Tag: virtues

Virtues: Humility

Philosophy, Uncategorized

When discussing virtues in the past, I have tended to gloss over Humility because it’s one of those things that seems obvious. However, I recently heard an explanation of Humility that was simple and elegant, and yet made it vastly easier to actually put this virtue into practice. Essentially, the description was “thinking of others before yourself”. It’s arguable that Humility is the most important virtue, since the entire purpose of having virtues is to promote right action within society; if you don’t think about the other members of that society you can’t even begin.

A quote from Cosimo I de Medici speaks to this:

amongst all the things relating to civil life and the good government of any prince or republic, modesty is most necessary and decorous, as it restrains human actions, and orders and moderates both the universal and public, as well as the domestic an private.

Often Humility is approached as a admonition against action: don’t talk about yourself, don’t show off. When deciding how to proceed in a given situation, however, what we need is guidance about how to act, as opposed to counsel toward inaction. If the expression of Humility is to act in a way that benefits others before oneself, it becomes a more useful guidepost.

Humility is an enabling virtue, providing a basis for Largesse, Compassion, Justice, Mercy, Loyalty, and others. It is by valuing others above the self that the value of these and the path toward them becomes clear. The root of “humility” is the Latin “humus”, meaning the earth or ground. To place oneself in the lowest place, eschewing concerns of one’s own position, enables the uplifting of others from a firm footing.

Likewise, Humility tempers — and is tempered in turn by — Franchise. As I have interpreted it in the past, Franchise is the acceptance of one’s station as being deserved, so that the power granted by that station can be effectively used. Humility is there to remind us that any power that comes from our position is to be used for the betterment of others, and not simply for further self-aggrandizement. Conversely, all of our energy must not be spent on others at the expense of ourselves, and Franchise is there to remind us of this. This seeming contradiction is yet another situation where two virtues must be held in dynamic equilibrium for greatest effectiveness.

Virtues: Loyalty and Justice

Philosophy

I recently posted about my realization that the word “loyal” comes from the same root as “legal”, growing through the feudal era where law and personal obligation were closely intertwined. This led me to contemplate how the virtue of Loyalty might be applied in balance with another virtue: Justice.

As usual, let us come up with some working definitions. Loyalty, in this case, is allying oneself with others in a organization defined by rules: a nation, a club, a family. Loyalty of this sort is key to the functioning of society, the binding force that makes “e pluribus unum” happen. Justice as a personal virtue is creating and maintaining fairness and equity when you encounter injustice in the world around you.

In an ideal world, these two precepts would not come into conflict. However, in an ideal world, guiding principles would not be necessary at all. In practice, the hierarchy of any organization is prone to corruption by Greed, Cowardice, Wrath, and other vices. The equity that should flow naturally from a well ordered society is lost, and it falls to the individual to right the wrongs that the system does not address.

Now in this non-ideal situation, the easy path is to choose one virtue over the other and stick to it. Loyalty dictates that the structure of society must be maintained, despite its flaws, to avoid falling into chaos. Justice leads one to do what is right in spite of — and sometimes in opposition to — the flawed system. The former path perpetuates injustice, while the latter is inefficient, uneven, and hard to sustain. Those who dig in and maintain Loyalty to an unjust status quo often end up on the wrong side of history despite their best efforts and good intentions. A rebellion in search of Justice that intends to secure its gains must inevitably create a new system to replace the old. This new system will face the same challenges, and the cycle will begin anew.

So what is the middle path between Loyalty and Justice? Those who truly seek to fix an unjust system must work within it, not simply against it. Those who seek to maintain order must work to root out corruption and create justice where it has been lost. This is the hard work of governance and leadership, unheroic and neverending. It is a place of small victories and uncomfortable compromises, but it is work that must be done if we want to live in a society that we can truly be proud of.

Virtues: Hope and Fear

Philosophy

Some time ago I wrote about the virtues of Faith and Reason and the dynamic tension between the two. Consider now another application of these concepts: Hope and Fear. Again, let us begin with a working definition, this time building upon the aforementioned Virtues. Hope and Fear may both be seen as expressions of Faith: Hope is Faith that things can get better, while Fear is Faith that things can get worse. Each of these may be tempered by application of Reason.

Both Hope and Fear serve a valuable purpose, each in their own way. Hope allows us to move forward in the face of adversity, while Fear guides us away from danger. However, each can lead us astray if not examined through the lens of Reason. Hope entices us to buy a lottery ticket, while Reason reminds us that the odds of winning are vanishingly small. Likewise, the Fear that cautions us against flying may be assuaged by applying Reason to the actual likelihood of being involved in a plane crash.

As in other cases of opposing Virtues, the best path lies in the middle ground between the two. A life without Hope is a life without ambition, while a life without Fear is liable to end in avoidable disaster. Both Hope and Fear are easy for the unscrupulous to stoke in others, creating believable possibilities that elicit emotional responses. It is therefore wise to be vigilant against being misled — whether by others or by own own imaginations — by presenting the shield of Reason against a Faith that may be misplaced.

Virtues: Faith and Reason

Philosophy

While all Chivalric virtues are best expressed in balance with one or more others, the two that are most closely bound are Faith and Reason. First let us create working definitions for these: Faith is the belief in an idea without the need for evidence, while Reason is the examination of an idea through logic and facts. It is easy to see how these two concepts so easily come into conflict with each other.

