Greatest virtue is admit fault and say I was wrong

Unlike other moral philosophies, Aristotelian ethics places a great amount of emphasis on an individual's character; it doesn't care so much about a particular action or intention, but is more interested in how a moral agent's character is formed and shaped. "Virtue", according to Aristotle, is a disposition to act in a particular manner, but it is not a subconscious or a "natural" disposition. Rather, it is a carefully, consciously, and rationally inculcated habit that is done for its own sake.

For example, an honest person is one who inculcated the habit of honesty because he prizes honesty for its own sake, since honesty is an excellence of the human soul. The "careful, conscious, and rational" aspect is especially important because some people may naturally be generous, for example, but that is not virtue since they are not acting rationally but are acting according to their natural impulse. This is a problem for Aristotle because virtuous action cannot be done unreflectively. One can only classify an action as virtuous if it is done so consciously, rationally, and voluntarily.

But even if an action were virtuous, that doesn't automatically make the person a virtuous agent. Aristotle argued, "One swallow does not a summer make," and he was right. A kind person is one who does kind acts all the time, and can be depended upon to be kind. Kindness is almost a second nature to that person, but at the same time, is a disposition that has been rationally inculcated through moral education. Moral education is required because one's desires, feelings, emotions, and sentiments may be at odds with a moral action.

Say when a person is loathe to spend money on his friends but does so anyway, we would not really call him virtuous - we would only call him continent because while he restrained his true desires (or loathing) and did the right thing, he not only did not do it for the right reasons but he also had to battle himself in order to do it. In contrast, a person who genuinely loves his friends and spends some money on them is virtuous because he acted so for its own sake and he did it cheerfully - his emotions and desires are at one with what virtue requires.

To do a great right do a little wrong. William Shakespeare. Nobody’s perfect”, is a saying that we’re all familiar with, another one is “we all make mistakes”. There is a lot of truth to both of those sayings. Being perfect means that we never make mistakes and we all know that’s just not true. We are all guilty of making mistakes at on time or another, but it’s what we do after the mistake that matters. Failing to admit to a mistake, if even to yourself is not the best way to go. Many people deal with their mistakes by trying to somehow justify them. Self-justifications can become a way of life in which you live in a distorted reality where you never make mistakes.

This can lead to a decreased ability to make good choices. Trying to justify your mistakes is akin to lying in that it can build upon itself and cause an even bigger problem. But there are ways to combat this destructive behavior, all it takes is a little courage and confidence. What you need to do is to start owning up to your mistakes. In much the same way that justifying a mistake can lead to a bigger problem, owning up to a mistake can prevent it from becoming bigger. Admitting your mistakes can prevent it from becoming a huge problem that is difficult to solve.

Instead of trying to hide and forget your mistakes, you can use them to your benefit. You can learn from your mistakes once you have acknowledged you’ve made them. If you don’t acknowledge your mistakes, not only will you not learn from them, but you will be destined to repeat them. I just find it an honest answer when you realized that you didn’t have the best solution/answer to something. Everyone in life make mistakes.

First, learn to forgive yourself and equally learn to give forgiveness to others when they do mistakes. If someone is doing something bad on purpose then it isn’t a mistake but merely a willful act. But to stand up and be both brave and honest is a positive character. This person clearly shows honesty as well as being brave. He will gain a lot more trust from his surroundings. A person hiding its mistake will never gain that trust and respect.

In some cultures it is considered impolite if you point out that someone made a mistake. It can create quite an enemy. So, here this “virtue” has a different meaning than for example in the West. To make a mistake in other cultures can mean that your social status completely falls and as a result the people around you just don’t want to have anything to do with you. One thing can be enough to create this.

So, mistakes are done millions of times daily and by all of us. So who is to judge the other when they are no better. Some people, of course believe they are “much better” than the others. Time after time it has proven that these people hide a lot more within than the normal person. Honesty is a fine quality to have. So what will you choose: To stand tall and be honest or sneak with your mistakes behind people’s back. To put it in a different way, let's just say telling the truth and accepting the truth is the greatest virtue. To accept that you did wrong, is not easy at all. Most of the people will be happy to bury the truth that the did wrong, but only the courageous can find it sensible to accept the truth not only in words but also in their heart. Accepting that you were wrong requires courage, honesty and loyalty.

Accepting that you made a mistake is not going to correct your mistake or make it disappear, but it will surely make the other person realise that you regret what you did and tend to not repeat it, also it will ease your burden. If you have lost someones trust while you made a mistake, then maybe by accepting that you did wrong you can regain the lost trust, of course not immediately but surely gradually. As it is rightly said “Be humble to see your mistakes, courageous to admit them, and wise enough to correct them”. Therefore, have courage, be humble and wise. Cheers!