Frosted Flakes (and Souls) Are GRRRRRRREAT!

While reading Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and learning about the eleven different virtues he discusses, I found myself very drawn to the virtue titled the greatness of soul. I look at this virtue almost as a hodge-podge of all the other virtues. Since all of the virtues are said to reside in a person with greatness of soul, he/she is naturally going to be the best and “worthy of great things” (76). Let’s talk about that.

One of the noteworthy characteristics of people with greatness of soul is that they’re naturally good. “He who is truly great souled, therefore, must be good, and what is great in each virtue would seem to belong to the great-souled man. It would in no way be suitable for the great-souled man to flee with arms swinging or to commit injustice [...] And to anyone who thoroughly examines each characteristics, it would appear entirely laughable if the great-souled man were not good” (77). Any truly great-souled person isn't capable of anything but good due to him/her possessing the great of all the virtues.

It would seem that if someone possessed all of the virtues they would be inherently vain, however this is not the case. They judge people justly, although great-souled people do hold a true opinion of themselves, and they will look down on others who pretend to be virtuous (78). It is their strong sense of who they are and what they are capable of that makes people with great souls intimidating. Still, a person with that much self-confidence could be quite refreshing; and there are some good traits that come from that. The great-souled person will not look for admiration. He/she will not accept honor from “people at random, or small honors” because “it is not of these that he is worthy” (77). He/she does not want lip-service from those whom he/she doesn’t know, especially if it isn’t deserved. Great-souled people don't become haughty with the praise they receive because the virtues within them allow them to deal with “the goods of fortune in a suitable manner” (78). So the self-confidence they have comes from within themselves and is not based on others opinion of them (79).

Despite not caring about others’ opinions of him/her, a great-souled person is still willing to help others, though he/she himself/herself is ashamed to receive help. “He is also the sort to benefit others but is ashamed to receive a benefaction; for the former is a mark of one who is superior, the latter of one who is inferior. His disposed to return a benefaction with a greater one, since in this way the person who took the initiative [with the original benefaction] will owe him in addition and will have also fared well thereby” (78). So if you help someone who is great-souled, you will ALWAYS get something in return. Just don’t count on a “thank-you”.

People who have greatness of soul are not inclined to give praise to others because they don’t believe anything is great, but they won’t hold a grudge or speak ill of people, not even their enemies. “The great-souled man is also not given to admiration, since nothing is great to him. But neither is he one to remember evils done him; for it does not belong to a great-souled man to recall things with a grudge, in particular evils done him, but rather to overlook them. He is also not one for personal conversation: he will speak neither about himself nor about another, since he does not care either to be praised himself or for others to be blame” (79). Great-souled people are not about small talk or gossip. I think that’s awesome and more people should be like this.

Great-souled people are an enigma - they don’t want undeserving praise and they certainly don’t dish it out. However, they are honest even to the point of being seen as rude. But I believe it’s just because of their love and pursuit of truth. I guess you either have to love them or hate them.