Day 28 · Q1: Self-Knowledge · January 28, 2026
Pause. Breathe. Begin.
I . L E C T I O
Aristotle
Nicomachean Ethics, Book II, §1
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
C O N T E X T
Aristotle's ethics are fundamentally practical: virtue is not a theory but a muscle built through daily repetition. Written around 340 BC, this passage argues that character is not discovered but constructed — one action at a time.
I I . M E D I T A T I O
“What habit are you building right now — consciously or unconsciously — and what character does it form?”
I I I . S C R I P T I O
Write one sentence about one daily habit that is shaping who you are becoming.
I V . C O N N E X I O
Aristotle shifts from self-knowledge to self-construction. Knowing yourself (Socrates) is necessary — but building yourself (Aristotle) is the purpose. How does this change the meaning of daily practice?
This practice exists because of readers like you.
Sustain it →Tomorrow's passage, delivered at dawn.