Virtue:
Foresight
Other names:
Definition:
Goal setting and prioritizing
"ability to order means to ends that are to be realized in the future" (Freddoso)
Advice:
"...say no to almost everything. Billionaire Warren Buffett once said, ‘The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say no to almost everything.’ And James Altucher colorfully gave Kruse this tip: ‘If something is not a 'Hell, yeah!' then it's a no.’ (Blackberry #9)
"follow the 80/20 rule. Known as the Pareto Principle, in most cases, 80 percent of results come from only 20 percent of activities. Ultra-productive people know which activities drive the greatest results. Focus on those and ignore the rest" (Bradberry #10)
Pursue your own goals (Corley #6)
"What's the ONE THING I can do in the next 12 months such that by doing it everything else would be easier or unnecessary?" (Keller)
“If you are working from your inbox, you are working on other people’s priorities” (Rumsford)
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Negligence, "a lack of due solicitude stemming from a lack of a prompt will" (Freddoso)
Inconstancy (or irresoluteness), "withdrawal from a definite good purpose stemming from the passion of desire" (Freddoso)
Thursday, April 30, 2020
Perseverance
Virtue:
Perseverance
Other names:
Persistence, voluntary continuation of action in pursuit of a goal, in spite of obstacles, difficulties of discouragement (CSV)
Steadfastness
Hardworking
Perseverance
Other names:
Persistence, voluntary continuation of action in pursuit of a goal, in spite of obstacles, difficulties of discouragement (CSV)
Steadfastness
Hardworking
(Does "Initiative" belong here?)
Definition:
Not giving up; "to persist long in something good until it is accomplished" (II-II q137 a1)
Advice:
“Once you quit one thing, then you can quit something else, and pretty soon you’ll get good at being a quitter.” (Rumsfeld)
The five second rule: “If you have an impulse to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill the idea.”(Robbins)
Get up early (Corley #1)
Empirical Research:
Persistence is a desirable character trait for several reasons. It helps one to achieve one's goals, but studies show that it also increases enjoyment of success (Festinger, 1957; Aronsen and Mills, 1959), as well as self-confidence (Bandura, 1977). Persistence is necessary for successful entrepreneurship (McClelland, 1987). It is necessary to exercise prudence and adaptability in discerning where and when to persist (Janoff-Bulman and Brickman, 1982; Wortman & Brehm, 1975).
Individuals with a history of being rewarded for high effort are more likely to develop persistence than individuals with a history of being rewarded for low effort (Eisenberger, 1992). However, some extrinsic rewards, like money or prizes, have actually been shown to reduce persistence. It is necessary to structure rewards in such a way that the task is seen as having positive value in and of itself (Harackiewicz, Manderlink, & Sansone, 1984).
Case examples:
Gifts of the Spirit:
Further reading:
Robbins, Mel. https://fourminutebooks.com/the-5-second-rule-summary/
Vices opposed:
Softness or Weakness, giving in too easily
Pertinacity, hanging on stubbornly, beyond reason
Definition:
Not giving up; "to persist long in something good until it is accomplished" (II-II q137 a1)
Advice:
“Once you quit one thing, then you can quit something else, and pretty soon you’ll get good at being a quitter.” (Rumsfeld)
The five second rule: “If you have an impulse to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill the idea.”(Robbins)
Get up early (Corley #1)
Empirical Research:
Persistence is a desirable character trait for several reasons. It helps one to achieve one's goals, but studies show that it also increases enjoyment of success (Festinger, 1957; Aronsen and Mills, 1959), as well as self-confidence (Bandura, 1977). Persistence is necessary for successful entrepreneurship (McClelland, 1987). It is necessary to exercise prudence and adaptability in discerning where and when to persist (Janoff-Bulman and Brickman, 1982; Wortman & Brehm, 1975).
Individuals with a history of being rewarded for high effort are more likely to develop persistence than individuals with a history of being rewarded for low effort (Eisenberger, 1992). However, some extrinsic rewards, like money or prizes, have actually been shown to reduce persistence. It is necessary to structure rewards in such a way that the task is seen as having positive value in and of itself (Harackiewicz, Manderlink, & Sansone, 1984).
