Why Aristotle Was Right: The Power Of Balance
“Virtue is the golden mean between two vices, the one of excess and the other of deficiency” — Aristotle
I start to feel like this old man had it all right.
Quick background:
Aristotle is one of greatest Greek thinkers in the history of western science and philosophy. Together with Plato and Socrates, he laid much of the groundwork for our modern way of thinking.
One of the main ideas of Aristotle’s teachings is the idea of finding balance.
Aristotle argued that all virtue in life is achieved by “maintaining the Golden Mean”. This means that, in order to find happiness, people should always strive for a balance between 2 extremes.
Let’s take an example:
Did you every encounter someone who is a bit of a coward? Typically, he or she doesn’t dare to speak up or act when facing danger, opposition or threat.
Now, did you ever encounter someone who is totally reckless and unconcerned about the consequences of his or her actions?
Courage is the middle between these 2 extremes.
A person is neither too much of a coward, nor too reckless. In stead, he is courageous. He has learnt to find a balance between these two extremes.
This person, Aristotle argues, will be a virtuous and happy person . He is at balance. He has found the the Golden Mean.
I must think of this ancient principle a lot these days
In a society where non-stop stimulation is widely available, I see a lot of people suffering to apply the rule.
People either succumb in the extreme of excess, which can take form in the accumulation of wealth, food, drugs, alcohol OR descend into deficiency, like inadequate attention to education, healthy sport activities or intellectual pursuits.
One of the examples that strikes me the most is the tremendous imbalance between consuming and producing. Way too many people consume television, media, news, etc. in stead of producing things themselves. While relevant consumption is important, this imbalance is striking and causes a lot of frustration amongst people who don’t seem to find a way to produce valuable things.
Other example: spending money. Holding on to all of your money and not give out a penny comes across as being stingy and penurious, while spending too much of it as a prodigality.
In fact, the examples are countless. Think of binge-eating and drinking, getting sleep, etc.
Aristotle recommends moderation.
We all know too much alcohol will cause a hangover. We all know sleeping only 3–4 hours will harm our body and health. We all know that too much sunlight will give us a sunburn.
Still, people keep falling into this trap time after time.
But what is it that makes living in excess or deficiency so tempting?
Aristotle argues that people who don’t respect the Golden Mean principle think more about short-term gratification. Maintaining a relativity of balance requires willpower and long-term thinking abilities.
I think this ancient principle is still very powerful. Our current world bombards us with temptations, either causing us to over-consume or stay in our shelves out of fear and anxiety.
Finding that balance is a very important aspect of our well-being. I even think it’s crucial in building a healthy self-esteem. Balancing your desires will allow you to strengthen your willpower muscles and keep you focused on your long-term goals.
Yin and Yang baby ☯️
Talk soon,
Anthony.