Lifestyle, Wisdom for Personal Growth

Living the Good Life

Aristotle’s view of the good life, or eudaimonia, is living virtuously in accordance with reason, fulfilling one’s potential through moral and intellectual excellence, and finding balance in all things.
His principles are part of the Harvard Medical School’s Lifestyle and Wellness coaching program as well as the DreamBuilding® Life Transformation program.

To live the good life according to Aristotle—”eudaimonia”, which means human flourishing or fulfillment—one must actively cultivate a life of virtue, guided by reason, while realizing one’s full potential as a rational and social being.
This isn’t about fleeting pleasure or material success but a sustained state of excellence achieved through deliberate habits and choices.
Below are key elements from Aristotle’s philosophy (primarily found in his Nicomachean Ethics), including what a person should do and how to become a flourishing human being.

1. Understand Eudaimonia as the Ultimate Goal

  • Aristotle views the good life as the highest end (telos) of human activity, not a subjective feeling, but an objective state in which one functions at one’s best, like a well-tuned instrument. By the way, the name of the DNA telomeres comes from telos.
  • How to pursue it: Recognize that true fulfillment comes from living in accordance with your nature as a rational animal. Avoid equating happiness with hedonism (mere sensory pleasures) or external goods (wealth, fame). Instead, focus on internal excellence. Start by reflecting on your life’s purpose: What activities make you feel most alive and aligned with reason?

2. Cultivate Moral Virtues Through Habit and the Golden Mean

  • Moral virtues (e.g., courage, generosity, temperance, justice) are character traits that enable ethical action.
    They aren’t innate, but rather developed through practice, much like learning a skill.
  • The Golden Mean: Virtues lie between extremes of excess and deficiency. For example:
    • Courage is the mean between recklessness (excess) and cowardice (deficiency).
    • Generosity is between prodigality (giving too much) and stinginess (giving too little).
  • What to do:
    • Habituate yourself: Repeatedly choose virtuous actions until they become second nature.
      As Aristotle says, “We become just by doing just acts.”
    • Practice self-examination: In daily decisions, ask yourself, “Is this balanced?” For instance, in eating, aim for temperance rather than gluttony or starvation.
    • Seek role models: Observe and emulate virtuous people in your community to build these habits early, ideally starting in youth through education and upbringing.

3. Develop Intellectual Virtues for Wisdom and Contemplation

  • Intellectual virtues include:
    1. Practical Wisdom (    phronesis) for ethical decision-making and
    2. Theoretical wisdom (    sophia) for understanding eternal truths.     
  • The highest form of the good life involves contemplation (theoria)—philosophical reflection on the universe, which Aristotle sees as divine and most fulfilling because it engages our rational soul purely.
  • How to become this:
    • Pursue education and learning: Study philosophy, comparative religions, sciences, and arts to sharpen your intellect. Dedicate time to quiet reflection, free from distractions.
    • Apply practical wisdom: Use reason to deliberate on the right actions in specific situations. For example, knowing when to be courageous requires assessing context, not just adhering to rules. Use your common sense.
    • Balance activity: While moral virtues handle daily life, make space for intellectual pursuits.
      Aristotle suggests a life of moderation allows for this: having enough wealth and health to support contemplation without excess.

4. Foster Friendships and Engage in Community

  • Humans are “political animals” (zoon politikon), so the good life requires social bonds and participation in a just society.
  • True friendships (based on mutual virtue, not utility or pleasure) mirror and enhance your own excellence.
  • What to do:
    • Build virtuous relationships: Choose friends who inspire growth and hold you accountable. Engage in shared activities that promote the common good.
    • Participate in culture, education and politics: Contribute to your community, state or country to create conditions for widespread flourishing.
      Aristotle believed a well-ordered society (with laws promoting virtue) is essential for individual eudaimonia.

