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How did Aristotle describe virtue as a mean between extremes?

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Marble bust of Aristotle with a beard and draped robe, showing detailed facial features and wavy hair, set against a dark background. — Aristotle Aristotle, detail of a Roman copy (2nd century bce) of a Greek alabaster portrait bust (c. 325 bce); in the Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome.

In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle describes moral virtue as a state of character that occupies a middle ground, or golden mean, between two contrary vices: one of excess and one of deficiency.123

For example, the virtue of courage is situated between the deficiency of cowardice and the excess of foolhardiness. Similarly, friendliness is the mean between the extremes of obsequiousness and surliness. Aristotle emphasizes that this mean is not a mechanical rule but requires practical wisdom to determine the appropriate response for specific circumstances.14352

He notes that virtues are not innate but are cultivated through practice and habit. Furthermore, he clarifies that not all actions or passions have a virtuous mean; some, such as murder or adultery, are inherently wrong regardless of the amount. Ultimately, Aristotle views virtuous action as the result of successful practical reasoning, where correct judgment and right desire align to avoid both excess and defect.124