The Vices of Virtues

There’s a reaction to every action.  There are two sides to each coin. When part of the world is light, the other part is dark.  There are multiple points of view on every story. We are constantly reminded by parable and participation that all of life cannot be summed in one perspective.  Paul Harvey delighted us with “the rest of the story,” and we find that, at the end of the day, half the tale remains untold for (or on) us all. Even when we do our best, we all must deal with the unintended consequences of our deeds.

Our best traits produce bad traits.  This is hard for us to understand in ourselves, but it is not hard to see in others.  That’s the thing about perspective- it’s difficult to have more than one at a time. Even the most circumspect are not really well-rounded.  We have blind spots. The larger the car, the larger the blind spot, and, as people excel in certain areas of life, they can develop blatant disregard in others.  Sincerity is not the issue and can even exacerbate the problem making the sincere implacable.     

When people are right a lot, they may think they are right all the time.  Thus enters the vice. When cornered, such will say things like, “I was right, but maybe I didn’t present myself correctly.”  That is a thin excuse for bad behavior. It’s also a backhanded compliment to self and a veil for pride- the original sin. It is akin to saying, “I’m sorry that you were unable to grasp my sagacity.”  If only we were as smart as you. I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve done it and done it well.

There’s no indignation like righteous indignation.  When we are sure of ourselves, we tend to slash and burn.  Agent Orange was effective, but it did a lot of damage. Many people who know well and mean well do damage, as well.  It is the sinful human condition through which we acquire the vices of our virtues. The perfect Son of God knew the truth but would not break a bruised reed.  Little wonder that the maimed, off-scouring of society flocked to Him but flee from us. We think we are better than others, especially those with whom we disagree.

Jesus said we should recognize personal worthlessness when we had done all He commanded.  We are to be careful in celebrating our achievements lest we take ourselves too seriously.  If we become full of ourselves, we are set for failure. Don’t take the good thing you seek to develop in your life and make it the only standard of judgment.  Many do this and alternately excel and fail.  

If we do not understand there is more than one viewpoint, we are fooling ourselves.

Sterl