Friend or Flatterer

Lets continue looking at things that have and excess, deficiency and the niche; I remember a term “in the groove”. That is the place we are talking about. The place that each passion and the resulting action does the most good. Virtue isn’t a moral word in these applications. It means that point when something is completing its purpose at its very best. A car that runs well can be considered virtuous according to this definition. The ultimate function of a person’s soul is to bring happiness along with external goods. So that is why it is important to examine areas of the soul and where this niche of virtue can be found. We have already concluded that happiness in the soul comes by virtue. So let’s examine this not as a matter of condemnation but as a way to recognize things we can adjust to bring the most happiness to our souls.

Using anger as an example, it has all three areas. We call a person who is intermediate or has found the right niche, good tempered. We would call a person who is in excess a jerk. A person who is deficient is passive or uncaring. There are a lot of expletives that are used for people with an excess of anger for sure.

Here are a few more areas that are good examples but according to words and actions; A truthful person found the niche and is truthful about himself for the most part. Someone who exaggerates or is boastful would be one extreme and one who fakes modesty and understates is the other extreme. A person who amuses us would be considered pleasant and quick witted while one excess is a buffoon or an idiot (annoyance) and someone who falls short would be considered boring. His state would be considered boorish or a kill joy. This works also in friendliness. There are flatterers, those who are only after advantage at one extreme and the one that falls short is unpleasant and quarrelsome. Of course the niche is to be a true friend.

Next time we will examine passions along with their extremes. These are really interesting, but it is sunny out and the good weather is calling me outside. See you after a while….