The daisy began as a seed, which sprouted roots, a stem, some leaves and eventually a bud. The bud grew into a flower and with the help of some birds and bees the flower pollinated and assisted in its own propagation. According to Aristotle the flower has achieved its purpose and is thusly happy.

             Man, however, is not a flower and vice versa. Man's purpose can not be as easily categorized or explained as that of a daisy. Aristotle, as many philosophers before and after him, believed that man's purpose, or the thing that man does better than any other thing that exists, is reason. This is where the ancient Greek concept of virtue comes into play. In Aristotle's time to be called virtuous was always a compliment in that it meant that one made good choices consistently. .

             Aristotle was the first authority on the subject of moderation. His theory of the Golden Mean explains that for every virtue there are two vices, one that shows a lack of a specific virtue and one that shows an excess. To illuminate this further let's look at raising children. There are many, many books, magazines, talk shows and schools of thought on the subject which vary from the spare the rod, spoil the child mentality of days past to several current theories that suggest letting children explore and experience their environment without boundaries. The Golden Mean would suggest that the most virtuous path would be to set reasonable boundaries for our children and to temper discipline with compassion and empathy. This can also be applied to food- one with the appetite and means of Henry VIII may gorge themselves on whatever is available where as someone with anorexia nervosa may deny himself or herself any food at all. The virtuous person chooses to eat food that is healthy and nourishing in moderation. In his Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle examines the virtue of courage. A brave man, by Aristotle's definition, is one who bravely faces what is difficult and challenging and shuns that which is foolish or evil.