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Although most often discussed in a religious context, virtue is a concept that transcends religion. The term itself describes a set of character traits associated with high moral standards.<br>In this article, we will talk about the virtue definition, the meaning of virtue, and offer some<br>examples of virtuous acts.
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What Is The Virtue Definition? Exploring Virtuous ThoughtsAnd Actions Five millennia ago, ancient Egyptians developed a concept known asMaat. Comprising justice, law, order, truth, morality, and balance, Maat was the opposite of chaos, injustice, and dishonesty. In many ways, this concept is similar to what we today refer to asvirtue. Although most often discussed in a religious context, virtue is a concept that transcends religion. The term itself describes a set of character traits associated with high moralstandards.
In this article, we will talk about the virtue definition, the meaning of virtue, and offer some examples of virtuousacts. What Is The VirtueDefinition? The virtuous definitionis a type of behavior that reflects a person’s moralexcellence. This word can refer to any quality or character trait that society considers morally good. Honesty, loyalty, courage, and kindness are universally seen as positive traits. This means that each can be described as avirtue. The term virtue first entered the English language in the 13th century. It was coined many centuries earlier in ancient Rome where it was used to describe the admirable qualities of men. These included not only their moral conduct but also their strength and physicalfeatures. In fact, the root of the word virtue is vir, which is the ancient Roman word forman. Over the centuries, the meaning of virtue has evolved, but the basic concept has remained thesame.
Whatdoesitmeantohavevirtue? YOU ARE WHAT YOU CONSISTENTLY DO. YOUR HABITS SHAPE YOURCHARACTER. – JON BUTCHER, AUTHOR OF MINDVALLEY’SLIFEBOOKPROGRAM Different schools of thought have different ideas of what it means to havevirtue. Religions like Christianity, Judaism, and Islam teach that a virtuous person must obey the word of God. Philosophy teaches that having virtue means to act in a way that is beneficial to oneself as well as others. Whether religious or secular, all definitions of virtue agree that a virtuous person has a good moral character and the ability to tell the difference between right andwrong. Virtues are developed through repetition. By practicing virtuousness in everyday life, you can gradually turn your virtues into habits and build a strong characterin theprocess. What are the 12virtues?
In his work “Nicomachean Ethics,”, the Greek philosopher Aristotle listed 12 virtues that help people behave in the right way at the righttime. Aristotle believed each of these 12 examples of virtueswas the “golden mean” between vice and deficiency. The 12 virtuesare asfollows: Courage Standing between recklessness and cowardice, courage is seen in people who are aware of the danger they find themselves in, yet bold enough to keep moving in anydirection. Temperance The golden mean between restraint and excess, Aristotle recognizes temperance in people who enjoy drinking but never drink too much. It is synonymous withmoderation. Liberality Liberality is the virtue of kindheartedness and charity. It stands between extreme greed on one end and giving above one’s means on theother. Magnificence Magnificence is the art of living extravagantly without being too flashy or self-indulgent. The term is synonymous with radiance andgrandeur. Magnanimity Magnanimity is seen in people who are worthy of great things and also see themselves as such. It stands between vanity andself-deprecation. Ambition Aristotle underlines the difference between healthy ambition (moderate striving for acceptance or distinction) and unhealthy ambition (immoderate striving for the same things). He sees the former as a life-enhancing virtue and the latter as a destructivevice.
Patience According to Aristotle, patience is the virtue of controlling one’s temper. It’s the golden mean between getting too angry and not getting angry enough. In Aristotle’s ownwords, “PATIENCE IS BITTER, BUT ITS FRUIT ISSWEET.” Friendliness Friendliness is the measure of a person’s social intelligence. It is the golden mean between not being fond of others at all and being too friendly toward too manypeople. Truthfulness Truthfulness is synonymous with honesty. A truthful person is open and candid. They stand between habitual liars on one end and tactless, boastful people on theother. Wittiness According to Aristotle, wittiness is the virtue of being able to differentiate between what’s funny and what’s unfunny and/or hateful. Witty people are sensitive (but not overly sensitive) to other people’s feelings. They would never tell a joke that could hurtothers. Modesty For Aristotle, modesty is synonymous with shame and denotes the virtue of being neither too shy nor too shameless. A modest person is aware of their errors but this awareness doesn’t stop them from acting. Justice Justice is synonymous with fairness, the virtue of acting fairly toward others. Just people have a sense of right and wrong, which they use to assess the actions of others as well as theirown.
What Is A GodlyVirtue? In the fifth century, Roman Christian poet and governor, Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, devised a list of seven heavenly (or godly) virtues. These virtues opposed the seven deadlysins. For each of the seven sins, there is a corresponding heavenly virtue. The virtues protect people from the temptation of committing thesin. First introduced in his epic poem “Psychomachia,” the seven godly virtues according to Prudentius are: Charity (opposesgreed) Chastity (opposeslust) Diligence (opposessloth) Humility (opposespride)
Kindness (opposesenvy) Patience (opposeswrath) Temperance (opposesgluttony) What does “Patience is avirtue” mean? The saying “patience is a virtue” first appeared in William Langland’s mid-14th-century poem “Piers Plowman.” However, the basic idea behind this expression dates back to the early fifth century. In Prudentius’ list of godly virtues, patience is the opposite ofanger. He teaches us that it’s admirable to wait for something for a long time without gettingfrustrated. Contrary to what some claim, “Patience is a virtue” doesn’t mean that you should just sit and do nothing and hope that good thing will eventually come yourway. Instead, it means that you shouldn’t lose your temper or faith while working towardyour goal.