Common Quote by Aristotle
“If they do not share equally enjoyments and toils, those who labor much and get little will necessarily complain of those who labor little and receive or consume much. But indeed there is always a difficulty in men living together and having all human relations in common, but especially in their having common property.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Politics by Aristotle, 4th century BC
When labor and rewards are unequal, those who work hard but receive little resent those who work little but reap much; shared property intensifies this tension.
In simple terms: Unequal effort and reward cause resentment, especially with common ownership.
Key Takeaway
Address fairness in work and reward.
Themes
justice
economics
social harmony
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- workplace
- cooperative housing
- community projects
Key Concepts
tributism
communal living
inequality
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies balance shared resources with individual effort?
- What mechanisms reduce resentment in communal settings?
A Different Perspective
Equality may be hard to achieve in practice.
![“Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a [Soviet socialistic] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants, lands, banks, means of transportation, etc., remain untouched there, and, therefore, capitalism in Germany and Italy…” quote by Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/411/joseph-stalin-1734_capitalism_neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-natio_1430.jpg)
