{"id":28804,"date":"2022-12-28T13:25:28","date_gmt":"2022-12-28T13:25:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.growthmentor.com\/location\/athens\/philotimo-copy\/"},"modified":"2024-05-22T14:06:42","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T14:06:42","slug":"philotimo","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/www.growthmentor.com\/glossary\/philotimo\/","title":{"rendered":"Philotimo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Philotimo is not a common word. Due to that, this isn\u2019t the usual glossary term article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, here is a story about searching the meaning of \u201cphilotimo\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"the-context\">The context<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Explaining what \u201cphilotimo\u201d means to non-Greek speakers is always a challenge. It\u2019s one of those cases that the word that you might be frequently using can only be expressed in your native language, while there is no synonym or translation that\u2019s good enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I will give it a try, because Growth Mentor is full of \u201cphilotimo\u201d at its essence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"pre-seed-stage\">Pre-Seed Stage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>First things first, as a wanna-be content marketer, I decided to check the results on Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>According to Google Translate, \u201cphilotimo\u201d is equivalent to \u201csense of honour\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>According to Wikipedia, \u201cit is a Greek noun that has the literal&nbsp;translation of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Philotimo\">love of honor<\/a>&#8220;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>I was relieved when I read the next sentence though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>It is claimed to be impossible to translate sufficiently as it describes a complex array of virtues<\/p>\n<cite>Wikipedia<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Etymologically speaking, it comes from the words: \u201cfilos\u201d = friend and \u201ctimi\u201d = honour, so it is the person that befriends honour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That was the beginning of my adventure to write about \u201cphilotimo\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"seed-stage\">Seed-Stage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the past year, I have been coaching Alice and Konstantinos, two bright youngsters. We are the RoboCores, a robotics team, and we have been building Pop2See Smart class, a device to integrate blind students into general schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Sep, 18th, 2022, we arrived in Leiden, the Netherlands, to participate in the <a href=\"https:\/\/eucysleiden2022.eu\/pop2see-smart-class\/\">European Competition for Young Scientists<\/a>, having been awarded the top prize in Greece for our invention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As proper Greeks, we traveled in a big big group of 10, Alice and her parents, Konstantinos and his parents, Anna, our ambassador, who is also a blind <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@anna__balan\">Tik Tok influencer,<\/a> and her partner, Nitro, her guide dog, and myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I saw us all together, I had an epiphany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I felt I had the best group of people (obviously \ud83d\ude04) for some \u201cphilotimo\u201d interviews.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.growthmentor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/RoboCores-The-Team-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25476\" width=\"306\" height=\"408\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.growthmentor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/RoboCores-The-Team-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.growthmentor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/RoboCores-The-Team-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.growthmentor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/RoboCores-The-Team-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.growthmentor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/RoboCores-The-Team.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 306px) 100vw, 306px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">RoboCores, The Team<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h3 id=\"growth-stage\">Growth Stage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On our way back, I decided to execute my plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While at the Amsterdam Airport, I started interviewing them 1-1.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.growthmentor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Schiphol-Amsterdam-1024x613.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25477\" width=\"496\" height=\"296\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.growthmentor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Schiphol-Amsterdam-1024x613.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.growthmentor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Schiphol-Amsterdam-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/www.growthmentor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Schiphol-Amsterdam-768x460.png 768w, https:\/\/www.growthmentor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Schiphol-Amsterdam.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 496px) 100vw, 496px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Here are the results:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>1. Christina, mother of 3<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>She started by mentioning the Greek expression:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cSince apologies were invented, philotimo was lost\u201d, Greek folks<\/p>\n<cite>Christina<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>She thinks that it is great when someone has \u201cphilotimo\u201d, and it means that they take over responsibilities, without expecting any returns, because they think it\u2019s good for another human or society itself, or because that\u2019s what must happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She also emphasized, that you \u201ceither have it or not, you can\u2019t obtain it along the way\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>2. Penny, COO<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cPhilotimo\u201d = love + the attitude of giving + respect + appreciation + care<\/p>\n<cite>Penny<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>When someone has \u201cphilotimo\u201d at work, they are not \u201ccapable\u201d of shutting down everything and leaving. Not before they take care of their