According to the Greek moralists' school of thought, one that I broadly subscribe to, it takes good moral character to determine with regularity and reliability what actions are appropriate and reasonable in specific situations. Further, there appears to be a consensus that virtuous traits of character have two aspects: a behavioural aspect – doing particular kinds of action and a psychological aspect – having the right motives, aims, concerns, and perspective.

Virtue is a unified, congruous state where emotional responses and rational assessments speak with the same voice. The education of our emotional responses, which is a personal responsibility, is crucial for the development of virtuous character. If our emotional responses are educated properly, we learn to take pleasure or pain in the right things.
When it comes to education of emotional responses, I prefer to hold people with seemingly above average intelligence to a higher standard. That said, it is commonplace to forget that intelligence is by definition bifurcated, it’s not enough to acquire knowledge if your application side of things is incoherent.
Ironically, knowledge workers in this country, particularly those in public service or private practice, have found a way to seek and usually get a pass when their non-rational desires move them to act in ways not endorsed by their rational desire, blaming "politics" or "nature of being in business" respectively.

Usually, to realise our rational powers fully we need at least a group of companions who share our interests and with whom we can cooperate to achieve our mutually recognised goals. In the resultant cooperation, we are parts of a larger “enterprise”, so that when the others act, it is as though we are acting, too. In this way, these activities expand our conception of who “we” are, and they make the use of our rational powers more continuous and more stable.

In wrapping up this exploration, it's clear that the timeless wisdom of Greek moralists offers invaluable guidance on the path of character cultivation. They illuminate the inseparable connection between our emotional responses and rational judgments, stressing the pivotal role of emotional education in fostering virtuous conduct. Critically, we should learn to draw pain from contemporary excuses for moral lapses an normalise challenging them in public, for that upholds a higher standard, both collectively and individually.

Moreover, I must underscore the power of companionship and cooperation in honing our rational faculties, expanding our sense of self and facilitating sustained moral growth. In essence, the journey toward moral excellence is not a distant dream but an attainable reality within our grasp. Be intentional, embark on your journey of self-improvement with confidence, knowing that the pursuit of virtue is indeed well within our reach.