What virtues matter to you?

What virtues matter to you?  What do you live and stand by?  What do you value highly in other people? What are your non negotiables?  What behaviours need to be improved?

Ha some big questions here to ponder.  These questions should be the backbone and north star across every part of our personal and professional worlds.  And of course every virtue has an opposite aka a ‘vice’

And make no bones about it, no one holds the God like award of 100% across any virtue.  Vices, oh those pesky opposite behaviours are not the bastion of just a few.  We all fall down and grapple.  But like a good diet (well a reasonably healthy and sustainable one) it’s the 90% of the time that matters.

In all aspects of our lives there is a total intersect of what matters.  Do you apply the same standards to yourself as you do others?

These questions have been top of mind the last month as completed the free email course: Ethics Reboot: 21 days of better habits for a better life.  Created and delivered by The Ethics Centreit was just terrific.

A long-time admirer and supporter of the Centre for many years I love how relatable and digestible courses and information are. Each day was a wonderful set of questions and tasks accompanied by various well known philosopher’s wise words.

As I reviewed all 21 virtues it got me thinking of what are the direct opposite of each one to correspond with. I have collated that in a chart below to reflect on.

Terminology Differences 

It was important to also clarify what the differences are across virtues, vices and ethics:

Virtues – positive and desirable character traits that manifest in behaviours and actions. Deeply ingrained personal dispositions that influence how a person thinks, feels and acts.

Vices – behaviours that are considered immoral, wicked, or harmful. Can encompass bad habits, character flaws, or actions that are generally viewed as negative within a society.

Ethics– principles and frameworks that govern behaviour and guide individuals in making decisions about what is right or wrong. It encompasses moral principles and values that influence how people act both individually and within groups or organisations.

Core virtues & vices to work on

Pondering the 21 virtues and vices I asked myself what are the top 4 virtues I care most about (in myself and others).  And what are the vices that I honestly grapple with at times.

I hold Courage, Honesty, Justice and Empathy at the top for my own behaviours and expectations from others. And Impatience & Resentment are vices that I need to be mindful of and work on regularly.

What are yours? Don’t forget we are human and all trying to do the best we can.  Once we are aware we can improve and help others.