5. Overcome Obstacles and Maintain Balance

  • External goods like health, wealth, and luck play a supporting role but aren’t sufficient alone.
    Virtue can endure misfortune.
  • Practical steps:
    • Avoid vices: Through self-discipline, steer clear of extremes like anger (wrath vs. apathy) or pride (arrogance vs. humility).
    • Live moderately: Enjoy pleasures in proportion; Aristotle warns against overindulgence, which disrupts reason.
    • Age and experience matter: Virtue matures over time, so patience is key. If starting later, focus on incremental changes.

In essence, becoming a person who lives the good life requires ongoing effort: Train your character through virtuous habits, exercise reason in all decisions, and integrate into a supportive community.
Aristotle emphasizes that this path is accessible to most through practice, not just innate talent.
While challenging, it leads to a profound, enduring sense of fulfillment.

 

In his Autobiography, Benjamin Franklin lists 13 virtues that he aimed to cultivate through a systematic plan of self-improvement. These virtues were intended to guide his moral and personal development, and he tracked his progress daily. Below is the list of Franklin’s 13 virtues, along with his brief descriptions of their meaning, as presented in his writings:

  1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
  2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
  3. Order: Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
  4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
  5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
  6. Industry: Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
  7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
  8. Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
  9. Moderation: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
  10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.
  11. Tranquillity: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
  12. Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
  13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Context and Application
Franklin developed these virtues as part of a personal project to achieve moral perfection, acknowledging that perfection was unattainable but striving for improvement was worthwhile.
He created a chart to monitor his daily adherence to each virtue, focusing on one virtue per week while still tracking the others. This methodical approach reflects his practical, results-oriented philosophy.

Benjamin Franklin’s 13 virtues, as outlined in his Autobiography, were not just theoretical ideals but a practical framework he actively applied to improve his character and live a productive, virtuous life.
Franklin, a quintessential self-made man, designed a systematic method to cultivate these virtues, reflecting his pragmatic approach to self-improvement.
Below, I’ll detail how he applied these virtues in his daily life, drawing from his Autobiography and historical accounts of his habits, with examples of how he lived them out. 

Franklin’s Method for Applying the Virtues 

Franklin devised a structured plan to practice his 13 virtues, focusing on one each week while tracking all of them daily. He created a small notebook with a chart, listing the virtues and days of the week, where he marked infractions with a black dot. His goal was to minimize these marks over time, aiming for moral improvement, if not perfection. He cycled through the virtues every 13 weeks, repeating the process four times a year. This disciplined approach was itself an application of virtues like Order and Resolution, as it required organization and commitment. 

How Franklin Applied Each Virtue 

Here’s how Franklin incorporated each of the 13 virtues into his life, with specific examples from his actions and routines:

