--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The greatest crimes are not those…" description: "\"“The greatest crimes are not those committed for the sake of necessity but those committed for the sake of superfluity. One does not become a tyrant to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/559/aristotle-78_crimes_the-greatest-crimes-are-not-those-commit_511126.png" --- # The greatest crimes are not those committed for the sake… ![“The greatest crimes are not those committed for the sake of necessity but those committed for the sake of superfluity. One does not become a tyrant to avoid exposure to the cold.” quote by Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/559/aristotle-78_crimes_the-greatest-crimes-are-not-those-commit_511126.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/559/aristotle-78_crimes_the-greatest-crimes-are-not-those-commit_511126.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/559/aristotle-78_crimes_the-greatest-crimes-are-not-those-commit_511126.png) > ““The greatest crimes are not those committed for the sake of necessity but those committed for the sake of superfluity. One does not become a tyrant to avoid exposure to the cold.”” [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. Crimes driven by excess, not necessity, reveal moral decay; tyranny stems from desire for surplus, not survival. **In simple terms:** Excessive actions cause moral harm, not need. Key Takeaway Avoid unnecessary excess to maintain virtue. Themes ethics politics morality Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - business decisions - government policy - personal habits Key Concepts excess tyranny necessity Questions to Reflect On - What defines “necessary” versus “superfluous”? - Can excess ever be virtuous? A Different Perspective Excess can be justified in certain survival scenarios. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crimes/) [Crimes Committed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crimes-committed-238294/) [Exposure Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exposure-cold-4331615/) [Greatest Crimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-crimes-387256/) [Necessity Committed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessity-committed-4331614/) ## Related quotes > [In the name of certainty, the greatest crimes have been committed against humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-fuentes/in-the-name-of-certainty-the-greatest-crimes-have-been-committed/) [Carlos Fuentes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-fuentes/) > [“men are guilty of the greatest crimes from ambition, and not from necessity,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/men-are-guilty-of-the-greatest-crimes-from-ambition-and-not-from/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The greatest crimes are caused by surfeit, not by want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-greatest-crimes-are-caused-by-surfeit-not-by-want/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The greatest crimes do not arise from a want of feeling for others but from an over-sensibilit y for ourselves and an over-indulgence to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/the-greatest-crimes-do-not-arise-from-a-want-of-feeling-for-others-2/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [“The greatest crimes in the world are not committed against the body, but against the freedom of the consciousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/the-greatest-crimes-in-the-world-are-not-committed-against-the-body/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [People do peculiar things in life and they do for whatever reason but I think one of the greatest crimes in life is when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/people-do-peculiar-things-in-life-and-they-do-for-whatever-reason-but/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [The desire to rule over others, the will to power, is one of the greatest crimes that man has committed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-desire-to-rule-over-others-the-will-to-power-is-one-of-the/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“The greatest crimes in the world are not committed by people breaking the rules. It's people who follow orders that drop bombs and massacre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banksy/the-greatest-crimes-in-the-world-are-not-committed-by-people-breaking-3/) [Banksy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banksy/) > [The greatest crimes do not arise from a want of feeling for others but from an over-sensibility for ourselves and an over-indulgence to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greatest-crimes-do-not-arise-from-a-want-of-feeling-for-others/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The greatest crimes in the world are not committed by people breaking the rules but by people following the rules. It's people who follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banksy/the-greatest-crimes-in-the-world-are-not-committed-by-people-breaking-2/) [Banksy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banksy/) > [The destruction of the past is perhaps the greatest of all crimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/the-destruction-of-the-past-is-perhaps-the-greatest-of-all-crimes/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [“The greatest crimes in the world are not committed by people breaking the rules, but by people following the rules.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greatest-crimes-in-the-world-are-not-committed-by-people-breaking/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is the greatest of crimes to depress true art and science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/it-is-the-greatest-of-crimes-to-depress-true-art-and-science/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [The greatest crimes are to associate another with God, to vex your father and mother, to murder your own species, to commit suicide, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad/the-greatest-crimes-are-to-associate-another-with-god-to-vex-your/) [Muhammad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad/) > [The greatest of all crimes are the wars that are carried on by governments, to plunder, enslave, and destroy mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-greatest-of-all-crimes-are-the-wars-that-are-carried-on-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) ## 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 Crimes quotes > [The Constitution is very clear on the - on the declaration of war or reacting to international crimes - crimes against nations. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pitts/the-constitution-is-very-clear-on-the-on-the-declaration-of-war-or/) [Joe Pitts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-pitts/) > [Among our crimes oblivion may be set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/among-our-crimes-oblivion-may-be-set/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [The greatest of all crimes are the wars that are carried on by governments, to plunder, enslave, and destroy mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-greatest-of-all-crimes-are-the-wars-that-are-carried-on-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [I stated that Hiroshima and Nagasaki are 'among the most unspeakable crimes in history.' I took no position on just where they stand on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-stated-that-hiroshima-and-nagasaki-are-among-the-most-unspeakable/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [High testosterone levels have been proven to make men more likely to commit crimes. The tendency in men toward risky behaviour keeps turning up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/high-testosterone-levels-have-been-proven-to-make-men-more-likely-to/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [I've always thought that you don't love a country by turning a blind eye to its crimes and to a problem. The way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-ve-always-thought-that-you-don-t-love-a-country-by-turning-a-blind/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [Heinous crimes are not new to our society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjay-mishra/heinous-crimes-are-not-new-to-our-society/) [Sanjay Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjay-mishra/) > [Crimes against women are growing day by day. Despite this, the mindset of our leaders, politicians, or judicial system is not changing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raveena-tandon/crimes-against-women-are-growing-day-by-day-despite-this-the-mindset/) [Raveena Tandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raveena-tandon/) > [Formerly we suffered from crimes; now we suffer from laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/formerly-we-suffered-from-crimes-now-we-suffer-from-laws/) [Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/) > [“Any profession you engage in, no matter how profitable, unless it is truly helpful and good for others, is a crime against your soul,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/any-profession-you-engage-in-no-matter-how-profitable-unless-it-is/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [The greatest crimes are to associate another with God, to vex your father and mother, to murder your own species, to commit suicide, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad/the-greatest-crimes-are-to-associate-another-with-god-to-vex-your/) [Muhammad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad/) > [It is the greatest of crimes to depress true art and science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/it-is-the-greatest-of-crimes-to-depress-true-art-and-science/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [“The greatest crimes in the world are not committed by people breaking the rules, but by people following the rules.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greatest-crimes-in-the-world-are-not-committed-by-people-breaking/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In life there are many thing's you may not like or want but is necessary for stability and sustainability for life and its environment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymouse/in-life-there-are-many-thing-s-you-may-not-like-or-want-but-is/) [Anonymouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymouse/) > [The trial organized with U.N. participation of some kind will be for crimes committed by Khmer Rouge leaders from 1975 to 1979. That's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hun-sen/the-trial-organized-with-u-n-participation-of-some-kind-will-be-for/) [Hun Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hun-sen/) [Browse all 276 Crimes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crimes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The greatest crimes are not those committed for the sake of necessity but those committed for the sake of superfluity. 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