Are You Flourishing?

Early on in the 1998 film, Rounders, Mike (Matt Damon) gets completely wiped out by Teddy KGB (John Malkovich) through an "all-in" wager in a game of Texas Hold'Em.  Mike pledges never to play poker again, reverting to his law school studies during the day and driving a truck at night (owned by Joey Knish and aptly played by John Tuturo) to earn cash and make deliveries.

As Mike unhappily grinds it out, his good friend Worm (Ed Norton) is released from prison.  When Mike learns that Worm is indebted to Teddy KGB through a vile and dangerous loan shark, Mike returns to playing cards in order to free Worm from his debts prior to the repayment deadline.  The two come close, and then loose it all in a game with troopers in upstate NY (and get beaten to a pulp because of Worm's cheating).  

Worm decides to flee.  Mike takes on his debts, and asks his mentor--Law School Professor Pretrovsky (Martin Landau)--to loan him $15,000.  Professor Petrovsky cuts Mike a check for 10G's, and Mike returns to Teddy KGB for a game of no limit Texas Hold'Em to free his friend from debt and regain his poker playing mojo.  In the dramatic and suspenseful climax of the film, Mike defeats Teddy KGB, wipes out Worm's debt, earns enough to repay Professor Petrovsky, and retains "three stacks of high society" ($30,000), which is enough to stake him in the World Series of Poker.

At the end of the film, we see Mike entering a taxi cab headed for the airport.  The driver asks: "Where ya headed?"  Mike responds--"Vegas." The cab driver offers Mike good luck.  Mike (to himself and the audience): "Luck has nothing to do with it".

In this memorable film, we have a fine illustration of principles outlined by Aristotle in the Nicomachean Ethics as to what it is to lead a meaningful life.  The central value for Aristotle is eudaimonea.  While the term is most often translated as “happiness,” it can also means “to live well” or “to flourish.”   

Aristotle argues that flourishing people can be evaluated on three dimensions. The first of these is the dimension of virtue or excellence (we learn that Mike is an excellent poker player). The second dimension is practical wisdom (we see that Mike knows how to get things done). The third dimension is moral strength, which involves both knowing the right  thing to do and setting aside overriding desires that might prevent us from doing it (Mike will not cheat at cards, even if it is to save his friend). 

According to Aristotle, flourishing requires all three dimensions of character—virtue, practical wisdom, and moral strength.  Although that is not enough.  Aristotle argues that a flourishing life unfolds in a larger context that includes material goods and friendship.  Mike clearly plays poker not only for the pleasure derived from the game, but also because of the money that can be earned (material goods) and for friendships (Worm, Joey Knish, and even Teddy KGB).

I encourage you to watch the film while keeping in mind Aristotle's explanation of a meaningful life.  Then you may want to ask yourself the question: "Am I Flourishing?"