Be good Quote by Aristotle
![“[I]t is rather the case that we desire something because we believe it to be good than that we believe a thing to be good because we desire it. It is the thought that starts things off.” quote by Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d10/aristotle-78_be-good_i-t-is-rather-the-case-that-we-desire-so_2172700.jpg)
“[I]t is rather the case that we desire something because we believe it to be good than that we believe a thing to be good because we desire it. It is the thought that starts things off.”
About This Quote
Source Philosophy: Nicomachean Ethics, Book I, 4th century BC
Desire precedes judgment of goodness; we want things because we think they’re good, not because they’re good because we want them.
In simple terms: We want things we think are good, not the other way around.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how desire shapes moral judgments.
Themes
ethics
psychology
motivation
Mood
reflective
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- personal decision making
- ethical reasoning
- consumer behavior
Key Concepts
desire
goodness
valuation
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you examine why you value something?
- How does desire influence your moral choices?
A Different Perspective
Desire can be manipulated, leading to biased judgments.
![“Your dream is a good one. [. . .] The desire that is the very root of life itself: To grow until all the space you can see is part of you, under your control. It's the desire for greatness.” quote by Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2a0/orson-scott-card-134_ambition_your-dream-is-a-good-one-the-desire-that_1581636.jpg)
![“Now, if we are made for heaven, the desire for our proper place will be already in us, but not yet attached to the true object, and will even appear as the rival of that object […] If a transtemporal, transfinite good is our real destiny, then any other good on which our desire fixes must be in…” quote by C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ead/c-s-lewis-121_quote_now-if-we-are-made-for-heaven-the-desire_1042881.jpg)
