Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics

Real happiness is what every person would love to experience throughout their lifetime. Yet, finding true happiness can be quite difficult. Aristotle presents an argument in his book, the Nicomachean Ethics, that to live a life of contentment you must live by the virtues set before you. He explains that happiness is something that can't be defined easily, that it is distinct to each person. According to Aristotle, everything we do will result in some good, or happiness. We should aim towards this focus in all our activities and actions to living a balanced life. However, he points out that happiness is associated in some way with virtue, and not to be confused with pleasure. He argues that to achieve this balance you must live within the mean
Yet, these are only loved for the promise that happiness will become of them. Happiness though is loved for itself and not for any trivial feeling or false good (Book 1, pg. 4). “Pleasure”, he proclaims, “is the reason why we love the life of enjoyment” (Book 1, pg.3). Pleasure is a superficial form of happiness, and it does indeed bring happiness; yet it is short lived. We concerned about new phones or a new car to bring us a life of happiness. We are optimistic that these possessions express a classification of happiness, but indeed it is quite ephemeral as to its existence. Happiness expresses the human good that is brought forth from our actions, not just our short lived
Aristotle defines this as being proportionate with excellence. Excellence is when you find your “mean” or middle within each of the virtues you demonstrate. In finding the mean of a virtue you must look between the two vices, which meet at the excess and at the defect of that trait (Book 2, pg. 6). In the moral virtue of truthfulness, an excess of this would be arrogance. In examining the defect of this virtue, it would be modesty. But he concludes that not every act or desire admits a mean. There are some virtues for which there is only a defect, such as cowardly or unjust. There is also no excess of such virtues as courage, since that is in a sense an extreme of its own. Others that Aristotle complies are all around unacceptable, such as that of envy, or shamefulness, and in acts of theft or murder. Surely there are no means for these inexcusable acts (Book 2, pg. 7). Moral virtue aims at the intermediate, or mean. These virtues, for instance, can be both fear and confidence, expressing excess, defect and intermediate. It is using the virtue at the right time and place that brings out the best mean of that virtue (Book 2, pg. 5). Aristotle clarifies that, “for one swallow does not make a summer, nor does one day, make a man blessed or happy” (Book 1, pg. 5). This illustrates that attaining just one virtue and the mean of that virtue, will not bring you happiness or