By Mike Morrell
“What, then, is virtue?” … for more than 3,000 years…philosophers… esteemed it to be a quality of the soul: not a condition one is born with but rather the result of years of self-discipline.
In classical thought, virtues were defined as good habits that aim toward a higher end in life. … the person who consistently chooses to ack justly becomes just. One who persistently chooses moderation in food and drink becomes moderate. The choice between write and wrong actions [or more appropriately beneficial or harmful actions] today has far-reaching implications: We become what we do. The path of virtue (or vice) can change our souls and our final destiny…virtue is the highest principle of human action.
Literature from a century prior emphasizes internal qualities: ethics, integrity, humility, temperance [moderation] patience, and the golden rule. The modern self-help industry …from recent decades focus on external attributes, such as polished techniques and image consciousness.
What defines a good chair is simply the state of doing what it’s supposed to do. In the same way, a virtuous human being is one who does what she or he was made to do. This persons essential qualities–their virtues–allow them to experience the good life and function at their highest potential…. Their soul is healthy and fulfilled because they[re living as the person they were made to be.
They also held it to be impossible to be virtuous in one area and lacking in another: to have one virtue means that you must have all of them. Is virtue, then, impossible on earth? Strictly speaking, the answer is yes. …Although we’ll never reach perfection on earth, we’re called as human beings to pursue perfection.
[While many view the word perfect in its adjectival form meaning flawless, perfect in its verb form indicates “to bring to full development, finish or complete so as to leave nothing wanting." Both come from a Latin word indicating excellent, complete. I like to think of the word as meaning whole. In the case of this discussion, the human is called to pursue being a whole; as complete, excellent, fully developed as possible. This is a lifelong endeavor and one in which there is ALWAYS something to be learned. We are ALL called to moral excellence. What are YOU doing to pursue it?]
