The Lives and Opinions of Eminent PhilosophersDiogenes Laertius
Philosophy
The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers
Diogenes Laertius
Philosophers, Ancient -- Biography; Philosophy, Ancient
He used to say, that there were two kinds of exercise: that, namely, of
the mind and that of the body; and that the latter of these created in
the mind such quick and agile phantasies at the time of its performance,
as very much facilitated the practice of virtue; but that one was
imperfect without the other, since the health and vigour necessary for
the practice of what is good, depend equally on both mind and body. And
he used to allege as proofs of this, and of the ease which practice
imparts to acts of virtue, that people could see that in the case of
mere common working trades, and other employments of that kind, the
artisans arrived at no inconsiderable accuracy by constant practice;
and that any one may see how much one flute player, or one wrestler, is
superior to another, by his own continued practice. And that if these
men transferred the same training to their minds they would not labour
in a profitless or imperfect manner. He used to say also, that there was
nothing whatever in life which could be brought to perfection without
practice, and that that alone was able to overcome every obstacle; that,
therefore, as we ought to repudiate all useless toils, and to apply
ourselves to useful labours, and to live happily, we are only unhappy in
consequence of most exceeding folly. For the very contempt of pleasure,
if we only inure ourselves to it, is very pleasant; and just as they who
are accustomed to live luxuriously, are brought very unwillingly to adopt
the contrary system; so they who have been originally inured to that
opposite system, feel a sort of pleasure in the contempt of pleasure.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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