responsibilities, usually without someone else asking them to do so or checking them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>3. Thodoros, engineer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cPhilotimo\u201d = helping others where they need it + appreciating what others do for you<\/p>\n<cite>Thodoros<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>When someone has \u201cphilotimo\u201d, it means that they were \u201cthere\u201d to help him when needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>4. Anna, blind influencer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>A man or woman with \u201cphilotimo\u201d is someone who is upright, honest, willing to help, and human, seeing beyond themselves<\/p>\n<cite>Anna<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>5. Chris, computer scientist<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As his father claims, Chris doesn\u2019t have any \u201cphilotimo\u201d, probably because he is an only child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cPhilotimo\u201d is used to describe actions with low self-interest, that someone does for someone else. Greek families raise their children with \u201cphilotimo\u201d flowing in their veins.<\/p>\n<cite>Chris<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>6. Modesto, seat 36E<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Modesto was sitting behind me during our flight, seat 36E, so I decided to learn his point of view as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cPhilotimo\u201d is the willingness to help someone. You want to help, you don\u2019t have to, but you choose to help.<\/p>\n<cite>Modesto<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>7. Phivos, lawyer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>After landing in Greece, it was Phoebus\u2019 turn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>It\u2019s a non-written code of virtues, which is customary and includes the sense of uprightness.<\/p>\n<cite>Phivos<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Alice and Konstantinos were hesitant about sharing their point of view, but we made it eventually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>8. Alice, aspiring engineer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cPhilotimo\u201d is a complex concept, that includes multiple virtues, not just one, such as: respect + fatherland + love of honor + \u201cphiloxenia\u201d (another great Greek word, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/philoxenia\">meaning<\/a> = love of strangers; eagerness to show hospitality) + extroversion<\/p>\n<cite>Alice<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>9. Dinos, aspiring engineer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cPhilotimo\u201d is the respect for ourselves.<\/p>\n<cite>Dinos<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>10. Babis, doctor<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>I turned to one of my best friends, Babis, to ask for his opinion as well. We have shaped the way we think and act together, so I couldn\u2019t leave him out of this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cPhilotimo\u201d includes a complex system of virtues, which is not very specific, but reflects the ideal virtual per occasion.<\/p>\n<cite>Babis<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Someone can understand it through first-hand human interactions in their everyday life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As he explained, \u201cphilotimo\u201d is strongly related with someone\u2019s pursuit to honour themselves through respect towards other humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"exit-stage\">Exit Stage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Before wrapping up, I decided to get a more \u201cscientific\u201d point of view. In this case, \u201clinguistic\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I reached out to another great friend, Nick, who is also a linguist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As per Nick:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>A person has &#8220;philotimo&#8221; when their actions are beyond their duties. When the person doesn&#8217;t simply follow the legislation or the social norms, but their actions go beyond their duty. This excess derives from a deep sense of conscientiousness, but at the same time a sense of social recognition and appreciation, that might follow as a result.<\/p>\n<cite>Nick<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>According to his input, two modern dictionaries of the Greek language define &#8220;philotimo&#8221; as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>linked to personal honour, dignity, touchiness, appreciation from others or even egoism (Babiniotis, Dictionary of the Modern Greek Language, 2006)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>linked to\n<ul>\n<li>a) sensitivity related to personal honour, dignity, importance of how others view us<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>b) willingness, conscientiousness when someone is dealing with their duties (Triantafyllidis Dictionary, 1998)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"the-end\">The End<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As far as I am concerned, each person we asked had a slightly different point of view about the meaning of \u201cphilotimo\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They all agree that it is Greek, and that they are proud of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the Greek philosopher Thales had said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>Philotimo to the Greek is like breathing. A Greek is not a Greek without it.<\/p>\n<cite>Thales<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.growthmentor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Thales-Philotimo.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25478\" width=\"567\" height=\"313\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.growthmentor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Thales-Philotimo.png 600w, https:\/\/www.growthmentor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Thales-Philotimo-300x166.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 567px) 100vw, 567px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Thales<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Explaining what \u201cphilotimo\u201d means to non-Greek speakers is always a challenge. Here is the story about searching its meaning<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":102,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","glossary-term":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Philotimo Meaning for Non-Greek Speakers to Understand | GrowthMentor<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explaining what \u201cphilotimo\u201d means to non-Greek speakers is always a challenge. 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