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sophiasolex3 t1_itelzr9 wrote

Consistency is key! I needed this reminder today. Thank you!

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Brublios t1_itf33o3 wrote

It's is an abreviation i guess, The real quote is:

>"‎”We are what we repeatedly do. excellence then is not an act but a habit”"

Correct me if i am wrong.

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SonicGhost t1_itf5mzh wrote

That sounds more like Aristotle!

Quality is such a weird translation of (I assume) ἀρετή; the usual translation is virtue. The context of this quote is that Aristotle is giving an account of how one can develop the correct appetites or desires (separate from rationality). This is because he thinks that the truly virtuous man is in harmony with himself: he both desires and knows what the right thing to do is.

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jbr208 t1_itffli2 wrote

Sounds right. It’s vaguely familiar from his work, “Nicomachean Ethics.” Or at least what I remember from my ethics course in college. Not those specific words (like I can remember every sentence in a book I read 7 years ago) but certainly the thrust of it.

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AffectionateArm8350 t1_itfxyab wrote

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.

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enduring_student t1_ite8v0k wrote

This one spoke to me. Thanks!

I'd argue that quality is both and act and a habit, but it's still a solid quote.

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TheresNoHurry t1_ithn2ke wrote

I think this is misattributed isn’t it?

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treditor13 t1_ithynce wrote

"But, fake it till ya' make it" - Kierkegaard

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Collins08480 t1_itf12yr wrote

.... Quality is an adjective. This is word salad.

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SonicGhost t1_itf5yv6 wrote

In Greek adjectives can be used substantively, i.e. as a noun. Though in this case, I'm fairly certain the original word aretē is just a noun, meaning "virtue" or "excellence."

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furrysalesman69 t1_itg0l8i wrote

What's your best quality then?

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SonicGhost t1_itk9dt3 wrote

That's a different use of the word quality than in the quote! Here quality is used as an adjective as in: quality work, quality time, a quality product, etc. As opposed to: what qualities do you have, since in the latter case quality is a neutral term (and in the quote it's clearly positive).

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furrysalesman69 t1_itkbc1e wrote

Post seems to be leaning to it being used as a Quality by itself, and not as the the adjective that r/collins08480 alludes to. The quote however is not entirely a word salad, but a word sandwich without the top layer of bread. The word "quality" feels like a poor subject in this sentence, but it is technically correct. Usually these sentences are led with explorations of why they made such a declarative statement.

I do see where y'all are coming from, as Quality does give itself to the words Habit and Act, BUT it is not describing it. Rather the words Act and Habit are being used here as ADJECTIVES towards the word quality. This is why this sentence fragment feels sus.

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SonicGhost t1_itlhumd wrote

What would it mean to say: Quality is not an act? Does it mean something like: a characteristic of something is not an act? Or does it mean: virtue is not an act? If the latter (and the latter is correct), then do you see why the word quality is used wrongly?

Of course, it is possible to read quality as an abstract noun. The point is this: the abstract noun "quality" doesn't mean what it means here. It usually means "characteristic" or "attribute", not "virtue", "excellence", etc.

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furrysalesman69 t1_itn9h65 wrote

What it usually means and what it means here are two different chickens my guy. Once again, this phantasmal of a sentence is about as coherent as your mom when she tells you Halloween is satanic and hands out apples and raisins to trick or treaters.

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SonicGhost t1_itnp351 wrote

> What it usually means and what it means here are two different chickens my guy.

Sorry, what? The meaning of language is in use. If you use a word in a way that nobody would use it wouldn't mean anything. Here, the use of the word quality is pushing it; it borders on being incorrect.

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