Pink Elephants

Over the past weekend, I listened to Dan Carlin‘s 2nd Hardcore History episode about Alexander the Great, in which he used the word “Arete” as one of the key defining characteristics of the protagonist.

From the wikipedia page:

Arete (Ancient Greek: ἀρετή, romanized: aretḗ) is a concept in ancient Greek thought that, in its most basic sense, refers to “excellence” of any kind^[1]—especially a person or thing’s “full realization of potential or inherent function.”^[2] The term may also refer to excellence in “moral virtue.”^[1]

And today, wouldn’t you know it, I got an email newsletter from David Sparks, speaking about how he views happiness, and he sums it up by saying:

Pursuing your best self (Arete) + Ethical Living = Happy Life.