THE VIRTUES

We have virtues that should be part of us as men and as managers.

A. THE 4 MAIN VIRTUES
Man’s decisions influence him; more precisely, they influence his values and emotional inclinations. Now, if these ingrained ideals and emotional tendencies aid in his fulfillment, they are referred to as virtues, whereas if they obstruct it, they are referred to as vices.

Basically, the four virtues are important because they relate to strategic aspects of a man’s life.
1. Prudence/Practical Wisdom
A fixed capacity to make the right decisions or make good judgment. An example would be to plan for the future in a prudent manner by setting aside a set amount of money in your savings account every month. This ensures one makes decisions based on long-term goals.

2. Justice
Generally, it is defined as the steady disposition to give to each person his due. An example is a person who is set free from prison after DNA evidence shows they are innocent. Also, quality of life just means that people get what is right, fair, and appropriate.

3. Fortitude
This refers to the capacity to overcome fear, danger, or adversity, or the strength of mind that enables courage in the face of adversity. An example is an athlete who continues a race in spite of an injury.

4. Temperance/Self-control
Ability to keep mastery in relation to our natural tendency to seek pleasure and immediate satisfaction in matters like eating, drinking, etc.
The more these key virtues are developed, the easier it is to act in an excellent way as a person and manager because a major deficiency in one or more of these areas is going to give rise to problems.


B. Acquiring and Developing virtues
The practice of several virtues will indeed be made simpler if one has the correct temperament. In this regard, a few things are crucial. Outside of pathological situations, one can always work on improving their emotional state. Any temperamental quality that aids in the practice of one virtue is likely to be a hindrance to another. (No one is born with it.) We all need to work on our temperaments to develop suitable personalities and characteristics. In the end, the right values are more important than the right emotions in order to produce the right behavior. Now, how does a person acquire or improve virtues? By acting on it, by choosing the right way once and again, in things big and small, eventually, those choices shape us into different human beings.

The more a given virtue becomes firmly rooted, the more the relevant emotional dispositions are aligned with the underlying values, and the easier and more spontaneous the right behavior becomes. Through successive appropriate choices, there is a process of progressive development in man as a result of which certain values become more deeply rooted, and the relevant emotions become progressively better integrated with those values.

We should apply these values in our work and make them the top values that will guide us in making the right decisions.