The Golden Mean

Life is about balance.

We need to eat, but we don’t need to gorge ourselves. We need friendships, but we don’t need to become codependent. We need to work, but we don’t need to work all the time.

Aristotle called this “the golden mean” — the place of balance found between extremes.

Daily Stoic has an article sharing the balanced virtues we should all strive for, as well as their extremist counterparts.

Here’s the list…

Ambition: Between Lazy and Insatiable

Empathy: Between Cold and Codependent

Endurance: Between Fragile and Depleted

Self-confidence: Between Insecure and Arrogant

Adaptability: Between Rigid and Soft

Self-sufficiency: Between Dependent and Isolated

Discipline: Between Impetuous and Repressed

Composure: Between Frenzied and Stagnant

Calculated: Between Reckless and Timid

Euthymia: Between Nihilism and Grand Narrative

That’s a lot to strive for.

But it’s worthwhile — truth and joy are rarely found at the extremes of the spectrum.