Virtue isn't not wronging others but not wishing to wrong others.
DemocritusRead
Now as of old the gods give men all good things, excepting only those that are baneful and injurious and useless. These, now as of old, are not gifts of the gods: men stumble into them themselves because of their own blindness and folly.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that while gods provide good, harmful things come from human ignorance and folly.
Democritus emphasizes that the divine offers mankind all that is beneficial, but the negative experiences and misfortunes arise from human choices and mistakes rather than divine will. This implies a philosophical stance that emphasizes personal responsibility and the consequences of our actions.
Themes
GodsGoodBadFollyBlindnessHuman Nature
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about personal responsibility, one might quote this to illustrate how our choices lead to our own suffering.
More from Democritus
All quotes →Beautiful objects are wrought by study through effort, but ugly things are reaped automatically without toil.
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One should practice much sense, not much learning.
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Nature and education are somewhat similar. The latter transforms man, and in so doing creates a second nature.
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It is godlike ever to think on something beautiful and on something new.
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If thou suffer injustice, console thyself; the true unhappiness is in doing it.
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