  1. Temperance: Franklin practiced moderation in eating and drinking to maintain health and mental clarity. He adopted a simple diet, often vegetarian in his youth to save money and avoid gluttony, as seen when he worked as a printer’s apprentice and sustained himself on minimal, affordable meals like bread and water. He avoided excessive alcohol, believing it clouded judgment, which helped him stay sharp in business and intellectual pursuits.
  2. Silence: Franklin valued purposeful speech, avoiding gossip or idle chatter. In his printing business and public life, he was known for listening attentively and speaking thoughtfully, which earned him respect as a diplomat and negotiator. For example, during his diplomatic missions in London and Paris, he used measured words to build alliances, focusing on what benefited others or himself rather than engaging in trivial disputes.
  3. Order: Franklin struggled with this virtue but worked to organize his time and possessions. He maintained a detailed daily schedule, as described in his Autobiography, allocating specific hours for work, study, and reflection. His printing shop was meticulously run, with tools and papers organized to maximize efficiency, though he admitted personal tidiness was a challenge.
  4. Resolution: Franklin’s commitment to follow through on decisions was evident in his entrepreneurial ventures and civic projects. For instance, he resolved to establish the first lending library in Philadelphia (the Library Company, 1731) and saw it through despite logistical hurdles, demonstrating his determination to complete what he set out to do.
  5. Frugality: Franklin was famously thrifty, especially in his early career. He saved money by living simply, which allowed him to invest in his printing business and later fund public projects. His maxim, “A penny saved is a penny earned,” reflected his practice of avoiding wasteful spending, like when he reused materials in his print shop to cut costs.
  6. Industry: Franklin was relentlessly productive, rarely wasting time. He rose early, worked diligently in his printing business, and used spare moments for self-education, teaching himself languages and sciences. His creation of Poor Richard’s Almanack was a side project born of industrious use of evenings, blending utility with profit.
  7. Sincerity: Franklin cultivated a reputation for honesty and fairness in his dealings, avoiding deceit. In his printing business, he built trust with customers by being transparent about pricing and deadlines. As a diplomat, he used straightforward yet tactful communication, which helped him negotiate effectively with the French during the American Revolution.
  8. Justice: Franklin aimed to do no harm and fulfill his duties to others. He applied this through civic contributions, like organizing the Junto, a club for mutual improvement, where members shared knowledge to benefit the community. He also advocated for fair treatment in his writings, such as his essays against slavery later in life.
  9. Moderation: Franklin practiced restraint, avoiding extreme reactions. In debates, like those in the Pennsylvania Assembly, he remained calm and avoided personal grudges, even when opponents attacked him. This helped him maintain influence and navigate contentious political environments.
  10. Cleanliness: Franklin kept himself and his surroundings clean to project respectability. His print shop was orderly, and he dressed neatly (though simply in his early years), which helped him gain credibility among clients and peers. Later, his polished appearance as a diplomat in France aligned with this virtue.
  11. Tranquillity: Franklin sought to remain undisturbed by minor setbacks. When his experiments or business ventures failed—like early attempts at printing ventures—he focused on learning from mistakes rather than dwelling on them. His calm demeanor during the Revolution, despite immense pressure, exemplified this virtue.
  12. Chastity: Franklin was candid about his struggles here, particularly in youth, but aimed to practice restraint in personal relationships to avoid harm. As he matured, he focused on his marriage to Deborah Read and avoided scandals that could damage his reputation or others’, aligning his behavior with this virtue for stability.
  13. Humility: Franklin famously admitted this was his hardest virtue. He worked to curb his pride by adopting a humble demeanor, inspired by Socrates’ questioning and Jesus’ selflessness. In practice, he listened to others’ ideas in the Junto and credited collaborators for successes, like acknowledging colleagues in his scientific experiments (e.g., his kite experiment on electricity).

Broader Impact and Reflections

Franklin’s application of these virtues shaped his multifaceted career as a printer, inventor, statesman, and scientist. His methodical tracking of progress showed a commitment to self-improvement that mirrored his broader philosophy of personal and societal progress. For example:

  • His Frugality and Industry enabled him to retire from printing at 42, giving him time for public service and scientific pursuits.
  • His Sincerity and Justice built trust, crucial for his diplomatic success in securing French aid during the American Revolution.
  • His pursuit of Humility made him approachable, fostering collaboration in projects like the University of Pennsylvania.

Franklin acknowledged he never achieved perfection, humorously noting that his efforts made him “a better and happier man” than he would have been otherwise. His struggles, particularly with Order and Humility, humanized his approach, showing that living virtuously was a lifelong process.

Connection to Aristotle’s Good Life
If we tie this to Aristotle’s concept of the good life as discussed earlier, Franklin’s virtues align closely with Aristotle’s emphasis on habituating virtue and living rationally. Franklin’s Temperance, Moderation, and Justice echo Aristotle’s Golden Mean, balancing extremes. His Industry and pursuit of knowledge reflect Aristotle’s intellectual virtues, though Franklin’s practical, results-driven approach contrasts with Aristotle’s emphasis on contemplation as the highest good.
Franklin’s civic engagement (e.g., founding fire brigades and libraries) mirrors Aristotle’s view of humans as social beings flourishing in community.
Benjamin Franklyn contributed to his country as a diplomat, politician, inventor, and benefactor, creating conditions for widespread flourishing. 

Source: Grok X AI