More on Aristotle

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

When my wife and I were beginners in the study of Argentine Tango, we attended a retreat in New Jersey. I knew nothing about the dance, and on the opening night they had a milonga with a very crowded dance floor. In the United States, a crowded tango floor looks like bumper cars with dancers constantly encroaching on each other. I was too intimidated to step out on the dance floor, so my wife and I watched the dancers.

One older gentleman who looked like Peter Lorre was gracefully dancing around the floor leading his partner in very simple, but well controlled steps. The more we watched him, the more we noticed that he was so good that he and his partner never touched another dancer, and no matter how out of control another dancer was-- no one could ever touch him. He was just amazing to watch, because he never missed a step, never tried anything fancy, he just maneuvered the dance floor with an expertise I can only imagine. He did this throughout the evening with several partners.

This is another example of the difference between excellence and perfection. For Aristotle excellence is a process, where one focuses on mastering the simple elements of life. In Buenos Aires they laugh at North American tourist-dancers who take the dance floor and attempt stage moves such as kicks and spins. In Argentina, you are expected to be able to negotiate a crowded dance floor without bumping into other dancers. You are expected to know the basics with expertise. It takes years of practice to learn these basic steps and do them with excellence. This is what Aristotle was talking about when he spoke of excellence as a habit. Perfection is the professional dancer doing beautiful moves on a stage. Excellence is the average person who practices tango for years in the salons and dance halls, learning to do basic steps well on a crowded dance floor.