Get-Fit Guy

Which mode of exercise will increase happiness the most?

Episode Summary

Kevin explores how true happiness isn’t about physical fitness but about living a life of virtue. He unpacks Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, sharing insights on achieving fulfillment through balance, practical wisdom, and meaningful relationships. Discover how exercising virtues, not just muscles, can lead to lasting happiness.

Episode Notes

Kevin explores how true happiness isn’t about physical fitness but about living a life of virtue. He unpacks Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, sharing insights on achieving fulfillment through balance, practical wisdom, and meaningful relationships. Discover how exercising virtues, not just muscles, can lead to lasting happiness.

Get-Fit Guy is hosted by Kevin Don. A transcript is available at Simplecast.

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Episode Transcription

Welcome back to Get Fit Guy, I’m Kevin Don. Which, believe it or not, is a philosophical puzzle which I low-key present to everyone every week. No one has yet picked up on this and emailed in, so let’s discuss! It is the puzzle of identity, one of the philosopher Bertrand Russell’s problems in his 1905 essay “On Denoting”. In short, if a definite description means what it denotes and it denotes some object that could also be denoted by a proper name, then how can we make any sense of a claim of identity? Because ‘Get Fit Guy is Kevin Don’, would be equivalent to saying 'Kevin Don is Kevin Don’. So, how is this puzzle solved? Well, if you stay tuned, I will reveal all another time, I know everyone will be on tenterhooks for the theory of definite descriptions! Now onto some exercise talk! 

Exercising ones virtues that is! As you will all know if you have listened to this podcast with any degree of regularity, I don’t believe that fitness is how good you look at the beach or how elite any particular sporting performance is. But fitness being something greater, something more ‘whole’. It can’t be a compartmentalised area of your life. It has to be something that has its benefits permeating all facets of your life. Two decades of coaching almost and I can tell you that what most people want isn’t big biceps or less cellulite. It’s to be happy. Sure, we might gaslight ourselves into thinking that looking awesome with the lights on will make us happy, but just like purchasing a new item of clothing or jewelry, it won’t. And that is because true happiness and flourishing, or what Aristotle calls eudaemonia comes about by exercising not the body, but the virtues! We can find out exactly how to do this in a book I was poked to read recently, called the ‘Nicomachean Ethics’ by Aristotle. 

As a member of the human race, I am no stranger to wanting to be happy. Therefore I have read and watched a lot of self help information. I have done this both for myself and for my clients. I would say, that, having read it, the Nicomachean Ethics is perhaps the greatest self help book of all time. Now, I have to tell you that it is a collection of ten books, so I can’t possibly give a strong summary of this in the next ten minutes. But I will cover some of the main points, and it might compel you enough to want to learn more. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend everyone rush out to buy a copy because, just like a lot of philosophy, you maybe aren’t going to sit down with a cup of tea and a biscuit and smash through it in a couple of hours. But there are many really good commentaries out there summarising it. This won't be one of those, but, hopefully, enough to get you interested in exercising not your upper body but your virtues. So lets get to it. 

Just like I said last week about practical reasoning where:

Attaining Goal G is Important

Performing Action A takes me closer to Goal G

Therefore, I should perform Action A

If Goal G is happiness and flourishing, then Action A (of many actions to be taken that will take us closer to Goal G) is an action that should be performed. Aristotle writes about these actions throughout the Nicomachean Ethics. The main points can be summarised as:

1. The Function of Humans and Rationality

Aristotle begins his argument by identifying the unique function of humans, which he links to rationality. Unlike plants or animals, humans possess a rational soul that enables us to make decisions, pursue knowledge, and understand moral principles. Thus, eudaemonia is achieved when individuals live according to their nature, exercising their rationality in ways that cultivate virtues, which he defines as traits that help a person perform their function well.

This idea of function (ergon) and the fulfillment of one’s purpose through rational activity underpins Aristotle's theory. Living a life that honours and exercises our rational capacities is, for him, how humans reach their highest potential. Therefore, happiness, or eudaemonia, is more than pleasure; it is the result of realizing one’s function through virtuous activity.

2. Virtue and the Doctrine of the Mean

Aristotle identifies virtue as essential to achieving eudaemonia. Virtues, or good character traits, are qualities that help a person make wise, balanced choices. In the Nicomachean Ethics, he outlines two types of virtues: intellectual virtues, which involve the mind (like wisdom and understanding), and moral virtues, which govern behaviour (like courage, temperance, and justice).

His concept of moral virtue is rooted in the “Doctrine of the Mean,” which advocates for a balanced, moderate approach to action and emotion. For Aristotle, every virtue lies between two extremes: deficiency and excess. For instance, courage is a mean between recklessness (excess) and cowardice (deficiency). By cultivating this balance, individuals can regulate their emotions and actions to live more harmoniously with themselves and others.

3. The Role of Practical Wisdom (Phronesis)

Practical wisdom, or phronesis, is another cornerstone of Aristotle’s path to eudaemonia. It is the capacity to make sound, moral decisions in real-life situations. While intellectual virtues can be taught, moral virtues require practice and experience to develop. Practical wisdom involves knowing not just what is good in theory but how to achieve it in practice. It requires recognising the right course of action, taking into account one’s personal and social context. According to Aristotle, a person cannot achieve eudaemonia without practical wisdom, as it guides the choices that cultivate and sustain virtue.

4. Friendship and Community

Aristotle also emphasises that humans are social beings who achieve eudaemonia through relationships and contributions to their communities. Friendship is essential to a flourishing life, as it provides support, companionship, and moral reinforcement. Aristotle categorises friendships into three types: those based on utility, pleasure, and virtue. Friendships of virtue are the highest form, as they are rooted in mutual respect and a shared commitment to each other's moral and intellectual growth.

5. Contemplative Life and Intellectual Fulfillment

While Aristotle acknowledges the importance of moral and social virtues, he suggests that the highest form of eudaemonia might be found in contemplation. The contemplative life, which involves intellectual pursuits and the search for truth, is seen as the most self-sufficient, stable, and fulfilling. This aligns with his belief that reason is humanity’s highest function.

Aristotle’s vision of eudaemonia in the Nicomachean Ethics is a holistic concept that encompasses moral, intellectual, and social dimensions. It is not a momentary feeling of pleasure but a lifelong endeavour of cultivating virtues, practising wisdom, and engaging with others meaningfully. Therefore, we can see that achieving eudaemonia is not much different from achieving any other goal, it is a process of exercising and regular practice across a lifetime.

If you have any questions or would like to just say ‘hi’, please email me at getfitguy@quickanddirtytips.com

Get-Fit Guy is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast. Thanks to the team at Quick and Dirty Tips Morgan Christianson, Holly Hutchings, the director of podcasts Brannan Goetschius and Davina Tomlin. I’m your host, Kevin Don. If you have a question for me, leave me a voicemail at 510-353-3104 or send me an email at getfitguy@quickanddirtytips.com. For more information about the show, visit quickanddirtytips.com, or check out the shownotes in your podcast app