Case examples:
Gifts of the Spirit:
Further reading:
Robbins, Mel. https://fourminutebooks.com/the-5-second-rule-summary/
Vices opposed:
Softness or Weakness, giving in too easily
Pertinacity, hanging on stubbornly, beyond reason
Quick-wittedness
Virtue:
Quick-wittedness
Other names:
Shrewdness, creativity
Definition:
Ability to find each logical step quickly, to figure stuff out, to come up with new, relevant ideas
"disposition to acquire a right estimate by oneself" (II-II a49 a4); "ability to size up a situation quickly on one's own and to see which of the possibly relevant practical syllogisms is the most appropriate" (trans. Freddoso)
Advice:
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Negligence, "a lack of due solicitude stemming from a lack of a prompt will" (Freddoso)
Inconstancy (or irresoluteness), "withdrawal from a definite good purpose stemming from the passion of desire" (Freddoso)
Inconstancy (or irresoluteness), "withdrawal from a definite good purpose stemming from the passion of desire" (Freddoso)
Orderliness
Virtue:
Orderliness
Other names:
"Regulatedness"; "Methodicalness"
Definition:
"what is becoming to the business in hand, and to one's surroundings" (II-II q168 a1)
Advice:
"... focus on minutes, not hours. Most people default to hour and half-hour blocks on their calendar; highly successful people know that there are 1,440 minutes in every day and that there is nothing more valuable than time" (Bradberry, #1)
"focus on only one thing. Ultra-productive people know what their most important task is and work on it for one to two hours each morning, without interruptions" (Bradberry, #2)
"Throw away your to-do list; instead, schedule everything on your calendar" (Bradberry, #3)
"""touch things only once. How many times have you opened a piece of regular mail--a bill perhaps--and then put it down, only to deal with it again later? How often do you read an email and then close it and leave it in your inbox to deal with later? Highly successful people try to ""touch it once."" If it will take less than five or 10 minutes--whatever it is--they deal with it right then and there. It reduces stress, since it won't be in the back of their minds, and it is more efficient, since they won't have to reread or reevaluate the item in the future"" (Bradberry #12)
"practice a consistent morning routine. Kruse's single greatest surprise while interviewing more than 200 highly successful people was how many of them wanted to share their morning ritual with him. While he heard about a wide variety of habits, most nurtured their bodies in the morning with water, a healthy breakfast, and light exercise, and they nurtured their minds with meditation or prayer, inspirational reading, or journaling" (Bradberry #13)
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Management
Virtue:
Management
Other names:
Leadership
Domestic prudence
Domestic prudence
Definition:
Governing intermediate associations (families, companies, associations, etc.
( Differs from Leadership. Leadership, per Havard, requires multiple virtues.)
Advice:
"delegate almost everything. Ultra-productive people don't ask, "How can I do this task?" Instead, they ask, "How can this task get done?" They take the I out of it as much as possible. Ultra-productive people don't have control issues, and they are not micro-managers. In many cases, good enough is, well, good enough" (Bradberry #11)
Insist on Completed Staff Work (Yoest)
Empirical Research:
Leadership involves a large number of personality traits and abilities that are oriented towards helping, directing and motivating others to achieve success (CSV)
Most measures of leadership focus on assessing a person's ability to acquire, organize and communicate information, to manage material resources and to motivate and monitor personal resources.
Studies show that quality of leadership accounts for up half of the variability in organizational performance (D.V. Day and Lord, 1988; N. Weiner and Mahoney, 1981). Good leadership is linked to higher job satisfaction, motivation and productivity amongst members of the group (Lowe, Kroeck, and Sivasubramaniam, 1996).
Few programs focus specifically on cultivating the personal qualities necessary for leadership. However, there are some exceptions, which aim to develop greater self-awareness and self-understanding (Conger, 1993; Yukl, 2002).
Most measures of leadership focus on assessing a person's ability to acquire, organize and communicate information, to manage material resources and to motivate and monitor personal resources.
Studies show that quality of leadership accounts for up half of the variability in organizational performance (D.V. Day and Lord, 1988; N. Weiner and Mahoney, 1981). Good leadership is linked to higher job satisfaction, motivation and productivity amongst members of the group (Lowe, Kroeck, and Sivasubramaniam, 1996).
Few programs focus specifically on cultivating the personal qualities necessary for leadership. However, there are some exceptions, which aim to develop greater self-awareness and self-understanding (Conger, 1993; Yukl, 2002).
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Havard, Alexander. Virtuous Leadership.
Yoest, The Memo.
Vices opposed:
Wisdom
Virtue:
Wisdom
Other names:
Definition:
The habit "which considers the highest causes... Wherefore it rightly judges all things and sets them in order, because there can be no perfect and universal judgment that is not based on the first causes" (II-II q 57 a2)
Advice:
Empirical Research:
A study by Hartmann (2001) found that a wide range of experiences, such as ongoing participation in life tasks, as well as ability to adjust to changing circumstances, to cope with stress and to come to terms with one's own choices, all contribute to the development of wisdom and perspective. Sternberg (1988) offers a program for students that focuses on reading classical works of literature and philosophy, discussion projects, and use of the Socratic method.
