Philotimo The Highest Greek Virtue

I learned about Philotimo, the highest Greek virtue, from a Greek citizen that went out of his way to do the right thing for a complete stranger (me).

The Word Philotimo Embraces Multiple Virtues

It’s a Greek word, found referenced as far back as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

It doesn’t have a direct translation, but breaks down into the 2 words, ‘friend’ and ‘honor’. Something like a friend, or lover of honor, but much more. 

It also includes other Greek virtues like; integrity, dignity, courage, family, community, and pride. It’s about choosing the right path, even when it’s not the easiest. Especially when it doesn’t benefit the giver, directly.

What Happened

I needed a cell phone for my yoga volunteer role at a refugee camp, in case of emergency. Just before I left the US, I learned of a complication and couldn’t get it unlocked (trust me, I did all the right things and tried everything. I couldn’t!), so I needed to buy another phone. Hopefully an inexpensive as I was going to be working a as a volunteer for a month in Greece.

The group I was volunteering with insisted I get a cell phone, so I tried buying a used one on Facebook Marketplace. Mainly as there may be times I would be alone at the facility. I found several sellers of inexpensive, used phones and decided to buy one for 40€ (about $45).

Unfortunately, the phone I bought didn’t work. It worked technically, as I tried it when I bought it, but it wouldn’t let me enter my personal data, to make it mine. The fact that the phone didn’t work wasn’t completely surprising, but what happened next was.

Philotimo, The Highest Greek Virtue

Expecting the worst, I contacted the seller and told him the phone didn’t work. I was actually shocked when he offered to meet with me to try to fix it. We met later in the evening, after he finished work. He even brought his wife with him, which made me feel safe as it was dark out and we met on the street. In fact, we met twice.

He thought that maybe he had erased his user information incorrectly. We sat in the dark on a sidewalk bench, following You Tube tutorials, to see if we could get it to work. When we couldn’t figure it out, he offered to take the phone back and have a technician fix it.

By this time, I had decided to trust him, so didn’t even ask for my 40€ back, and handed him the phone.

My instincts were right, as a few days later, he returned the phone. He had corrected the issue and I could now use it. I was amazed!

I was explaining my experience to another Greek volunteer at the camp, and she told me that I had experienced ‘philotimo’. She said it’s something Greeks are very proud of. And rightly so!

He had a sense of duty and honor to fulfill his end of the agreement, and give me a phone that functioned. I wondered if had this issue in the USA, if the seller would have even responded to me? Let alone go through all the effort to fix it? Chances are slim they would have. Sad, but true.

More Stories of Greek Philotimo

I posted my experience on Instagram and a friend told me a story of philotimo from when she was in Greece. Her and her father stopped in a store while traveling when she was a child. She innocently asked the owner for a beverage. He walked out the door and came back 5-minutes later with a bottle of water for her. Funny thing is, it wasn’t a beverage store. He had walked across the street and bought it at another shop for her…and didn’t charge a penny. I love it!

It also brought back memories of being stranded in Greece many years ago, during the 9/11 attacks. The Greek people were so kind to us while we were stuck, trying to find flights home. A five star hotel provided us a really nice room for a deeply discounted $50/night. It included a free all-you-can-eat breakfast. One of those massive buffets with several tables of food. Having no idea how long we’d be stranded, we filled up on that breakfast for a week! They even offered a tour to a Greek temple for free. Including transportation!

Anyway, we can all use some philotimo in our lives. When I think of this story, it reminds me how honorable it is to do this right things, even when it’s not easy.

For more stories on philotimo, see the Philotimo Organization Instagram account. Follow them for amazing, and usually uplifting stories.

Want To Travel Greece?

Of course, on the mainland, you can’t miss the amazing ruins and history in Athens. You can also visit the magnificent Clifftop Monasteries Of Meteora, which is just a bus or train ride north of Athens.

And with over 200 inhabited islands in Greece, the choices are endless. I hope to explore more of them in the future.

The Cycladic islands are located southeast of a Athens. Santorini, one of the most beautiful, is a top choice. Mykonos, another popular choice, is a known party spot with many beautiful beaches.

Naxos, south of Mykonos, is known for its less-touristy, less party, more traditional Greek charm, interesting ruins, and charming hillside towns.

Paros, just west of Naxos, has a must-see old fishing village on its northern coast and the lovely island of Anti Paros.

Ios, is just south of Naxos and Paros, an incredible little island with stunning sunsets, a popular party island for those in their 20’s.

And south of Ios, is Milos, best known for the lunar landscape at Sarakiniko, but also with many other Interesting beaches with cliffs and caves to explore.

Crete, the largest island also offers a lot to see and do. From the stunning, remote beaches of Elafonisi Island and Balos Bay, to hiking snow-capped mountains, the Samaria Gorge and seeing ruins from ancient Minoan culture.

Top islands on the on the west side of Greece include Corfu, which offers many resorts along its sandy shore, and Zakynthos, with its famous, undeveloped shipwreck beach.

Or, if you’re planning a trip to Greece, see my Greek Travel Guide, for an overview of the top spots, how to get around, safety, scams, logistics, and more.

Safe Travels!

Julie

Want to learn more about me? See my About Me page to understand why I love traveling so much and my philosophies on travel.