“Human good turns out to be activity of soul in accordance with virtue, and if there are more than one virtue, in accordance with the best and most complete.”
Aristotle
VirtueHappiness
Best Quotes
200 FAMOUS QUOTES · BEST
Best Quotes
Read 200 of the best quotes about doing your best, the best things in life and bringing out the best in yourself, from Aristotle, Shakespeare, Emerson and more.
“For man, when perfected, is the best of animals, but, when separated from law and justice, he is the worst of all.”
Aristotle
Human NatureJustice
“The victory over self is of all victories the first and best.”
Plato
Self-ControlVictory
“The best ideas are common property.”
Seneca
IdeasSharing
“They are not only idle who do nothing, but they are idle also who might be better employed.”
Socrates
WorkPurpose
“If thou findest in human life anything better than justice, truth, temperance, fortitude, turn to it with all thy soul, and enjoy that which thou hast found to be the best.”
Marcus Aurelius
VirtueTruth
“In the highest antiquity, the people did not know that there were their rulers. In the next age they loved them and praised them.”
Lao Tzu
LeadershipHumility
“Perfect is the virtue which is according to the Mean! Rare have they long been among the people, who could practise it!”
Confucius
BalanceVirtue
“The best of ways is the eightfold; the best of truths the four words; the best of virtues passionlessness; the best of men he who has eyes to see.”
Buddha (Dhammapada)
WisdomSpirituality
“The gift of the law exceeds all gifts; the sweetness of the law exceeds all sweetness; the delight in the law exceeds all delights.”
Buddha (Dhammapada)
TruthJoy
“Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
The Bible (Luke 10:42)
PrioritiesFaith
“Covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.”
The Bible (1 Corinthians 12:31)
ExcellenceLove
“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”
The Bible (Ecclesiastes 7:8)
PatienceHumility
“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”
The Bible (Proverbs 15:17)
LoveSimplicity
“Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.”
The Bible (Ecclesiastes 4:6)
PeaceContentment
“Thou hast kept the good wine until now.”
The Bible (John 2:10)
Best Is Yet To ComeBlessings
“Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark.”
The Bible (Philippians 3:13-14)
Moving ForwardGoals
“Be ye therefore perfect.”
The Bible (Matthew 5:48)
ExcellenceFaith
“Striving to better, oft we mar what's well.”
William Shakespeare
PerfectionismWisdom
“Best safety lies in fear.”
William Shakespeare
CautionSafety
“The best in this kind are but shadows; and the worst are no worse, if imagination amend them.”
William Shakespeare
ImaginationArt
“All these I better in one general best.”
William Shakespeare
LoveTreasure
“They say best men are moulded out of faults, and, for the most, become much more the better for being a little bad.”
William Shakespeare
ImperfectionGrowth
“The best effect of fine persons is felt after we have left their presence.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
InfluenceCharacter
“The best lightning-rod for your protection is your own spine.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
CourageSelf-Reliance
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About Best Quotes
What does it mean to be your best, to give your best or to choose the best life? For thousands of years, philosophers, poets and wise thinkers have tried to answer those questions. Their words remind us that the best things are often simple, that the best victories are over ourselves, and that our best is always worth giving.
This collection brings together 200 of the best quotes about doing your best, the best things in life and bringing out the best in people, from Aristotle, Plato, William Shakespeare, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Charles Dickens and many more. Read them for wisdom, motivation or a perfect caption.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Best quotes.
What are the best quotes of all time?
Some of the most quoted lines in history include Dickens's "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," Aesop's "Honesty is the best policy" and Burns's "The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley." Each captures a timeless truth in just a few words.
What are the best quotes about doing your best?
Plato wrote that the victory over self is the first and best of all victories, and Philippians 3:14 speaks of pressing toward the mark. Longfellow's single word "Excelsior," meaning "ever upward," is another classic reminder to keep striving.
What does "the best-laid schemes" mean?
The phrase comes from Robert Burns's 1785 poem "To a Mouse" and means that even the most carefully made plans often go wrong. It reminds us to stay flexible when life does not go as expected.
What does "less is more" mean?
The phrase first appeared in Robert Browning's 1855 poem "Andrea del Sarto" and means that simplicity is often better than excess. It later became a famous principle in design and architecture.
What are the best short quotes for Instagram captions?
Try "Less is more," "Honesty is the best policy," "The best of life is conversation," or "Thou hast kept the good wine until now." Short, timeless lines like these work well for many kinds of posts.
What did Shakespeare say about being the best?
Shakespeare warned that "striving to better, oft we mar what's well," meaning perfectionism can spoil what is already good. He also wrote that the best people are often shaped by their faults and grow better through them.