What Aristotle taught me about Hamartia.

Hamartia?

Okay, Aristotle had this way of explaining things-that even those who heard him, declare he was a great Thinker. But, he taught me something that put into light why things happen the way they do. He used the word "Hamartia."

Hamartia simply put describes some error or flaw that brings about the downfall of a hero.

If you've read Hamlet by William Shakespeare then you understand what I mean. If you loved watching The Dark Knight then you know how you felt when Heath Ledger died before receiving his Academy Award for a stellar performance as The Joker in that movie.

You will also feel the same way by the sudden deaths of Whitney Houston, Amy WineHouse and as Doctors would have it Michael Jackson too.

And my friend Luc, would say "if karma and gravity exist, then for real all things are possible." She believes that karma is the best judge on earth. She also believes that gravity is a bully given how many times she'd been reminded to respect gravity.

So, have you encountered people who have it all and when things get better something happens and they lose it all?

Unlike certain cases Hamartia only applies when someone has a flaw that they don't work on and it destroys their chances of achieving something valuable. In most Greek tragedies, it was a way for the Greek gods to punish such people. Others have greed, some are overconfident and others simply are taken over by vengeance to think straight. So, what's your hamartia?

Question is do you have one?

And if you are thinking you are no hero, take a quick look around you at some of the achievements you've made in life and what you had to battle within and without you to get them.

 

What Aristotle taught me about Hamartia is that everyone has a flaw or a weakness that could largely draw them back from achieving their dreams unless they work on them. Whatever it is that is holding you back and comes from within-that's your greatest enemy-and it's the greatest form of Hamartia and until you find a way of dealing with it, of understanding it, then you will work hard to achieve something but it will be deemed as a loss given the dominance of your weakness.

Hate less, Love more: Fear less, Hope more.