Tomball High School The Golden Mean Week 6

Aristotle’s
Golden Mean
To nd a sense of happiness in one’s life, an individual must nd balance between
extremes of vices.

Emotional (Re)Action Excess (+) Mean (balance) Deficiency (-)

Fear/Confident Rash Courageous Cowardice

Pleasure/Pain Licentiousness Temperate (mild) Insensibility

(Promiscuous) (Indifferent)

Giving/Taking (minor) Prodigal Liberal (free) Miserly/Hoarding

(Spendthrift)

Spending Large Sums Vulgarity Magnificence Meagerly

Important Honors Vanity Magnanimity Unduly Humble

Small Honors Overly Ambitious Proper Ambition Unambitious

Anger Irascibility Good Tempered Lack of Spirit/Feeble

(Ill tempered) (Push-over)

Self-Truth Boastfulness Truthful Falsely modest

Conversation Buffoonery Wittiness Boorishness

(Dullard/simpleton) (Manipulate discussions)

Social Conduct Obsequious/Flattery Friendliness Cantankerous

(Servile) (Quarrelsome)

Shame Shy Modesty Shameless

Indignation Envious/Jealousy Righteous Indignation Malicious Enjoyment

(Attitude towards another’s (Irritated by others’ (Spiteful)
good fortune) undeserved good
fortune)

Mr. Smith davidsmith@tomballisd.net • @PrufrocksBlues • http://www.davidglensmith.com/Tomball