
“Virtue and vice depend on ourselves; we shape character through repeated acts.”
— Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book III, Chapter 5
(Translated by W.D. Ross)
Big Idea
Life’s like training for a marathon:
- 🏋️ Good Habits = Daily jogs → Stronger body and mind.
- 🛋️ Bad Habits = Binge-watching nightly → Weakness grows.
Real-Life Scenarios
- Health Choices
- Virtue: Swap soda for water daily → Lose weight, gain energy.
- Vice: Hit snooze 5 times → Late to work → Boss gets mad.
- Money Moves
- Virtue: Save $20/week → Emergency fund grows → Sleep better.
- Vice: Buy lottery tickets daily → Wallet empties → Regret.
- Kindness Habits
- Virtue: Compliment 1 person daily → Build trust → Stronger friendships.
- Vice: Gossip at lunch → Friends distance → Loneliness creeps.
Try This Week
- 30-Day Muscle Challenge
Pick 1 habit to grow (e.g., “Say ‘thank you’ daily”) → Track streaks on a calendar. - Swap-a-Bad
Replace 1 vice with 1 tiny virtue:- Example: Scroll TikTok less → Call Grandma instead.
- Buddy Check
Team up with a friend → Text each other 1 good habit done daily.