On the generators of semisimple lie algebras

It will be shown that given any element X in a simple Lie algebra $\text{Q}$ over C, there exists a Y ∈ $\text{Q}$ such that the Lie algebra generated by X and Y is $\text{Q}$. The result is extended to the real semisimple Lie algebras. In some sense the main theorem of this paper can be regarded as an extension of Morozov-Jacobson theorem concerning three dimensional simple Lie algebras (see the remark at the end of Sec. 4). A new property of a special class of regular elements, known as the cyclic elements, is given.