At the Ignite event on 5 September at the Berry School of Arts, every speaker gave us something to think about. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing highlights from each presentation. You can find the other presentations as they are published here.

Dr Dom Frawley AM, a GP with more than 30 years of experience, asked us to consider what Aristotle might say about our modern struggles with anxiety, depression, and technology. Aristotle described true happiness as eudaimonia, not fleeting pleasure, but a deep flourishing that comes from practising virtues like courage, honesty, generosity, and self control.

Dom pointed out that happiness is not passive. It requires deliberate action. For every virtue, Aristotle said there is a golden mean, somewhere between deficiency and excess. For example, good humour lies between being a killjoy and being a buffoon. Living well means finding that balance.

He contrasted this with how our society often manages minor distress. We give more and more attention to problems, which unintentionally rewards them and makes them more likely to persist. In medicine, this is called “secondary gain.” Dom argued that the same thing is happening in our culture. And if you wanted to invent the ultimate secondary gain machine, you could not do better than the one we already carry in our pockets. The smartphone, with infinite scroll, secret algorithms, and the dopamine hit of the like button, rewards behaviours that do not help us flourish.

“If you wanted to invent the ultimate secondary gain machine, you are too late. We already carry it in our pockets.”

So what is the alternative? Dom offered Aristotle’s ethics as a practical framework for today. He told us about Benjamin Franklin, who kept a list of thirteen virtues and worked on one each week. Over a year, he cycled through them four times, gradually improving himself and strengthening his character. Dom suggested we could all do the same, a week on courage, a week on generosity, a week on self control, because virtue is not just a thought exercise. It grows only through action.

“Step by step, virtuous actions push back against anxiety and depression, and help us to flourish.”

“Aristotle’s ethics are not a thought exercise. Virtue grows only through action.”

His message was both philosophical and practical. To push back against anxiety, depression, and the pull of the algorithm, we need to practise virtuous action. Step by step, these actions build wisdom, contentment, and friendship, and help our communities to flourish.

“Happiness is not passive. It comes from practising virtues like courage, honesty, generosity, and self control.”

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