Psychology & Self-Help Forum

This is "America" . . .

I've learned that virtues are a middle line between two vices. That's what the Platonists taught. So if we take two vices, or defects, such as (1) rashness and (2) fear, we get two opposite vices.
Rashness is acting foolishly in danger. Throwing caution to the wind.
Fear is obviously inertia.
Yet, right between the two opposite vices, we get the virtue of courage. 50 per cent fear added to 50 per cent rashness gives an intermediate courage. Afraid but acting anyway to, say, save a life. Ready to act, but aware of the risks.
So, the personality has a range of emotional aspects. Fear, courage, desire, revulsion, anger, torpor, restraint.
Some vices are only relative vices. Anger can be a vice or a justified reaction. You could be angry over the way someone has been ill-treated so, it's not a vice in that case.

The main Platonist bit of wisdom is that evil is too much or two little of some quality.
The evil of the vaccine witch hunt we connect to too much empathy. As well as too much ego.
Empathy as a virtue is when you seek the same justices for others as you wish for yourself. Yet, we see extremes of empathy. So much alarm for the good of others leads to blame, scapegoating and victimisation. Too much ego leads to extreme selfishness.
When you mix ancient philosophy with psychology, the mix is interesting. Platonists didn't diagnose syndromes but they studied the personality and ethics, morality.