--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The aim of the wise is not to secure…" description: "\"The aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain.\" — Aristotle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/aristotle-78_aim_the-aim-of-the-wise-is-not-to-secure-ple_559831.png" --- # The aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to… ![“The aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain.” quote by Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/aristotle-78_aim_the-aim-of-the-wise-is-not-to-secure-ple_559831.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/aristotle-78_aim_the-aim-of-the-wise-is-not-to-secure-ple_559831.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/aristotle-78_aim_the-aim-of-the-wise-is-not-to-secure-ple_559831.png) > “The aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain.” [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 wise aim to minimize suffering rather than chase fleeting pleasure, focusing on long‑term well‑being. **In simple terms:** Seek to avoid pain, not just seek pleasure. Key Takeaway Prioritize lasting well‑being over short thrills. Themes ethics wisdom well‑being pleasure pain Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - personal decisions - health choices - career planning Key Concepts virtue ethics hedonism eudaimonia Questions to Reflect On - What pains are you overlooking? - How can you balance pleasure with pain avoidance? A Different Perspective Avoiding pain can be as challenging as seeking pleasure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aim/) [Aim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aim-wise-4643216/) [Avoid Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoid-pain/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Pleasure Avoid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure-avoid-2648547/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) ## Related quotes > [The majority of mankind would seem to be beguiled into error by pleasure, which, not being really a good, yet seems to be so.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-majority-of-mankind-would-seem-to-be-beguiled-into-error-by/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [“Aim not, if you are wise, to make water run uphill nor try pulling milk from the udders of a billy-goat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-boyd/aim-not-if-you-are-wise-to-make-water-run-uphill-nor-try-pulling-milk/) [Neil Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-boyd/) > [I don't aim to be smart, I aim to be wise there's a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zarah/i-don-t-aim-to-be-smart-i-aim-to-be-wise-there-s-a-difference/) [Zarah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zarah/) > [At first he who invented any art that went beyond the common perceptions of man was naturally admired by men, not only because there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/at-first-he-who-invented-any-art-that-went-beyond-the-common/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [“They say though that we do more to avoid pain than we do to gain pleasure. So it is when the pain becomes too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bronnie-ware/they-say-though-that-we-do-more-to-avoid-pain-than-we-do-to-gain/) [Bronnie Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bronnie-ware/) > [To avoid pain we must know the conditions of health. For the accomplishment of this end we must rely upon investigation instead of faith,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/to-avoid-pain-we-must-know-the-conditions-of-health-for-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [You can't avoid pain in life. It's how you handle pain, that's what defines you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-maron/you-can-t-avoid-pain-in-life-it-s-how-you-handle-pain-that-s-what/) [Marc Maron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-maron/) > [“Pain is a predator when we run from it, it will inevitably chase us down and catch us in its clutches. The goal isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaeda-dewalt/pain-is-a-predator-when-we-run-from-it-it-will-inevitably-chase-us/) [Jaeda DeWalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaeda-dewalt/) > [The difficulty we have in accepting responsibility for our behavior lies in the desire to avoid the pain of the consequences of that behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/the-difficulty-we-have-in-accepting-responsibility-for-our-behavior/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [“What causes misery is always trying to get away from the facts of life, always trying to avoid pain and seek happiness—this sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/what-causes-misery-is-always-trying-to-get-away-from-the-facts-of/) [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [There is a great deal of pain in life and perhaps the only pain that can be avoided is the pain that comes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-d-laing/there-is-a-great-deal-of-pain-in-life-and-perhaps-the-only-pain-that/) [R. D. Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-d-laing/) > [There's no way that I know of to avoid pain absolutely, but suffering is the interpretation we choose to place on the pain we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florynce-kennedy/there-s-no-way-that-i-know-of-to-avoid-pain-absolutely-but-suffering/) [Florynce Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florynce-kennedy/) > [If your goal is to avoid pain and escape suffering, I would not advise you to seek higher levels of consciousness or spiritual evolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/if-your-goal-is-to-avoid-pain-and-escape-suffering-i-would-not-advise/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [“Making yourself an outcast was one way to avoid the pain of having it done to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-hart/making-yourself-an-outcast-was-one-way-to-avoid-the-pain-of-having-it/) [Erin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-hart/) > [There is no way you can avoid the pain of love when it hurts, but you can choose to ignore it by keeping yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/there-is-no-way-you-can-avoid-the-pain-of-love-when-it-hurts-but-you/) [Pacifiersucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pacifiersucker/) ## 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. Now since being alive is spoken of in many ways, even if only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-ensouled-is-distinguished-from-the-unsouled-by-its-being-alive/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Although it may be difficult in theory to know what is just and equal, the practical difficulty of inducing those to forbear who can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/although-it-may-be-difficult-in-theory-to-know-what-is-just-and-equal/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The true forms of government, therefore, are those in which the one, or the few, or the many, govern with a view to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-true-forms-of-government-therefore-are-those-in-which-the-one-or/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [All men by nature desire to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/all-men-by-nature-desire-to-know/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [All persons ought to endeavor to follow what is right, and not what is established.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/all-persons-ought-to-endeavor-to-follow-what-is-right-and-not-what-is/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. 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. 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