"Happiness is secured through virtue; it is a good attained by man's own will"

Thomas Aquinas' quote suggests that joy is not something that is merely provided to us, however something that we need to work to accomplish. He recommends that it is through virtue, or moral quality, that we can achieve true joy. This implies that we should strive to be good and ethical individuals in order to be truly pleased. Aquinas likewise suggests that this is something that we can achieve through our own will, or our own decision and effort. This indicates that we have the power to make ourselves pleased, and that it is up to us to take the required actions to attain it. Eventually, Aquinas' quote recommends that happiness is something that we should work to obtain, and that it is within our power to do so.