Be Noble, Be Good: The Lost Greek Ideal Worth Reviving

I remember the first time I wanted to be someone else.

We had just arrived at the field for our game against our cross-town rivals when our coach informed us that a new kid was joining the team. A boy, the same age as us, stepped out from behind the dugout wearing catcher’s gear and confidently waved at his new teammates.

“This is Kevin Cortez. He’ll be our new catcher!” Coach said excitedly.

Kevin had a dark complexion and piercing green eyes. He wore a buzz cut and a gold cross necklace around his neck. He had on a tank top under his chest protector, and even as a 7th grader, he looked like a professional athlete. He was cool—and he was walking toward me.

“Wanna warm up?” he asked, disarmingly.

We played catch for a few minutes. He asked me a stream of questions about myself, complimented my glove, and repeated how excited he was to be on the team. With every throw, I felt my envy grow. How could someone have so much swagger and still be so likeable?

It wasn’t long before Kevin became the standard of excellence on our team. He was the first to arrive at every practice and usually the last to leave. He performed well in most games, but even when he didn’t, he always controlled his emotions. He became the ideal the rest of us looked up to.

I didn’t know it at the time, but Kevin was embodying the ancient Greek ideal of kalos kagathos, or “beautiful and good.”

In ancient Greece, this term described the goal that every citizen was meant to pursue—a balance of outward appearance and inner virtue. Plato elaborated on this concept in his writings, like The Republic, where he explored the role of the kalon (the noble or beautiful) in ethical development. Kalos kagathos could be used as a compliment, but more often, it was a standard to strive for in life.

In modern society—and in Kevin’s case—we can use this ideal as a marker for our own development: striving to be “beautiful and good” in everything we do. In today’s terms, that means improving our character, competence, and presence daily. The words we speak, the way we invest our time and money, and even how we present ourselves physically all tie back to the pursuit of kalos kagathos.

The ancient Greeks believed deeply in harmony. It wasn’t just about dressing well or doing your hair, but about aligning outer beauty with inner character. The true power of kalos kagathos comes when our values match our words, choices, and presence.

We may not have Kevin’s swagger, our best friend’s intelligence, or the popular kid’s looks—but we can all strive to be a little more beautiful and good.

Fact

Studies in character education show that students who develop both moral character (honesty, empathy) and performance character (grit, responsibility) are more likely to thrive academically and socially.

Source: Character Lab, research by Angela Duckworth & others

Action

Choose a role in your life that you want to demonstrate strength and goodness in. Do one thing today to demonstrate Kalos Kagathos in that role.

Question

Where in my life do I want who I am on the inside to match how I show up on the outside?

Quote

“Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution.” - Aristotle