The Golden Mean Humanities Essay Essay Sample
Aristotle’s “Golden Mean”
Aristotle considered moralss to be a “practical instead than theoretical study” ( Aristotle on Virtue ) . He taught that virtuousness has to make with looking for the balance between extremes- the mean between surplus and lack. The Aureate Mean. as it was coined. is intended to assist people place which provinces of character are virtuous. The virtuous province of character is the appropriate manner people feel and react to fortunes as opposed to over responding or under responding. He reasoned that as worlds we have maps that are specific to worlds and that those maps must set down in the center of ground and emotion. In order for there to be felicity in life. good character. or moral virtuousness. has to be obtained and the lone manner the psyche can be happy is through the Golden Mean.
The mean has three cardinal elements that conveying it together to do it “golden. ” First. the individual must be in a province of equilibrium. One’s character is at a balanced province and is neither utmost nor lacking. Equilibrium is doing the right picks at the right clip in the right topographic point. The 2nd component is establishing that equilibrium around the person instead than the whole. “Aristotle’s moralss are non a one-size-fits-all system ; what he is looking for is the mean that is good for a peculiar individual” ( New World Encyclopedia ) . What makes one individual experience fulfilled may non do another experience the same. Every homo is different and should establish their average off of one’s ain ego. The 3rd component is that every virtuousness should fall between two frailties. Virtue is similar to the mean in the fact that it is the balance between two frailties. For illustration. if surplus was on one terminal of a graduated table and lack on the other and virtuousness is the balance. traveling closer to either frailty causes negative effects but if a person’s character is closer to the center. the individual receives positive feedback.
These three elements together are necessary for a individual to populate a virtuous. and hence. happy life. Aristotle does non mean that virtuousness is placed dead centre between two vises. he denotes that virtuousness is someplace in the center. Knowing precisely what the right thing to make is hard for worlds. No 1 ever knows what the right reply is or what is appropriate in a state of affairs. There is sometimes a battle in happening the mean. “A general must seek bravery. the mean between cowardliness and recklessness. in order to derive award. A individual who seeks pleasance through feeding must happen the mean between being a gourmand and famishment. A individual who seeks cognition must happen the mean between ignorance and seeking cognition to extra ; extra cognition is non wisdom. but the head turned to cunning” ( New World Encyclopedia ) . An illustration of turning to one frailty more than the other is being really angry at the fact a household member is murdered. It is appropriate even if the emotions felt are closer to the extra frailty instead than to the indifference. or in-between. In this instance it is virtuous to experience angry. However. if H2O is spilt on a person’s bloomerss. it is virtuous to be closer to indifference.
In life. it is sometimes hard to happen the right equilibrium. It is non easy to be a virtuous individual all the clip and to do the right determination. particularly when it may non be the easiest 1. Everyday determinations are made based on emotion and logic. What Aristotle wants people to make is to happen the right sum of emotion and the right sum of logic. After reading about the Golden Mean and how it is supposed to convey felicity. I have established three chief thoughts to better my life. Measure on is “setting realistic goals” . Whenever a end is set. holding the right purpose has to be the base.
The end is non to over power people. but to hold the appropriate sum of ground and the right sum of emotion to do the right determination. Alternatively of being completely selfish or wholly altruistic. happening the balance suggests that you can assist yourself while assisting others. Helping others brings joy to me. and if I do non needfully desire to make what another individual asks. I can believe of the joy it brings them when I help. That can assist me with maintaining the balance in the right topographic point because in the terminal it benefits my felicity. Step two is “knowing your bounds. ” There is merely so much energy and emotion a individual can give out to others before there is a lack. The Aureate Mean is meant for balance and non for invariably being on the tally ( both literally and figuratively ) . When a individual goes to a saloon to hold a drink. they know how many drinks they can hold until they black out. When a undertaking is due. the pupil knows how many hours he or she can analyze until they stress out. Pushing yourself excessively difficult can do a fail in seeking to populate by the Golden Mean.
If you are inclined to roll. puting realistic and reasonable ends will help you in remaining on the way of balance. Reflecting upon your life. or common state of affairss. is another measure in accomplishing the Aureate Mean. Being cognizant of your personal demands is merely every bit important as taking attention of others. Everyone wants to be successful and do the most of money but holding solid household and friend relationships are merely as of import. If you are non happy. take clip to reflect on the grounds why. Most of the clip it is because you drifted to an extreme and are experiencing the instability. As a college pupil populating three 1000 stat mis off from place. I find myself experiencing imbalanced about mundane. It is so hard to concentrate on analyzing while doing clip to Skype with household to maintain my solid relationship with them. Without a balance. I would be unhappy. Analyzing is my business right now but without my household relationships. lack would over power my balance and that is when emotions surface. I found by maintaining a fifty/fifty balance. I am more truly happy. Bettering one’s ain life is harder than puting a program to better others.
The Golden Mean is like a set of guidelines that makes it a small easier to win and unrecorded merrily. When I am unhappy. the last thing I think of is to sit down and see what went incorrect or what I can make to better the state of affairs. I am a really nerve-racking individual whether people recognize it or non. I am besides an extremist and it is “all or nothing” with me. I blame these lacks of my personality on the logical thinking behind my changeless emotional conflict. Learning about Aristotle’s theories on the Golden Mean and happening the right virtuous balance opened my eyes to a new manner of thought and a new manner of life. Alternatively of traveling towards one extreme. which I do in every state of affairs. I will now sit down and believe of what would do everyone happy. I can state from personal experience. rolling off from a balance and traveling closer to extremes bring negative effects that push you off from felicity. Aristotle was right in his belief that a balanced character brings more felicity than being completely selfish or complete selfless.
Bibliography
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Editor. “Improve Your Personal Effectiveness by Finding Balance. ” PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement. Web. 02 Oct. 2010. .
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