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Wisdom
Other names:
Definition:
The habit "which considers the highest causes... Wherefore it rightly judges all things and sets them in order, because there can be no perfect and universal judgment that is not based on the first causes" (II-II q 57 a2)
Advice:
Empirical Research:
A study by Hartmann (2001) found that a wide range of experiences, such as ongoing participation in life tasks, as well as ability to adjust to changing circumstances, to cope with stress and to come to terms with one's own choices, all contribute to the development of wisdom and perspective. Sternberg (1988) offers a program for students that focuses on reading classical works of literature and philosophy, discussion projects, and use of the Socratic method.
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Truthfulness
Virtue:
Truthfulness
Other names:
Honesty
Definition:
The habit of telling the truth
Advice:
Empirical Research:
[CSV: Integrity/Authenticity/Honesty ?]
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Lying, Dissimulation (false appearances), Boasting (claiming to be more than you are), Belittling Oneself (claiming to be less than you are; L. ironia, sometimes translated as "irony")
Temperance
Virtue:
Temperance
Other names:
Self-ControlSelf-regulation, being able to control one's thoughts, emotions and behaviors in order to achieve certain goals or live up to certain standards. Related to self-control, which is often defined more narrowly as control over one's impulses specifically.
Definition:
Appropriate management of physical desires
The “virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods” (CCC 1809)
Advice:
Empirical Research:
A review by Baumesiter et al. (1994) finds that lack of self-regulation is central to a wide variety of social problems, including drug addiction, alcoholism, crime, unwanted pregnancy, personal debt and financial troubles, anger issues, lack of exercise and overeating. High self-regulation is linked to better personal adjustment and self-esteem (Tangney et al., in press) and to better relationships with one's romantic partner (E.J. Finkel & Campbell, 2000; Vohs , Ciarocco, & Baumeister, 2003).
Self-awareness, or consistent attention to one's own behavior, is crucial for self-regulation (Kirschenbaum, 1987; Carver & Scheir, 1981). Mischel et al. treat self-regulation as primarily linked to delayed gratification, the ability to forego immediate temptations for the sake of a larger reward in the future (Mischel & Ebbesen, 1970).
Case examples:
Gifts of the Spirit:
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Temperance
Other names:
Self-ControlSelf-regulation, being able to control one's thoughts, emotions and behaviors in order to achieve certain goals or live up to certain standards. Related to self-control, which is often defined more narrowly as control over one's impulses specifically.
Definition:
Appropriate management of physical desires
The “virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods” (CCC 1809)
Advice:
Empirical Research:
A review by Baumesiter et al. (1994) finds that lack of self-regulation is central to a wide variety of social problems, including drug addiction, alcoholism, crime, unwanted pregnancy, personal debt and financial troubles, anger issues, lack of exercise and overeating. High self-regulation is linked to better personal adjustment and self-esteem (Tangney et al., in press) and to better relationships with one's romantic partner (E.J. Finkel & Campbell, 2000; Vohs , Ciarocco, & Baumeister, 2003).
Self-awareness, or consistent attention to one's own behavior, is crucial for self-regulation (Kirschenbaum, 1987; Carver & Scheir, 1981). Mischel et al. treat self-regulation as primarily linked to delayed gratification, the ability to forego immediate temptations for the sake of a larger reward in the future (Mischel & Ebbesen, 1970).
Case examples:
Gifts of the Spirit:
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Diligence
Virtue:
Diligence
Other names:
Studiousness
Love of learning
Definition:
Diligence moderates our desire for knowledge
Love of learning means a well-developed interest in or disposition to engage deeply with a particular subject. It enables a person to persist in the face of setbacks, challenges and negative feedback (CSV: Krapp & Fink, 1992; Neumann, 1999; Renninger, 2000).
Advice:
Empirical Research:
Diligence or studiousness includes curiosity in the positive, constructive sense. In the negative sense, idle curiosity, it is a vice. Studies show curiosity is linked to creativity, problem-solving ability and desire for challenge (Cacioppo et al., 1996; McCrae & Costa, 1997), as well as to perseverance (Sansone & Smith, 2000). One five-year study of elderly patients found that higher levels of curiosity were correlated with longer lifespans (Swan & Carmelli, 1996). Curiosity is positively correlated with the belief that one can act voluntarily in a situation, but negatively correlated with fear of punishment or desire for tangible external reward (Deci & Ryan, 2000).
