Apollonius of Tyana Quotes

Virtue is an inner strength. It expands your nature.

A man's virtue is best secured by shame, and best improved by emulation in the society of virtuous men.

Virtue, though she gets her beginning from nature, yet receives her finishing touches from learning.

The walls of that grand edifice called a good character have to be worked at during life.

The worst education which teaches self-denial, is better than the best which teaches everything else, and not that.

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.

Man cannot be uplifted; he must be seduced into virtue.

To be good, we must do good; and by doing good we take a sure means of being good, as the use and exercise of the muscles increase their power.

Virtues are acquired through endeavor, Which rests wholly upon yourself. So, to praise others for their virtues Can but encourage one's own efforts.

Whoever wants to be a leader should educate himself before educating others. Before preaching to others he should first practice himself. Whoever educates himself and improves his own morals is superior to the man who tries to teach and train others.

It is pleasant to be virtuous and good, because that is to excel many others; it is pleasant to grow better, because that is to excel ourselves; it is pleasant to mortify and subdue our lusts, because that is victory; it is pleasant to command our appetites and passions, and to keep them in due order within the bounds of reason and religion, because this is empire.

Character is perfectly educated will.

In the matter of learning, the difference between the earnest and the careless student stands out clearly. The same holds true in the mastering of passion and the weaknesses to which our nature is subject, as in the acquiring of virtue.

Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.

Ethics is the activity of man directed to secure the inner perfection of his own personality.

The very spring and root of honesty and virtue lie in good education.

Good actions ennoble us, and we are the sons of our deeds.

Heart and head are the constituent parts of character; temperament has almost nothing to do with it, and, therefore, character is dependent upon education, and is susceptible of being corrected and improved.

Virtue by premeditation isn't worth much.

The superior man acquaints himself with many sayings of antiquity and many deeds of the past, in order to strengthen his character thereby.

Honesty and integrity are absolutely essential for success in life - all areas of life. The really good news is that anyone can develop both honesty and integrity.

It is by doing good that we become good.

Innocence is not virtue. Virtue demands the active employment of an ardent mind in the promotion of the general good. No man can be eminently virtuous who is not accustomed to an extensive range of reflection.

Character teaches above our wills.

Virtue depends partly upon training and partly upon practice; you must learn first, and then strengthen your learning by actions.