Personal Virtue can Change the World

If we want to improve our personal lives, our families, our relationships, our communities, the organisations we are members, our work places, our countries we must acquire virtue and live virtuous lives. Nothing, absolutely nothing else changes the world except personal virtue. There is no other mechanism in the human dimension that accomplishes this task. All improvements, changes for the better or good are founded on virtue. Like nature abhors a vacuum, a habit abhors a vacuum in the human character. If we are not filled with good habits we will be filled with bad habits. From ancient times man has identified a number of fundamental qualities that express excellence in his character. They are so foundational as to be called inherent principles or laws in the human dimension.  Knowledge of the four foundational virtues Justice, Wisdom, Courage and Discipline can be found in Greek philosophy, scripture and the thinking minds reasoning.  These four good qualities are foundational, for upon them rests the structure of character effectiveness and excellence. All other virtues are built on these four cornerstones. There is an internal battle between our good habits and our bad habits. The weaker our good habits the stronger our weak habits. Weakness in one area builds strength in the other area and visa versa. All growth in the human dimension is sequential and phased. There is a correct order of stages from weakness to strength, from under development to developed, from start to finish, from foundation to roof, from crawling to walking, from sowing to harvest. All of creation follows a phased, ordered and sequential development process. It is God’s way. It is creation’s way. It is the human dimension’s way. We develop our good habits and character in this way. There are no short cuts. Bad habits are easy and soft; easy to develop and soft to apply. Bad habits are as easy to acquire as water running down a hill. Good habits are tough and hard; tough to develop and hard to apply. Good habits are as tough to acquire as pushing a large boulder up a steep hill.