megalopsychos

Etymology

From the Ancient Greek μεγᾰλόψῡχος (megălópsūkhos, “great-souled man”, “magnanimous one”), from μεγᾰς (megăs, “great”) + ψῡχή (psūkhḗ, “mind”, “spirit”, “soul”).

Why this word is great

MEGALOPSYCHOS — [Noun] Aristotle’s 'great-souled man': an aristocratic paragon who embodies virtue to an exceptional degree, as described in his Eudemian and Nicomachean Ethics. From the Ancient Greek μεγᾰλόψῡχος (megălópsūkhos, 'great-souled man'), combining μεγᾰς (megăs, 'great') and ψῡχή (psūkhḗ, 'mind', 'spirit', 'soul'). Unlike the 'sophron' (who embodies quiet moderation) or the 'vain' (who claims unearned greatness), the megalopsychos is both worthy of honor and unflinching in his claim to it. He is the general who accepts victory with neither false humility nor gloating, the philosopher who speaks truth without fear of lesser minds, the athlete who competes not for praise but because excellence demands it—a figure so rare that his very existence feels like a rebuke to the pettiness of ordinary life.

noun

Aristotle’s “great-souled man”: an aristocratic paragon who embodies the virtues to an exceptional degree (a figure described chiefly in Aristotle’s Eudemian and Nicomachean Ethics).“Nietzsche could not, for instance, accuse Aristotle of preaching a morality of pity, nor of extolling humility. On the contrary Aristotle’s description of the megalopsychos who possesses the virtue of greatness of soul and “deserves and claims great things” (Nicomachean Ethics 1123 a 15) has much in common with Nietzsche’s picture of the “higher” type of man.”