As you're reading this, I'm getting heading to Texas for the FIFA Club World Cup with my eldest son. I'm genuinely excited, but I have to admit, getting to this decision wasn't easy. For weeks, I debated whether I should spend the money. On one side, it felt "extravagant." It's a lot of money for just a few days, and part of me kept thinking, "This isn't a prudent financial decision." I also catch myself looking at people who travel all over the world for sporting events and wondering, "How do they justify spending that much?"

Then there was the other side of the argument: We work hard. We sacrifice a lot. Money is meant to create opportunities, memories, and experiences, not just accumulate in a bank account forever. Life is also unpredictable. None of us knows how many opportunities we'll have to watch a World Cup match together (aka YOLO).

Neither perspective felt completely right. Somewhere between "never spend" and "you only live once" seemed to be the answer. While reflecting on this dilemma, I found myself revisiting theory, so today I want to share the concept of Aristotle's philosophy on virtue, as I realized his ideas are just as relevant today as they were over 2,300 years ago.

Tip of the Week: Most of life's hardest decisions aren't about choosing between right and wrong, they're about finding the right balance between two extremes.

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The Theory Behind

Aristotle believed virtue lives in the middle. In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle introduced the concept of the Golden Mean: the idea that every virtue exists between two opposing extremes, one of excess and one of deficiency. Courage, for example, sits between recklessness and cowardice. Confidence lies between arrogance and insecurity. Patience exists between passivity and anger. Aristotle described around a dozen moral virtues, each representing this pursuit of balance. Importantly, the "middle" isn't the mathematical average. It's the right amount for the situation, guided by wisdom, values, and context.

Money has its own virtue: Generosity. Aristotle argued that our relationship with money also follows this principle. This virtue sits between two unhealthy extremes: being wasteful with money on one end and being "miserly" or "stingy" on the other. The goal isn't necessarily to save every dollar nor spend every dollar. Instead, it's to use our resources intentionally, in a way that reflects our values. This immediately resonated with me while debating the World Cup expense. The question wasn't whether spending money is good or bad... it was whether this expense would be aligned with what matters most to me.

Balance is measured over time, not by isolated events. Perhaps the most practical lesson we can take from Aristotle is that virtue isn't determined by a single action but by our repeated choices. One expensive trip doesn't make us irresponsible. One weekend of working late doesn't make us workaholics. The challenge is that we can justify almost any individual decision in isolation. That's why regular retrospectives (whether monthly, quarterly, or yearly) are so valuable. They allow us to zoom out, recognize patterns, and ask whether our overall behavior reflects the life we're trying to build.

What I’ve Learned

I realized I wasn't really debating one purchase, I was debating the system behind my decisions. I could easily justify this World Cup trip by itself. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience with my son. But then I asked myself a harder question: What if next week I decide to buy front-row concert tickets? And the month after that I start booking Michelin-star restaurants every weekend? Each purchase could have its own perfectly reasonable explanation. Yet when I zoom out, the pattern might no longer reflect my priorities.

The same thing happens with our time. It's easy to justify working one late evening because there's an important deadline. Then logging in one Saturday because "this week is exceptional." Then answering emails during Sunday dinner because "it'll only take five minutes." Every individual decision feels harmless. But eventually, we realize we've created a lifestyle we never intended. I've found that many of the biggest mistakes in life don't happen because of one bad decision, they happen because we keep making individually justifiable decisions without ever stepping back to look at the bigger picture. Finding balance means knowing when to say yes, but also being comfortable saying no the next time. Ultimately, virtue is about consistently living according to your own values.

Make It Happen

1. Define your values first. Before making difficult decisions, write down the 5–10 things that matter most to you. Your spending and your calendar should eventually reflect them.

2. Identify your extremes. For any recurring decision (money, work, health, relationships), ask yourself what "too much" and "too little" would look like.

3. Review patterns instead of events. Rather than judging one purchase or one late night at work, review the previous month or quarter. Patterns tell a much more accurate story than isolated moments.

4. Schedule regular retrospectives. Every quarter, ask yourself: Are my time and money going where my values say they should?

5. Adjust, don't overcorrect. If you discover you're drifting toward one extreme, make small course corrections. Balance is something we continuously practice, not something we achieve once.

What's most important: If you know any good BBQ spots between Houston and Dallas, please DM me.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to focus on taking pictures of my kid watching his idol play at The World Cup.

SIUUUUU,

Jorge Luis Pando

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