Areté summary

When asked, What do you want out of life? most people respond with the simple statement: to be happy. But our modern version of happiness – personal fulfillment, success, and meaningful relationships – is quite different from those of ancient philosophers like Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius or Seneca. 

For instance, Aristotle thought that to be happy, you must live all your potential to the fullest in everyday life, and express your innate character in all your actions and circumstances. According to this definition, expecting happiness to arise from external aspects of your life – like wealth or career – is akin to building your house on sand: unstable and liable to crumble. For Aristotle, to be truly happy, you must know your core virtues, endeavor to correct your weaknesses, and consistently work towards your highest goals.

While this might seem like an extreme view in modern life, the virtues of seeking truth and knowing yourself are timeless. Embracing and pursuing truth through serious self-reflection forms the foundation of any heroic journey. 

Of course, part of this exercise is being able to look at yourself and your behaviors, and withhold judgment long enough to get a more realistic view. This is particularly important when deciding how you might address weaknesses in yourself through cultivating corresponding strengths.

To begin activating your heroic potential, reflect on what you hold to be fundamental, lasting truths that have stood the test of time. You might have learned these truths by reading great works of philosophy or religion, which are largely concerned with defining truth. Or your highest truths might have come through experience, deep reflection, or relationships with mentors and teachers. 

Whatever your highest truths are, write them down. Try to limit yourself to three-to-five central truths, and bear these in mind going forward. 

Stating your truth can help you in the next phase of unlocking your potential, which is seeking self-knowledge with courage and compassion. That’s because everyone has areas in life where they fall short of their ideals. Maybe you dream of being a great dancer, but struggle to motivate yourself to practice every day. Or perhaps you long to be a good public speaker, but your nerves and fears keep you from seeking out opportunities to hone your skills. Whatever your goal, self-knowledge is key. And understanding your truths is a crucial step in gaining self-knowledge. 

Once you’ve written down your foundational truths, try using them to clarify your values. You’ll need to know your top values and why they resonate with you deeply, so that you can then craft a personal plan to put them into action. Try to identify your top ten values, and rank them in order of importance. Once you have this list, brainstorm ways you could put them into practice in everyday life.

Knowing your truths and values will help you shift into a hero’s mindset. Instead of viewing difficult situations or struggles as negative, those on the heroic path embrace challenges as opportunities to build courage and self-mastery, according to their values. A hero turns potential failures into wins, by using them to polish their character.

Once you’ve grounded yourself in your truth and armed yourself with awareness, you’ve laid a solid foundation for your heroic journey. Next, it’s time to find courage and pursue mastery. Let’s explore these objectives now.