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Virtues: what do you value?

Discussion in 'General Discussions' started by genuinemommy, May 3, 2012.

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  1. genuinemommy

    genuinemommy Moderator Staff Member

    Acceptance. Love. Compassion. Hope. Joy. Friendship. Peace. Reassurance. Gratitude. These are the virtues that matter most to me. What about you?

    I just watched a terrible bit of propaganda circulating among my Catholic friends and family that encourages them to vote for someone who will impose their supposed morals on the nation. The ones they seem so focused on are traditional marriage, right to life, and freedom of religion in regards to healthcare. It made me sad. I felt a need to respond somehow, but not directly to the people who asked me to watch the video, since they are family and I don't want to start a battle. I just don't get the current "Christian" mentality on these issues. I really don't. Sometimes I wish I could shake them and say "Jesus loved everyone! Why don't you?"
    So, what are your values? They don't need to be morals, or religious, they just need to be the things you care about and personally cultivate.
     
    genuinemommy, May 3, 2012
    #1
  2. Strange Famous

    Strange Famous it depends on who is looking...

    Location:
    Ipswich, UK
    Tolerance
    Sympathy
    Intellectual courage
     
    Strange Famous, May 3, 2012
    #2
  3. Ayashe

    Ayashe Getting Tilted

    To name a few:

    Fidelity
    Open-mindedness
    Forgiveness
    Empathy
    Honesty
    Charity/generosity
    Integrity
    Creativity
    Sense of humor
    Ethical
    I prefer the word understanding to the word tolerance. To some people that would be the same, to me the word tolerance implies I am just putting up with something when ultimately I am better trying to understand and relate to the unique qualities people possess whether I share them with that other person or group or not.
     
    Ayashe, May 3, 2012
    #3
  4. Stan

    Stan Resident Dumbass

    Location:
    Colorado
    Attempting to impose morals on me is:
    a) hopeless
    b)the easiest way to ensure that I vote for the other guy


    Honesty is probably at the top of my list and applies to everyone. After that, it depends on who we are talking about and their relationship to me.
     
    Stan, May 3, 2012
    #4
  5. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    • Compassion
    • Loving-kindness
    • Nonviolence
    • Equanimity

    And a few others. Some I can't currently think about concretely, while others I need to brush up on a bit and don't feel right listing them here at the moment. :) The above are usually at the fore, but even still they fluctuate from steady to downward spiral. All of them require work.

    Life is hard.
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2012
    Baraka_Guru, May 3, 2012
    #5
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  6. Fangirl

    Fangirl Very Tilted

    Location:
    Arizona
    Selflessness
    Compassion
    Integrity
    Honesty
    Intellectual courage (thank you, Strange Famous. I was struggling with the just how to phrase this)
    Boundless curiosity
    Empathy
    Patience
    Kindness
    Humility
    Persistence
    Bravery
    Altruism
     
    Fangirl, May 3, 2012
    #6
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  7. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    Honesty
    Reasonableness
    Generosity


    Those three cover most everything to me. If you are honest and reasonable, we can be agreeable while disagreeing. If you are generous with your time, feelings, and material things, you are going to be kind, loving, and many other things.
     
    Borla, May 3, 2012
    #7
  8. clavus

    clavus New Member

    Location:
    NorCal
    Honesty. And the opposite of honesty is hypocrisy. So don't talk to me about "the sanctity of marriage" and cheat on your wife.

    I don't care if you are rich, but don't claim to follow the teachings of Jesus while you amass huge wealth and ignore the 'least among us.'

    I have more respect for a person who is honest about their hate, than a person who is dishonest about their love.
     
    clavus, May 3, 2012
    #8
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  9. fflowley

    fflowley Don't just do something, stand there!

    I really value honesty and trustworthiness.
     
    fflowley, May 3, 2012
    #9
  10. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    • Integrity
    • Honesty
    • Kindness
    • Open-Minded
    • Non-hypocritical
    • Patience
    • Consideration
    • Empathy
    And people who do what they say they are going to do...
    Follow-up & Follow-thru
     
    rogue49, May 3, 2012
    #10
  11. PonyPotato

    PonyPotato Very Tilted

    Location:
    Columbus, OH
    Honesty
    Kindness
    Respect for others, regardless of position
    Self motivation
    And, I'm not sure how to say it, but being genuine. As in, what you see and hear is what you get.
     
