In painting, the most brilliant colors, spread at random and without design, will give far less pleasure than the simplest outline of a figure.

A good style must have an air of novelty, at the same time concealing its art.

The activity of happiness must occupy an entire lifetime; for one swallow does not a summer make.

And inasmuch as the great-souled man deserves most, he must be the best of men; for the better a man is the more he deserves, and he that is best deserves most. Therefore the truly great-souled man must be a good man. Indeed greatness in each of the virtues would seem to go with greatness of soul.

Emotions of any kind are produced by melody and rhythm; therefore by music a man becomes accustomed to feeling the right emotions; music has thus the power to form character, and the various kinds of music based on various modes may be distinguished by their effects on character.

Pleasure causes us to do base actions and pain causes us to abstain from doing noble actions.

Quite often good things have hurtful consequences. There are instances of men who have been ruined by their money or killed by their courage.