The virtue test concluded that I
am on the right path but I could certainly pay more attention to being more
clean and orderly. The three virtues that I am going to reflect on are
cleanliness, moderation, and sincerity.
I chose cleanliness because I was
marked down on it in the virtue test. This is an area that covers almost every
aspect of life. Dirty habits can be formed in your professional or personal
life, along with personal hygiene and living conditions. I am by no means a
dirty person, nor do I think I have dirty habits, but this is simply a matter
of opinion. Men typically get a bad rap for being sloppy and careless about
their hygiene, but I do not feel that this accurate, especially in my case. I
could, however, take better care of my physical body a bit more and eat cleaner.
I think confidence and the development of one’s life are also lumped into this
virtue (McKay, 2008). Being more conscience about what we eat, how we live to
benefit our mind and body, and acting confidently are all ways to improve in
this area.
Moderation is one virtue that I
struggle with. I tend to take the all or nothing approach with several
activities in my life, resulting in myself overdoing something to the detriment
of myself or others. I push myself very hard in sports and physical activities,
I encourage my children to be the best at what they do, and I live each day as
if it was my last. I am a man of extremes, and this sometimes hurts relationships
with others because of my attitude when something is not done as hard as I would
like. Taking it easy at times and understanding that not everything has to be
done in an extreme manner is one of my goals. My wife is a perfect partner for
this as she is at the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of living in
extremes.
Sincerity is also something I
struggle with from time to time. I feel like I have been through a lot in my
life, physically and emotionally and have a hard time commiserating with others
when they experience something similar, or showing sincerity and empathy toward
them. I also sometimes speak very honestly where someone could be hurt by my
words. Being mindful of the impact words and actions could have on others is
the key in helping me through this. Sincerity should be something that is
afforded others without little effort as the feelings, emotions, and viewpoints
of others change so much we must learn to adapt.
I am by no means perfect, as highlighted
above, but I think I am aware of what I need to work on from a virtue
standpoint and how to incorporate them into my daily life.
References:
McKay, B. (2008). The virtuous
life: cleanliness. The Art of Manliness. Retrieved from http://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/05/04/the-virtuous-life-cleanliness/
No comments:
Post a Comment