Strength and Balance

For Aristotle, Virtue is the faculty that facilitates the accomplishment of actions without excess and defect in order to obtain the right balance.

It is exactly the opposite of the concept of "mediocrity" for which we are satisfied with something just enough.

Virtue, on the other hand, is excellence, the result of precision work.

Aristotle gives the example of archery in which two qualities are at stake: one that allows you to shoot and one that allows you to hit; on the one hand, strength, power, energy, vitality; on the other hand, balance, precision, weighting, reflection.

Strength and Balance together they constitute the two fundamental aspects of Virtue.

In times that are certainly not as easy as these, when walking on unsafe paths, there is a great need to find solid support points that make us see beyond.

Aristotle, like so many other sages, shows us the signs that indicate the right path. We go in search of these teachings, reading, reflecting, meditating, to nourish ourselves with things that last over time. If we want to face the crises with strength and balance to get out of them quickly and well, we need to go back to cultivating the Virtues (wisdom, justice, fortitude, temperance, are the most important).

And let's remember that Fear has been an essential mechanism for our survival as a species, but if it becomes excessive and leads to Panic, it makes us lose the clarity and effectiveness of our responses. So a little healthy self-irony to play down can help to find the right balance of which Aristotle speaks.

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