection between humans and gods, emphasizing the transient nature of humanity and the divine.
Heraclitus blends the concepts of mortality and immortality, pointing to a philosophical reflection on the nature of existence. By calling men 'mortal gods,' he elevates humanity to a status of greatness despite the inevitability of death, while simultaneously depicting gods as 'immortal men,' suggesting that divine beings share traits with humans but are freed from mortality. This duality prompts us to consider the essence of life and the potential for greatness in our impermanent existence.
Themes
MortalityImmortalityHumanityDivineExistencePhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a graduation speech to inspire young minds to strive for greatness despite their human limitations.
More from Heraclitus
All quotes βThinking is a sacred disease and sight is deceptive.
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Things of which there is sight, hearing, apprehension, these I prefer.
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Our envy always lasts longer than the happiness of those we envy.
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For when is death not within our selves? And as Heracleitus says: βLiving and dead are the same, and so are awake and asleep, young and old. The former when shifted are the latter, and again the latter when shifted are the former."
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Whosoever wishes to know about the world must learn about it in its particular details. Knowledge is not intelligence. In searching for the truth be ready for the unexpected. Change alone is unchanging. The same road goes both up and down. The beginning of a circle is also its end. Not I, but the world says it: all is one. And yet everything comes in season.
HeraclitusRead
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