--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there is some end of the things we do…" description: "\"If there is some end of the things we do, which we desire for its own sake, clearly this must be the good. Will not knowledge of it, then, have a great..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/aristotle-78_aim_if-there-is-some-end-of-the-things-we-do_2242190.jpg" --- # If there is some end of the things we do, which we desire… ![“If there is some end of the things we do, which we desire for its own sake, clearly this must be the good. Will not knowledge of it, then, have a great influence on life? Shall we not, like archers who have a mark to aim at, be more likely to hit upon what we should? If so, we must try, in outline…” quote by Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/aristotle-78_aim_if-there-is-some-end-of-the-things-we-do_2242190.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/aristotle-78_aim_if-there-is-some-end-of-the-things-we-do_2242190.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/aristotle-78_aim_if-there-is-some-end-of-the-things-we-do_2242190.jpg) > “If there is some end of the things we do, which we desire for its own sake, clearly this must be the good. Will not knowledge of it, then, have a great influence on life? Shall we not, like archers who have a mark to aim at, be more likely to hit upon what we should? If so, we must try, in outline at least, to determine what it is.” [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The ultimate good is what we pursue for its own sake; understanding it guides our actions like a target for an archer. **In simple terms:** The highest good is what we seek for itself, shaping our life choices. Key Takeaway Identify and pursue the true highest good. Themes ethics purpose philosophy Mood reflective inquisitive Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career decisions - personal goals - education - public policy - spiritual practice Key Concepts teleology eudaimonia human flourishing Questions to Reflect On - What do you consider the highest good? - How does knowing this good change your daily actions? A Different Perspective Human desires are complex; what seems self‑sufficient may be influenced by external pressures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/archer/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Educational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educational/) [Good will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-will/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Nicomachean ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nicomachean-ethics/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) ## Related quotes > [“If, then, there is some end of the things we do, which we desire for its own sake (everything else being desired for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/if-then-there-is-some-end-of-the-things-we-do-which-we-desire-for-its-2/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [My father has been a great influence on my life and I love him to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ingram-ii/my-father-has-been-a-great-influence-on-my-life-and-i-love-him-to/) [Mark Ingram II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ingram-ii/) > [David Jacobs is a great influence on my life, has taught me so much about so many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-van-ark/david-jacobs-is-a-great-influence-on-my-life-has-taught-me-so-much/) [Joan Van Ark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-van-ark/) > [ The virtues \[moral excellence\] therefore are engendered in us neither by nature nor yet in violation of nature; nature gives us the capacity to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-virtues-moral-excellence-therefore-are-engendered-in-us-neither/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [A young man is not a proper hearer of lectures on political science; for he is inexperienced in the actions that occur in life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/a-young-man-is-not-a-proper-hearer-of-lectures-on-political-science/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Again, it is possible to fail in many ways (for evil belongs to the class of the unlimited and good to that of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/again-it-is-possible-to-fail-in-many-ways-for-evil-belongs-to-the/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [In a word, acts of any kind produce habits or characters of the same kind. 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Of the bodily desires, it is the sexual by which they are most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/young-men-have-strong-passions-and-tend-to-gratify-them/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The body is at its best between the ages of thirty and thirty-five; the mind is at its best about the age of forty-nine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-body-is-at-its-best-between-the-ages-of-thirty-and-thirty-five/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The ensouled is distinguished from the unsouled by its being alive. 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Give a man a poisoned fish, you feed him for the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/give-a-man-a-fish-you-feed-him-for-a-day-give-a-man-a-poisoned-fish/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The man who confers a favour would rather not be repaid in the same coin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-man-who-confers-a-favour-would-rather-not-be-repaid-in-the-same/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The mother of revolution and crime is poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-mother-of-revolution-and-crime-is-poverty/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Obstinate people can be divided into the opinionated, the ignorant, and the boorish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/obstinate-people-can-be-divided-into-the-opinionated-the-ignorant-and/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Happiness does not consist in pastimes and amusements but in virtuous activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/happiness-does-not-consist-in-pastimes-and-amusements-but-in-virtuous/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [To learn is a natural pleasure, not confined to philosophers, but common to all men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/to-learn-is-a-natural-pleasure-not-confined-to-philosophers-but/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Every virtue is a mean between two extremes, each of which is a vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/every-virtue-is-a-mean-between-two-extremes-each-of-which-is-a-vice/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) [Explore all 1,545 Aristotle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) ## More Aim quotes > [If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/if-you-aim-at-nothing-you-will-hit-it-every-time/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [A good aim surveys the present state of experience of pupils, and forming a tentative plan of treatment, keeps the plan constantly in view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/a-good-aim-surveys-the-present-state-of-experience-of-pupils-and/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [The Christian man must aim at that complete obedience to God in which life finds its highest happiness, its greatest good, its perfect consummation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barclay/the-christian-man-must-aim-at-that-complete-obedience-to-god-in-which/) [William Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barclay/) > [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [In Bosnia, little children shot in the head by a guy who thinks it's okay to aim his gun at a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/in-bosnia-little-children-shot-in-the-head-by-a-guy-who-thinks-it-s/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. It always aims at making things beautiful. But relevance is just as important. I often say, 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/design-certainly-has-a-cosmetic-aesthetic-aim-it-always-aims-at/) [Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/) > [My aim was to make money for the bank. You lose track of the amounts involved when you are engaged in this kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kerviel/my-aim-was-to-make-money-for-the-bank-you-lose-track-of-the-amounts/) [Jerome Kerviel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kerviel/) > [My only aim is to clock a time that everyone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/my-only-aim-is-to-clock-a-time-that-everyone-remembers/) [Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/) > [My main aim has always been to do good quality films with roles that have some substance. With Power and Beauty there were loads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-henstridge/my-main-aim-has-always-been-to-do-good-quality-films-with-roles-that/) [Natasha Henstridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-henstridge/) > [ I really enjoyed it - being involved in watching rushes and playback \[in "The Invisible Woman"\]. Ralph \[Fiennes\] was very open to my input,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-really-enjoyed-it-being-involved-in-watching-rushes-and-playback-in/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [My aim is to be counted among the top players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babar-azam/my-aim-is-to-be-counted-among-the-top-players/) [Babar Azam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babar-azam/) > [The single aim of my life is that every child is: free to be a child, free to grow and develop, free to eat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-satyarthi/the-single-aim-of-my-life-is-that-every-child-is-free-to-be-a-child/) [Kailash Satyarthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-satyarthi/) > [The aim of good prose words is to mean what they say. The aim of good poetical words is to mean what they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-aim-of-good-prose-words-is-to-mean-what-they-say-the-aim-of-good/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Prescribing hard work for the soft, or easy work for the hardy, is generally nonsense. What is always needed in any aim is right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/prescribing-hard-work-for-the-soft-or-easy-work-for-the-hardy-is/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [To be normal is the ultimate aim of the unsuccessful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/to-be-normal-is-the-ultimate-aim-of-the-unsuccessful/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) Browse all 3,047 Aim quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If there is some end of the things we do, which we desire for its own sake, clearly this must be the good. Will not knowledge of it, then, have a great influence on life? Shall we not, like archers who have a mark to aim at, be more likely to hit upon what we should? 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