Action Quote by Aristotle
“Moral virtue is a mean . . . between two vices, one of excess and the other of defect; . . . it is such a mean because it aims at hitting the middle point in feelings and in actions. This is why it is a hard task to be good, for it is hard to find the middle point in anything.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Nicomachean Ethics, c. 350 BC
Virtue lies between excess and deficiency, requiring careful judgment to find the balanced middle in feelings and actions.
In simple terms: Goodness is a balanced middle.
Key Takeaway
Seek moderation in habits and decisions.
Themes
ethics
balance
self‑control
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- daily choices
- leadership
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
virtue ethics
golden mean
Questions to Reflect On
- What areas of your life need more balance?
- How do you identify excess versus deficiency?
A Different Perspective
Finding the mean can be ambiguous and culturally variable.
![“If then, as we say, good craftsmen look to the mean as they work, and if virtue, like nature, is more accurate and better than any form of art, it will follow that virtue has the quality of hitting the mean. I refer to moral virtue [not intellectual], for this is concerned with emotions and…” quote by Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/796/aristotle-78_accurate_if-then-as-we-say-good-craftsmen-look-to_695282.jpg)
![“[the virtues] cannot exist without Prudence. A proof of this is that everyone, even at the present day, in defining Virtue, after saying what disposition it is [i.e. moral virtue] and specifying the things with which it is concerned, adds that it is a disposition determined by the right principle…” quote by Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/134/aristotle-78_add_the-virtues-cannot-exist-without-prudenc_3029435.jpg)
![“Rightness in our choice of an end is secured by [Moral] Virtue.” quote by Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/498/aristotle-78_character_rightness-in-our-choice-of-an-end-is-sec_2740950.jpg)
