Theme

Growth philosophy quotes

Philosophy quotations on growth, gathered from verified English renderings across traditions.

Why this theme matters

This theme page collects 8 English passages that touch growth as a philosophical concern—whether as a concept to define, a value to pursue, or a problem to examine.

In the history of philosophy

Related discussions appear across Greek, Chinese, Indian, Islamic, and modern European traditions. Use the quotations below as entry points, then follow thinker pages for fuller context.

Thinkers in this collection

Aristotle , Friedrich Nietzsche , John Dewey , Ralph Waldo Emerson , Confucius , Mencius , Xunzi

Frequently asked questions

What did philosophers say about growth?

They approached growth from ethics, metaphysics, politics, and lived practice. The passages below show several of those angles in compact form.

Where can I find philosophy quotes about growth?

This archive page is organized for that search intent: verified English quotations, with links to thinkers and related themes.

How should I read these quotations?

Read the sentence first, then check school and source. A quotation is a doorway into an argument, not a substitute for the surrounding text.

  1. Virtues arise in us neither by nature nor contrary to nature; we are fitted by nature to receive them, and are brought to completion by habit.
  2. From the military school of life. — What does not kill me makes me stronger.
  3. Man is something that shall be overcome.
  4. Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.
  5. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
  6. The Master said: When you have faults, do not fear to correct them.
  7. Thus, when Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on someone, it first afflicts his mind and will, exhausts his muscles and bones, starves his body, subjects him to poverty, and confounds his undertakings — so as to stir his mind, harden his nature, and increase his capacities.
  8. Indigo is taken from the indigo plant, yet is bluer than the plant; ice is made of water, yet is colder than water.