Aristotle, and W. Rhys Roberts. Rhetoric. Mineola, NY: Dover, 2004. Kindle Electronic Edition.
Book II, chapter 12
Aristotle turns his attention to “the various types of human character, in relation to the emotions and moral qualities, showing how they correspond to our various ages and fortunes” (II.12, B 1388b). He has already discussed the various emotions and moral qualities. It remains to view all in terms of various ages.
“Young men have strong passions and tend to gratify them indiscriminately” (II.12, B 1389a). They tend to change in desires and be more volatile than others. Aristotle illustrates this tendency in terms of sexual desires and in love of honor and victory. Young men tend not to be as loving of money as others, and often show a great deal of optimism.