Aristotle's High Minded Man

Aristotle's high minded man is certainly a difficult character to like. The high minded man seems haughty, ungrateful, condescending, and frustratingly indifferent. Aristotle's would argue he seems this way only because we are not high minded. I think that Aristotle's high minded man is an extreme example of how Aristotle thinks a virtuous man should behave. Aristotle is using the high minded man as a model to show what a man who is virtuous and perfect in every regard looks like, just as Plato used a perfect city as a model for justice in the real world. This is important as virtue is a main theme in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. Aristotle's claims that achieving virtue though habit is the only way to truly become happy. Aristotle knows
The high minded man only surrounds himself with men of “eminence and fortune”, and is “unassuming toward those of moderate means”(Pg. 97). This is because it is much more honorable and difficult to be better than the rich and powerful, and there is more honor in this. When the high minded man speaks, he does it freely and without tact as he doesn't care about the opinions of those that are beneath him. Likewise, he does not brag or gossip as he does not care about others views of him and does not wish to do harm. When the high minded man receives gifts, he is repulsed. The high minded man must be superior in everything and receiving a gift makes him inferior and puts him in debt to the giver. Instead, the high minded man in be generous and give back to those who have been good to him with a greater good. Thus, making them in debt to him and putting the high minded man above
Although, at first glance it seems that the high minded man is belittling in his friendships, and haughty when giving and receiving gifts. This is incorrect. It is important to remember that the high minded man is perfect and has no equals. Also, Aristotle is saying that we should surround ourselves with those who are greater than us, so that we might too become great. The high minded man is the greatest and best at everything so he must settle for those who are almost as great as him and no less. Also, Aristotle is saying that we should not concern ourselves with what those who are below us think, and at the same time not belittle or gossip about them. To the high minded man, everyone is below him. This means that he can say whatever he wants as he is not concerned what anyone below him thinks of him. Finally, Aristotle is telling the reader though the high minded man that we should be weary of receiving gifts as it indebts us to the giver. Also, a virtuous man will repay kindness and good with and then