love.love

I have yet to see the movie Eat, Pray, Love but have purchased and am deliciously enjoying the book! ive recently finished the first part and have become fascinated with the greek expression ‘kalos kai agathos’ which means “beautiful and good”.

Using the all-knowing, all powerful google i did a little more ‘research’ on the phrase and found that according to the Greek, in order to obtain this to a full extent, one must approach it in a life style sort of sense.

In order to truly achieve kalos kai agathos, according to Joseph S. Salemi at The Pennsylvania Review, all of the following would need to be true about you;

“You are Greek. You are free. You are a non-worker (you don’t labor with your hands). You are affluent (you have enough money to be comfortably well off). You are healthy. You come from a respectable family. You are good-looking, well-groomed, and clean. You are intelligent and sensible. You can take part in an intellectual discussion. You are not a coward (you fight bravely in battle). You are a city-dweller. You have leisure time. You stick to the Golden Mean (you never take an extreme position, or act wildly). You honor the gods. You avoid hubris. You act honorably. You are a good citizen of your polis. You appreciate beautiful things. You are in the prime hebdomad (you are between the age of 21 and 28).”

The expression can also mean “fine and noble,” “superior and excellent,” or “the best that a man (or woman) can be.”

Salemi mentions that not everyone can humanly achieve this.  For the most important reason, most everyone are NOT Greek.  And in reality unless you were blessed as a trust fund baby were all workers up until some point in our life.  At which point we are no longer eligible for kalos kai agathos because the age time frame is specifically 21-28 amongst all other criteria.

I believe in being the best you can be. These are terrific guidelines but in the real world, no one is perfect.  So strive to be the best and follow your heart because as you are TRYING, you are your ’good and beautiful’ self.