Aristotle considered a sound ethical basis to be key to a well-lived life. Like Plato before him, he regarded the ethical virtues — such as justice, courage, and temperance — as complex rational, emotional, and social skills. He explored the nature of ethics in great detail, writing three major ethical treatises, the most widely read being his “Nicomachean Ethics.” For Aristotle, a person with a strong moral compass does not need a lengthy or complex explanation to justify their actions. They also don’t do it for show or to impress or prove themselves to anyone. When someone possesses such a strongly ingrained sense of right and wrong, they simply know what to do in a given situation — and do it because it’s right.