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
(Idle) curiosity
Sobriety
Virtue:
Sobriety
Other names:
Definition:
Appropriate enjoyment of alcoholic beverages; moderation in the use of alcoholic beverages
Advice:
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Drunkenness
Simplicity
Virtue:
Simplicity
Other names:
Definition:
Not desiring things that are too fine
Advice:
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Further reading:
Cloutier, David. The Vice of Luxury: Economic Excess in a Consumer Age. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press, 2015.
Vices opposed:
Luxury
Restraint
Virtue:
Restraint
Other names:
Definition:
The ability to resist evil or wasteful desires
Advice:
"process emails only a few times a day. Ultra-productive people don't check their email throughout the day. ... Instead, like everything else, they schedule time to process their emails quickly and efficiently"
Avoid time-wasters (Corley #9)
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Incontinence
Respect
Virtue:
Respect
Other names:
Definition:
Our duty to respect those worthy of honor
Advice:
"spend time with people who inspire [you]" (Corley #5)
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Resilience
Virtue:
Resilience
Other names:
Endurance
"Patientia" (“patience” is sometimes used as a translation, but is not generally understood to mean what St. Thomas meant by “patientia.”)
Definition:
Don't give in. Mental toughness; not letting sorrow divert you from the good you’ve intended to do.
"safeguard the good of reason against sorrow, lest reason give way to sorrow" (II-II, q136 a1)
Advice:
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Feebleness*
Religion
Virtue:
Religion
Other names:
Definition:
To be constantly mindful of God and our duty to him
The world "religion" comes from to re-read ("relegit") -- to keep re-reading the word of God (cf. II-II q81 a1)
Advice:
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Superstition, including Idolatory, Divination (attempting to foretell the future), Magic (Occult practices), Undue worship (where the externals of worship are belied by one's intentions), Tempting God (when we ask something of God, or put ourselves in a difficult situation intentionally, just to see if God will help us), Perjury (calling God as a witness to something false), Sacriledge (violation of te respect due to sacred things), and Simony (buying and selling of spiritual things).
Regnative Prudence
Virtue:
Regnative Prudence
Other names:
Definition:
Governing states well
Advice:
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Refinement
Virtue:
Refinement
Other names:
Refinement
Other names:
Social intelligence, Social intelligence means being able to think abstractly (i.e. to recognize similarities, differences and patterns) in one's own motives and feelings, and in the motives and feelings of others.
Decorum
Definition:
"the knowledge of what is becoming in movement and behavior" (II-II q168 a1)
Advice:
Empirical Research:
While social intelligence is not directly correlated with overall intelligence, studies show that it is most closely linked to self-reported empathy and verbal intelligence. In the business world, people with higher social intelligence tend to provide better customer service (C.L. Rice, 1999).
Case examples:
Gifts of the Spirit:
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Decorum
Definition:
"the knowledge of what is becoming in movement and behavior" (II-II q168 a1)
Advice:
Empirical Research:
While social intelligence is not directly correlated with overall intelligence, studies show that it is most closely linked to self-reported empathy and verbal intelligence. In the business world, people with higher social intelligence tend to provide better customer service (C.L. Rice, 1999).
Case examples:
Gifts of the Spirit:
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Reasoning
Virtue:
Reasoning
Other names:
Discursive Reasoning
Definition:
Ability to move logically from one step to the next; "research and compare alternative possibilities and to reason well from premises to conclusions in practical matters" (Freddoso)
Advice:
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Precipitateness, not taking good counsel
Precipitateness, not taking good counsel
Punishment
Virtue:
Punishment
Other names:
Vindication
Definition:
To punish offenders
Advice:
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Revenge
Prudence
Virtue:
Prudence
Definitions:
Making and implementing good decisions.
Figuring out the right thing to do and the way to do it.
“The virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it.” (CCC 1806)
A "cognitive orientation to the personal future, a form of practical reasoning and self-management that helps to achieve the individual's long-term goals effectively." (CSV)
Advice:
Produce "Completed Staff Work": research the landscape, develop options, make a recommendation (Yoest)
Empirical Research:
A study by John and Srivastava (1999) found that conscientiousness or prudence was linked to high levels of agreeableness, extroversion and intelligence, and to low levels of neuroticism, implying a connection to cooperativeness, sociability and imaginativeness.
