... absolute greatness will never be great and also small, but that greatness in us or in the concrete will never admit the small or admit of even being exceeded; instead of this, one of two things will happen—either the greater will fly and retire before the opposite, which is the less, or the advance of the less will cease to exist; but will not, if allowing or admitting smallness, be changed by that... nor can any other opposite which remains the same ever be or become its own opposite, but either passes away or perishes in the change.

Plato - Phaedo