"It's impossible for someone who is human to have all good things together, just as there is no single country able to provide all good things for itself"
- Herodotus
About this Quote
This quote by Herodotus speaks with the idea that nobody person can have all the good things in life, simply as no single country can supply all the good ideas for itself. This is because of the limitations of being human and the fact that resources are finite. It is impossible for a single person to have all the good ideas in life, such as wealth, health, and happiness, due to the fact that these things are not constantly within our control. Similarly, no single nation can supply all the good ideas for itself, as resources are restricted and there are constantly contending interests. This quote serves as a pointer that we should not anticipate too much from ourselves or from our nations, as it is difficult to have all the advantages in life. Instead, we should concentrate on what we can do and aim to maximize our resources.
"What is real is not the external form, but the essence of things... it is impossible for anyone to express anything essentially real by imitating its exterior surface"