Case examples:
Gifts of the Spirit:
Counsel. "
Further reading:
Yoest, John W. Jr., The Memo
Vices opposed:
Imprudence, the "lack of that prudence which a man can and ought to have" (II-II Q. 53, A. 1)
Political Prudence
Virtue:
Political prudence
Other names:
Citizenship, a sense of social responsibility, loyalty and teamwork. It means identification with and obligation towards the common good (CSV).
Definition:
Prudence with respect to being a good citizen; "the prudence of subjects with respect to fulfilling their role as subjects within a political community, with the common good as its chief end. Such prudence thus applies to the political actions of subjects" (Freddoso)
Advice:
Empirical Research:
Political prudence
Other names:
Citizenship, a sense of social responsibility, loyalty and teamwork. It means identification with and obligation towards the common good (CSV).
Definition:
Prudence with respect to being a good citizen; "the prudence of subjects with respect to fulfilling their role as subjects within a political community, with the common good as its chief end. Such prudence thus applies to the political actions of subjects" (Freddoso)
Advice:
Empirical Research:
Studies show that citizenship is linked to higher levels of trust in others and a more positive view of human nature (Staub, 1978). Involvement with groups that focus on acts of charity or community service in particular may foster especially strong bonds of social trust (Stolle, 1988; Uslaner, 2002).
Alexis de Tocqueville described local community organizations as "schools of democracy." Modern studies lend some support to this view, especially in the case of youth organizations. Involvement in extra-curricular activities and in courses including discussions or current events is often a predictor of civic engagement in adulthood (Verba et al., 1995). Some studies show that mandated community service for juvenile offenders is more effective than detention at decreasing the likelihood of arrest later in life (Uggen & Janikula, 1999).
Case examples:
Gifts of the Spirit:
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Alexis de Tocqueville described local community organizations as "schools of democracy." Modern studies lend some support to this view, especially in the case of youth organizations. Involvement in extra-curricular activities and in courses including discussions or current events is often a predictor of civic engagement in adulthood (Verba et al., 1995). Some studies show that mandated community service for juvenile offenders is more effective than detention at decreasing the likelihood of arrest later in life (Uggen & Janikula, 1999).
Case examples:
Gifts of the Spirit:
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Patriotism
Virtue:
Patriotism
Other names:
Filial Piety
Filial Piety
Definition:
Doing your duty to your country and your parents
"disposes to the fulfillment of duties which one owes to parents and country" (CE)
Advice:
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Disloyalty*; Fanaticism* (placing duty to country or parents over duty to God)
Munificence
Virtue:
Munificence
Other names:
Magnificence
Definition:
Willingness to spend large amounts of your own money to do something important.
"The virtue of expending money proportionately to the importance of the need"; "the virtue of accomplishing something grand with money for a high purpose" (Deferrari)
Advice:
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Stinginess
Extravagance
Modesty
Virtue:
Modesty
Other names:
Definition:
Appropriate dress
Advice:
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Ostentation
Moderation
Virtue:
Moderation
Other names:
Definition:
Appropriate management of desires
Advice:
"You should get out of meetings whenever you can and hold fewer of them yourself. If you do run a meeting, keep it short and to the point" (Bradberry, #8)
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Military Prudence
Virtue:
Military Prudence
Other names:
Definition:
The virtue of ensuring an effective national defense
Advice:
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Memory
Virtue:
Memory
Other names:
Definition:
Ability to remember important things
Advice:
(1) Make an unusual image of what you want to remember; (2) organize and connect the things you want to remember; (3) be anxious about what you want to remember; and (4) reflect on the things you want to remember (II-II q49 a1)
"use a notebook. Richard Branson has said on more than one occasion that he wouldn't have been able to build Virgin without a simple notebook, which he takes with him wherever he goes. In one interview, Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis said, "Always carry a notebook. Write everything down. That is a million-dollar lesson they don't teach you in business school!" Ultra-productive people free their minds by writing everything down as the thoughts come to them." (Bradberry #6)
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Precipitateness, not taking good counsel
Memory
Other names:
Definition:
Ability to remember important things
Advice:
(1) Make an unusual image of what you want to remember; (2) organize and connect the things you want to remember; (3) be anxious about what you want to remember; and (4) reflect on the things you want to remember (II-II q49 a1)
"use a notebook. Richard Branson has said on more than one occasion that he wouldn't have been able to build Virgin without a simple notebook, which he takes with him wherever he goes. In one interview, Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis said, "Always carry a notebook. Write everything down. That is a million-dollar lesson they don't teach you in business school!" Ultra-productive people free their minds by writing everything down as the thoughts come to them." (Bradberry #6)
Empirical Research:
Case examples:
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Further reading:
Vices opposed:
Precipitateness, not taking good counsel
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