    PonyPotato, May 3, 2012
    #11
  12. Plan9

    Plan9 Rock 'n Roll

    Location:
    Earth
    Personal Courage
    Healthy Cynicism
    Survival Instincts
    Duty to the Group
     
    Plan9, May 3, 2012
    #12
  13. Hektore

    Hektore Slightly Tilted

    I think my generation has open-mindedness falling out of it's ears.

    Some I'd like to see focused on more (particularly for my generation):

    Solemnity
    Propriety
    Humility
    Discretion
    Prudence (my personal favourite)

    I'm not sure what exactly which single word would work the best for what I mean to say but, but the ability to be quiet. I find that far too few people have even a rudimentary grasp of the deep and pure pleasure that is keeping your mouth shut.

    I'm curious which of those two meanings provided in the link you intend, if not both.

    I would place non-resistance to evil, whether born of a philosophy of non-violence or not, in a category opposite virtue.
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2012
    Hektore, May 3, 2012
    #13
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  14. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    I'm uncertain what you mean by non-resistance to evil. This seems different from nonviolent resistance.

    I disagree that non-resistance to evil is opposite to virtue if considered so categorically. It depends on the circumstances. At the same time, I cannot see violence as being anything other than a problem. Compassion and loving-kindness, two other virtues I listed, are concerned with a universal application of 1) sympathy for suffering, and 2) goodwill. This sympathy and goodwill applies to all living beings, whether friend or foe.

    This means that violence is at best a necessary evil if pushed to such an end. Those with compassion and loving-kindness in mind want to avoid violence. However, even the Dalai Lama has warranted that sometimes violence is necessary, though he qualified this by suggesting that it should only be a short-term last resort.

    Other options should be exhausted before resorting to violence.
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2012
    Baraka_Guru, May 3, 2012
    #14
    • Like Like x 1
  15. mixedmedia

    mixedmedia ...

    Location:
    Florida
    Curiosity.
    Humility.

    those pretty much cover everything.
     
    mixedmedia, May 4, 2012
    #15
  16. DAKA

    DAKA DOING VERY NICELY, THANK YOU

    Location:
    150 miles North of SOUTHERNMOST POINT IN THE US
    I try to "DO THE RIGHT THING".
    Be aware of other people, respect other people....(even if you think they are morons)
    Too many people are only aware of themselves....
     
    DAKA, May 4, 2012
    #16
  17. Plan9

    Plan9 Rock 'n Roll

    Location:
    Earth
    Amen. Dime a dozen. I swear to Jeff it's like asking someone what music they like and they say "Oh, y'know, Top 40."

    A truly open mind is like a fortress with the gate up and the towers unmanned. "So, basically, you'll believe anything."

    Have some convictions.

    ...

    On a more general note, a little Devil's Advocate tangent:

    I don't understand the honesty thing here. People value honesty... except when it hurts them or is inconvenient.

    Too much of life is about how you lie to people. Either for social lubrication or to complete a necessary task.

    You lie in relationships. "No, you look fine." You lie at work. "Our company has an excellent service record."

    Or they say they're looking for honesty when they're really looking for loyalty. Loyalty is far more important.

    We're all liars. And maybe that's okay: We always seem justify it one way or another.

    ...

     
    Last edited: May 4, 2012
    Plan9, May 4, 2012
    #17
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  18. cynthetiq

    cynthetiq Administrator Staff Member Donor

    Location:
    New York City
    I have a hard time articulating what these things are and what they mean, mostly because may cannot seem to agree on the definitions of them. My definition is more than likely not the same as many of my good friends.

    Respect, not just self and others, but for things including other people's things.
    Honesty, not just to everyone else, but one's self.
    Driven, not lazy.
    Continual pursuit of excellence, do something well the first time.
     
    cynthetiq, May 4, 2012
    #18
    • Like Like x 2
  19. mixedmedia

    mixedmedia ...

    Location:
    Florida
    I think there is a difference between habituation and open-mindedness.
     
    mixedmedia, May 4, 2012
    #19
  20. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    Woah, woah, brother.

    Open-mindedness is not indecisiveness or being in a state of pan-belief. It's being "willing to listen to, think about, or accept different ideas" (Oxford).

    For example, open-mindedness is what makes science possible.

    For a personal example, open-mindedness is what helped me understand that it's okay to be gay and/or non-white and/or from other countries.

    I'm open-minded and have many convictions.
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2012
    Baraka_Guru, May 4, 2012
    #20
    • Like Like x 2
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