Virtue brings life into focus.
So, of all the various self-improvement possibilities, why did I choose the ancient path of virtue?
Good question.
The answer is, it seems to be the best description of my own experience – both of myself and of the world around me. Here, I’ll give an example.
An Example
I have a problem with food: if it’s in front of me, it ends up in my belly in short order. Doesn’t matter much what kind of food it is. Even if it’s something I just hate, if it sits in front of me for more than a minute and a half my hand will reach out and I’ll probably get it halfway to my mouth before I remember just how much it disgusts me. I’m literally not thinking about it at all.
So, how do I deal with this kind of mostly involuntary problem?
What Didn’t Work
Moral systems don’t do much good. I just end up self-flagellating over my worthlessness as a human being. And the truth is, it’s not really a moral act.
Psychological and psychiatric systems only cover part of the issue. Sure, something is going on in my neurochemistry, but that’s not something I can manipulate with precision. Sure, something is going on with my conflicting desires and thought patterns and what not, but just knowing what’s going on does very little to change my life.
Why Virtue Works
But virtue, well, there’s a simple description both of what the problem is and of how to solve it. It has to do with habits. The problem is that, over time, I have built up a habit of stuffing my face. The solution is not only to stop stuffing my face, but to start treating food as it’s meant to be treated. And, over time, build up a new habit of eating normally.
What do I mean, “as it’s meant to be treated”? Well, this is the other thing about virtue that really works for me. Virtue is all about acting according to the order of a thing’s nature. So, as a human being, I thrive best when I act according to human nature. My hand works best when it manipulates things. My eyes work best when exposed to the visible spectrum of light.
And my whole body, especially my digestive system, works best when it has the right amount of the right kinds of food.
Simple, right? Absolutely. But easy? Not at all.
And, again, virtue acknowledges the difficulty of developing new, better habits to overcome old, bad habits. No quick fixes, no “cures”. Instead, a refreshingly realistic assessment of where I’m at and the struggles that lie ahead. It’s good to know I’m not a misfit or a moral moron simply because I find it difficult to do the good thing.
There’s more to it than that, and I’ll explain more as I go. If you want to follow my progress, or – even better – to grow in virtue yourself, please join the Quest! Together, we can help each other become the people we’re meant to become!
Recent Comments