--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most persons think that a state in order…" description: "\"Most persons think that a state in order to be happy ought to be large; but even if they are right, they have no idea of what is a large and what a sma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/259/aristotle-78_animal_most-persons-think-that-a-state-in-order_2024899.png" --- # Most persons think that a state in order to be happy ought… ![“Most persons think that a state in order to be happy ought to be large; but even if they are right, they have no idea of what is a large and what a small state… To the size of states there is a limit, as there is to other things, plants, animals, implements; for none of these retain their natural…” quote by Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/259/aristotle-78_animal_most-persons-think-that-a-state-in-order_2024899.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/259/aristotle-78_animal_most-persons-think-that-a-state-in-order_2024899.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/259/aristotle-78_animal_most-persons-think-that-a-state-in-order_2024899.png) > “Most persons think that a state in order to be happy ought to be large; but even if they are right, they have no idea of what is a large and what a small state… To the size of states there is a limit, as there is to other things, plants, animals, implements; for none of these retain their natural power when they are too large or too small, but they either wholly lose their nature, or are spoiled.” [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. A state must be neither too big nor too small; extremes diminish its natural effectiveness and identity. **In simple terms:** States work best at a balanced size. Key Takeaway Seek optimal scale for governance. Themes politics governance balance size effectiveness Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - national policy - organizational design - urban planning - resource allocation Key Concepts Aristotelian philosophy natural order statecraft Questions to Reflect On - What size best preserves a state's character? - How do modern economies reflect this principle? A Different Perspective Large or tiny states can lose cohesion and function. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Consumerism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumerism/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Loses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loses/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [No idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-idea/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought/) [Ought Large](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought-large-3687240/) [Overconsumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overconsumption/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plant/) [Size](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/size/) [Size States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/size-states-3687238/) [Small State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-state-952229/) [Spoiled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spoiled/) [State Size](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-size-3687237/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [States Limit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states-limit-3687239/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [True happiness flows from the possession of wisdom and virtue and not from the possession of external goods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/true-happiness-flows-from-the-possession-of-wisdom-and-virtue-and-not/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Barack Obama is president of a superpower and I'm a citizen of a small state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/barack-obama-is-president-of-a-superpower-and-i-m-a-citizen-of-a/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [Arkansas is a very small state, and it's even a smaller field when you break it down to Republicans in this state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-huckabee-sanders/arkansas-is-a-very-small-state-and-it-s-even-a-smaller-field-when-you/) [Sarah Huckabee Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-huckabee-sanders/) > [The belief that security can be obtained by throwing a small state to the wolves is a fatal delusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-belief-that-security-can-be-obtained-by-throwing-a-small-state-to/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [A small-state world would not only solve the problems of social brutality and war; it would solve the problems of oppression and tyranny. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leopold-kohr/a-small-state-world-would-not-only-solve-the-problems-of-social/) [Leopold Kohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leopold-kohr/) > [Nevada is a small state. I think we're doing well trying to diversify and grow and understanding that it takes time. We're going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacky-rosen/nevada-is-a-small-state-i-think-we-re-doing-well-trying-to-diversify/) [Jacky Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacky-rosen/) > [What you have to remember about Belarus is that it's a small state - it has a population of less than 10m people -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/what-you-have-to-remember-about-belarus-is-that-it-s-a-small-state-it/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [Even if we did achieve what we wanted with a very small state, we'd just be resetting the clock back to 1776, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-molyneux/even-if-we-did-achieve-what-we-wanted-with-a-very-small-state-we-d/) [Stefan Molyneux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-molyneux/) > [I don't know if I have a legacy, but I will say that I'm proud of the fact that I'm from a small town…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinker-hatfield/i-don-t-know-if-i-have-a-legacy-but-i-will-say-that-i-m-proud-of-the/) [Tinker Hatfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinker-hatfield/) > [West Virginia is a relatively small state. There are only a handful of football players that come out of West Virginia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-luck/west-virginia-is-a-relatively-small-state-there-are-only-a-handful-of/) [Oliver Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-luck/) > [A small state increases by concord; the greatest falls gradually to ruin by dissension.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sallust/a-small-state-increases-by-concord-the-greatest-falls-gradually-to/) [Sallust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sallust/) > [Kerala is a small state, and Malayalam films are seen by only very few people. That doesn't bother me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sreenivasan/kerala-is-a-small-state-and-malayalam-films-are-seen-by-only-very-few/) [Sreenivasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sreenivasan/) > [Vermont is a small state which makes an enormous difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/vermont-is-a-small-state-which-makes-an-enormous-difference/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [I must say the geographically small State of Kerala has been traditionally influencing the discourse of the country with progressive ideas and innovative programs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pinarayi-vijayan/i-must-say-the-geographically-small-state-of-kerala-has-been/) [Pinarayi Vijayan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pinarayi-vijayan/) > [We're a small state. Our quantity of representation in Washington is not as large as a Texas, an Ohio, or a New York. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-pruitt/we-re-a-small-state-our-quantity-of-representation-in-washington-is/) [Scott Pruitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-pruitt/) ## More by Aristotle > [The knowledge of the soul admittedly contributes greatly to the advance of truth in general, and, above all, to our understanding of Nature, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-knowledge-of-the-soul-admittedly-contributes-greatly-to-the/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Young men have strong passions and tend to gratify them indiscriminately. 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 Animal quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/) [Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/) [Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Most persons think that a state in order to be happy ought to be large; but even if they are right, they have no idea of what is a large and what a small state… To the size of states there is a limit, as there is to other things, plants, animals, implements; for none of these retain their natural power when they are too large or too small, but they either wholly lose their nature, or are spoiled.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aristotle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/most-persons-think-that-a-state-in-order-to-be-happy-ought-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Animal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/most-persons-think-that-a-state-in-order-to-be-happy-ought-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/259/aristotle-78_animal_most-persons-think-that-a-state-in-order_2024899.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/259/aristotle-78_animal_most-persons-think-that-a-state-in-order_2024899.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/259/aristotle-78_animal_most-persons-think-that-a-state-in-order_2024899.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Most persons think that a state in order to be happy ought to be large; but even if they are right, they…” — Aristotle", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Aristotle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Most persons think that a state...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/most-persons-think-that-a-state-in-order-to-be-happy-ought-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/most-persons-think-that-a-state-in-order-to-be-happy-ought-to-be/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```