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The ancient Greeks applied the term arete (ἀρετή) to anything: for example, the excellence of a chimney, the excellence of a bull for breeding, and the excellence of a man. The meaning of the word changes depending on what it describes since everything has its own excellence; the arete of a man is different from the arete of a horse.
Perfection is a state, variously, of completeness, flawlessness, or supreme excellence. The term is used to designate a range of diverse, if often kindred, concepts. These have historically been addressed in a number of discrete disciplines, notably mathematics, physics, chemistry, ethics, aesthetics, ontology, and theology. [1]
[19] [20] A relentless striving for unreasonably high expectations that are rarely achieved and an avoidance of imperfection at all costs is what distinguishes perfectionism from excellencism. [20] Perfectionism therefore extends beyond adaptive strivings and is not a synonym for excellence or conscientiousness.
Perfect is the enemy of good is an aphorism that means insistence on perfection often prevents implementation of good improvements. Achieving absolute perfection may be impossible; one should not let the struggle for perfection stand in the way of appreciating or executing on something that is imperfect but still of value.
In Aristotle's work, phronesis is the intellectual virtue that helps turn one's moral instincts into practical action. [4] [5] He writes that moral virtues help any person to achieve the end, and that phronesis is what it takes to discover the means to gain that end. [4]
Our service members strive for excellence not just because it’s in their warrior DNA, but because they operate within a system that has historically rewarded contribution based on performance.
A reversal of the original phrase non plus ultra ("nothing further beyond"), said to have been inscribed as a warning on the Pillars of Hercules at the Strait of Gibraltar (which marked the edge of the known world in antiquity), [1] [2] it has metaphorical suggestions of taking risks and striving for excellence.
In terms of its etymology, eudaimonia is an abstract noun derived from the words eû (good, well) and daímōn (spirit or deity). [2]Semantically speaking, the word δαίμων (daímōn) derives from the same root of the Ancient Greek verb δαίομαι (daíomai, "to divide") allowing the concept of eudaimonia to be thought of as an "activity linked with dividing or dispensing, in a good way".