Of what, then, is this evidence
if not of the existence of an innate inclination of the human soul toward
goodness and nobleness, and of the presence of the seeds of virtue in each one
of us?
Moreover, because it is entirely
to our advantage to be good, some of us deceive ourselves into thinking that we
are really good, while others of us are ashamed to admit that we are not.
Why then pray, when one who has
not learned letters or music or gymnastics never claims to have knowledge of
these arts nor makes any pretense of knowing them, and is quite unable even to
name a teacher to whom he went, why, I say, does everyone profess that he has
virtue?
It is because none of those other
skills is natural to man, and no human being is born with a natural faculty for
them, whereas an inclination toward virtue is inborn in each one of us.
Every
sort of thing is made to fulfill its own nature, in its own distinct way. Every
other condition is superfluous to that, perhaps preferable, yet hardly
necessary.
We all
know that we should be good, even as we are not always sure how to be good. We
want this so much that we delude ourselves into believing that anything we do
will make us good.
No, it
will not.
We see
certain things we desire, and we think that their acquisition will make us kind
and decent folks.
No, they
will not.
This
job, or that spouse, or some honor here or there is entirely beside the point. Regardless
of the circumstances, where was the understanding, where was the conviction,
where was the self-control, where was the love? I would like to assume I have
all of that, since I take it for granted that success is good; but wait, what
is the real measure of human success? Have I been selling my dignity and
integrity for that supposed success?
If I have
never carefully studied quantum physics, then I cannot claim to be a quantum
physicist. So if I have never carefully studied virtue, why am I claiming to be
virtuous? I don’t want to admit that I don’t know what I should know.
I make
the claim, however false, because I know, however vaguely, that this is something
I need to live up to. I become worried, because studying quantum physics is
hard, and studying virtue is surely harder.
No, it
isn’t any harder at all; it should actually come much more easily. It flows
from us with ease as soon as we get our priorities in order. Right thinking
leads to right doing, and no training in complex equations or mind-twisting
concepts is required of anyone here. The physicist may need years of formal
education, while the good man only needs his own common sense and a humble
heart.
I ask
this of myself in a much simpler way: Does my life hang on how good I am at
calculus? That skill can be of great service to me in so many ways, but no, it
does not. It is a means, not the end.
Does my
life hang on whether I can be concerned, respectful, and compassionate? Yes, it
does. It is the very fulfillment of being human. It is the end, not a means.
There is
one thing I was made for, the one thing that comes naturally to me, and that is
the excellence of my own character. I must remember that I can take or leave
the rest, since it is something added to my nature, not something grown out of my
nature.
“I was
born to be a lawyer!”
No, you
were born to be honest, whether you happen to be a lawyer or not.
“I was
born to be a rock star!”
No, you
were born to be humble, whether you happen to be a rock star or not.
“I was
born to be a baron of industry!”
No, you
were born to be fair, whatever business you happen to work in.
It’s
funny how we get it all backwards, and we start with all the accidents, while
neglecting the essence. Then we somehow foolishly think we can achieve the
essence by spending all of our time on those accidents.
To be a happy
man you simply have to be a good man, first and foremost. That comes from
within, from all the gifts Nature and Providence put right there in your lap. Everything
else comes from the outside.
Written in 4/1999
No comments:
Post a Comment