Arête and the pursuit of Agôn

November 15th,2016



Arête is the pursuit of excellence. Agôn is the struggle in the experience of that pursuit, whether it be countless hours in the gym crafting your physique in preparation for the summer months or studying all night for that unit test, each experience with agôn is a journey of implied effort and the possiblity of achieivng  arête, or the goal. The applications of arête vary from person to person and it can be distracting to daily life if you pursue excellence in all aspects of life.


Arête can be viewed as selfish because the focus on the goal becomes all-consuming. I know this because I've had many encounters with trying to achieve arête and it makes you oblivious to the outside world and hyper focused on whatever you're trying to achieve. It can be damaging to your psyche, in which it makes you doubt your abilities. It is difficult to be present when agôn is whispering into your subconscious that you aren't doing enough. The levels of agôn can differ from goal to goal but personally I find myself being more selfish when the agôn is so physically exhausting and trying that I can not find the energy to be consciously aware of my actions, and this in place can have effects on my day to day relationships. This struggle to keep pushing forward and try and grasp the goal can distract you from the things that truly matter in life and it's difficult to relax until you are satisfied. 


Although some can view arète as selfish,  being so absorbed in the goal helps one keep on track to achieve agôn. Achieving excellence can help people become more driven and successful but this is at a cost, in order to achieve arête you must really prioritize your task and your peers may not truly understand your circumstances. Life is about sacrifices and I believe it is important for your family to accept that you may distracted from time to time if you're really motivated and absorbed with accomplishing goals specific in your life. If anything, it is selfish for your family, friends, boyfriends/girlfriends to expect you to devote your unwavering attention towards them.


I think arête is a huge component in being driven and successful in life and in order to successfully apply this philosophy, you must experience moments of weakness and difficulty (agon) to truly thrive. I think it is necessary to be "selfish" from time to time and put your aspirations before your relationships, but it is important to not become too selfish. Your family will be there to support you no matter what but if you become so consumed in arete, there may not be anyone to celebrate your successes  with later on.