For pleasure is a state of soul, and to each man that which he is said to be a lover of is pleasant
 Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (c. 334 BC - 330 BC). copy citation

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Author Aristotle
Source Nicomachean Ethics
Topic pleasure soul
Date c. 334 BC - 330 BC
Language English
Reference
Note Translated by W. D. Ross
Weblink http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.mb.txt

Context

“And as in the Olympic Games it is not the most beautiful and the strongest that are crowned but those who compete (for it is some of these that are victorious) , so those who act win, and rightly win, the noble and good things in life. Their life is also in itself pleasant. For pleasure is a state of soul, and to each man that which he is said to be a lover of is pleasant; e.g. not only is a horse pleasant to the lover of horses, and a spectacle to the lover of sights, but also in the same way just acts are pleasant to the lover of justice and in general virtuous acts to the lover of virtue.” source