Brian JohnsonChairman & Philosopher in Residence at Heroic

The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle (Heroic Wisdom Daily)

5 Feb 2025 · 1 min

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Brian Johnson (Heroic Wisdom Daily) summarizes Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics: happiness (eudaimonia) is the highest good and is achieved through living a life of virtue (arete). He gives three practical steps: practice the golden mean (balance), pursue excellence as habit, and act with purpose (teleological alignment), closing with a one-day call-to-action to perform a virtuous deed.

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Today's wisdom is from the Ethics by Aristotle. Aristotle reminds us happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence to summum bonum, the greatest good. And for Aristotle, happiness, or eudaimonia, is about living a life of virtue and purpose in a single word. Arete. Here's how to live virtuously today. Number one, practice the golden mean. Aristotle says virtue of lies in the balance between excess and deficiency. So seek balance in one area of your life today. Number two, pursue excellence. Aristotle paraphrased, we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence or arete, then is not an act but a habit. So focus on one habit that helps you grow. And number three, act with purpose. Every action aims at some good. We're teleological. We got to have a target at which we aim our life or soul force. So reflect on your actions and align them with your highest values. What's one virtuous action you can take today to flourish? Get on that. Let's make today heroic and I will see you tomorrow.