Desire Quote by Plato
“When anything is in the presence of evil, but is not as yet evil, the presence of good arouses the desire of good in that thing; but the presence of evil, which makes a thing evil, takes away the desire and friendship of the good; for that which was once both good and evil has now become evil only, and the good has no friendship with evil.”
About This Quote
Source Dialogues: Republic, Book VII, c. 380 BC
Good and evil influence desire; good presence inspires good desire, while evil presence corrupts and eliminates that desire.
In simple terms: Good inspires good; evil corrupts.
Key Takeaway
Seek good influences, avoid corrupting ones.
Themes
morality
desire
influence
Mood
reflective
serious
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- personal development
- community building
- leadership
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
philosophy
ethics
human nature
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you maintain good desire amidst negative surroundings?
- What good influences can you cultivate?
A Different Perspective
Evil can dominate if not countered by strong good influences.
![“Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three [great teachers] did not tell - they catalyzed a burning desire to know. Under their influence, the horizons sprung wide and fear went away and the unknown became knowable. But most important of…” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/84c/john-steinbeck-71_art_teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-t_1738.jpg)
