"To give money is an easy matter and in any man's power. But to decide to whom to give it, and how large and when, and for what purpose and how, is neither in everyman's power nor an easy matter."

"The moral virtues, then, are produced in us neither by nature nor against nature. Nature, indeed, prepares in us the ground for their reception, but their complete formation is the product of habit."

"What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies."

"The only stable state is the one in which all men are equal before the law."

"To perceive is to suffer."

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit."

"Actions lie louder than words."

"Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting a particular way... you become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave actions."

"I've arrived at this outermost edge of my life by my own actions. Where I am is thoroughly unacceptable. Therefore, I must stop doing what I've been doing."

"I have long since come to believe that people never mean half of what they say, and that it is best to disregard their talk and judge only their actions."

"Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better."

"Only actions give life strength; only moderation gives it a charm."