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Science Quote by Hippocrates

"Everything in excess is opposed to nature"

About this Quote

A physician’s warning disguised as a law of the universe, Hippocrates’ “Everything in excess is opposed to nature” reads like an ancient prescription written for a culture that loved absolutes. It lands because it takes the drama out of morality and puts it into physiology: excess isn’t “sinful,” it’s misaligned. Nature, in this view, isn’t a romantic wilderness; it’s the body’s operating system, a set of limits that will assert itself whether you respect it or not.

The intent is clinical and preventive. Hippocratic medicine was built on observing patterns, not worshiping miracles, and on the assumption that health is balance. “Excess” is the trigger word: too much food, too much drink, too much exertion, too much heat or cold, even too much emotion. The line anticipates the doctor’s most frustrating truth: the patient often creates the illness through overcorrection, indulgence, or panic. It’s advice aimed as much at the caretaker as the sick - don’t over-treat, don’t force the body, don’t mistake intervention for wisdom.

Subtextually, the quote is a quiet critique of status and appetite. In a world where wealth could mean feasting and power could mean taking, “nature” becomes the one authority you can’t bribe. It’s also a subtle boundary marker for medicine itself: if your cure relies on extremes, you’re not practicing science, you’re performing. The enduring punch is that it frames moderation not as virtue-signaling, but as survival.

Quote Details

TopicWisdom
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Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Hippocrates. (2026, January 17). Everything in excess is opposed to nature. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/everything-in-excess-is-opposed-to-nature-31548/

Chicago Style
Hippocrates. "Everything in excess is opposed to nature." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/everything-in-excess-is-opposed-to-nature-31548/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Everything in excess is opposed to nature." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/everything-in-excess-is-opposed-to-nature-31548/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

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Everything in Excess is Opposed to Nature - Hippocrates
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About the Author

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Hippocrates (460 BC - 357 BC) was a Scientist from Greece.

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