Let us take as an example having an officer position to fill in your local SCA group. There is an energetic young candidate that you feel could be a good fit, but they have no experience. Listening to Reason alone may cause you to pass up someone with great potential, while Faith may lead you to overlook important flaws. Here the tension between the the Virtues is about the ability to take risks. Without Faith, one cannot take risk, while without Reason those risks will too often result in disaster.

I have faith in my knowledge of costuming and dance. I can make garments I have studied quickly and consistently, and I can teach the dances in my repertoire at the drop of a hat. However, I often go back and look at the sources again, and sometimes I find that my memory has shifted from what is really there, or there is new evidence that has been published or that I failed to see before. Faith allows me to be productive without second guessing myself at every turn, while Reason keeps me from unwittingly propagating bad information.

As a final exercise, let us consider our relationships with others. We make decisions about people, both friends and enemies, and it is easy to leave them in those categories once they are placed there. We have Faith in our ability to judge the character of others. However, a friend may change, or show previously hidden flaws, and that friendship may need to be re-evaluated. Likewise someone we decided not to place among our friends may also warrant another look, either because they have changed or because there we failed to see what was already there. Reason tells us to look for new information and update our assumptions regularly, though Faith keeps us from being exhausted by constant revision of our social groups.

Balance, as usual, is the place where we should strive to remain, even though it requires the most effort and mindfulness. Check in with yourself from time to time. Look at things with new eyes or let go of the reins for a bit and trust that you are going the right way.

A Heirarchy of Equals

Philosophy

I only realized it after putting it to use in a professional setting, but one of the most important things I learned from the SCA was how to operate in a “hierarchy of equals”. That is to say that there is a clear structure to the organization, and yet also an understanding that we are all really at the same level, working together toward a common goal. When done right, one can defer to those above them without demeaning themselves, and likewise operate from a position of authority without making those below feel lesser.

In a Society where one’s position in the structure of the group may have no bearing on one’s age or life experience, it is often the case that those below you in rank may have great wisdom if you keep yourself open to it. Likewise, those in positions of power may have less training or experience than they would like. If they ask for help or advice, view this as courage and not weakness.

If we celebrate those who go before us and encourage those who come after, we will all be lifted together. New people entering such an environment are easily drawn into the steadily rising current, buoying those who came before them. This mindset has served me well for the many years I have been in the SCA, and keeps me going even now.

Verbal Calibration

Philosophy

One of the unique things about the SCA is the way we conduct our combat: deciding whether a blow is struck true or not is primarily the job of the one receiving it. Furthermore, whether that blow is too light or too hard is also the decision of the fighter on the receiving end. Of these two extremes, let us concern ourselves with the latter, as a shot called light is a question of victory, while a shot too hard is a question of safety.

It is incumbent upon the one who strikes the blow to have good calibration, and to err on the side of caution. Perhaps your opponent is from another Kingdom, or inexperienced, or wears lighter armor than the people you are used to fighting. As Meridians, particularly, we take pride in hitting as light as we can, though as hard as we must. That said, it is always better to stop the fight and talk about the situation than to simply start cranking up the power. Maybe a piece of armor is new or out of place, or an old sword has lost its sting.

These considerations are nothing new to veterans of the field, or even to those who watch from the sidelines. Consider also, then, that words are no less weapons than rattan, and their weight can only truly be decided by those that hear them. Just as an honorable fighter cannot tell someone that a blow was not too hard, the one who speaks cannot judge whether offense taken is justified or not.

Verbal calibration is as important as what we do on the field, if not more so. Just as we may fight differently in a local practice versus a far away event, or change calibration for an inter-kingdom war, so it is with words. Your friends may enjoy innuendo, off-color jokes, or playful insults, but the same interactions are not appropriate with an acquaintance or a stranger, and will often cause offense even though no true ill intent was meant.

Words also have greater range than swords; it is much easier for them to strike an unintended target. A fighter who disregards the edge of the list field and stumbles into the crowd is a danger to all. Even when fighting pickups in your backyard it is important to maintain awareness of your surroundings, if only for your own safety.

Finally, the thing we learn early, that we teach to our youngest children, is that anyone can call HOLD. Knight or newcomer, King or commoner, when something is unsafe we all have a duty and responsibility to call it out. It is not something to be taken lightly by the one saying it, for all who hear will stop what they are doing and look around to find the problem. If we are close to the source of the issue, we help as we can. Otherwise, we watch and wait until things are resolved.

All of this is to say that we are, at our best, a Society built on the concept of Honor, which may only stand on a foundation of Compassion and Mercy, Forebearance and Prudence. Let us remember this in our conversations as much as in our combat.

Virtues: Mercy

Philosophy

The virtue that is on my mind today is Mercy. Mercy is the child of Temperance and Compassion; when the virtues of Chivalry are seen as a system of behavior for the powerful, it is one of the most important aspects.

Some opportunities to display Mercy are obvious, while others are harder to see. Mercy is pulling a shot when your opponent is defenseless. It is forgiving one who has wronged you. It is not taking all that you can so that there is enough for all.

At its heart, Mercy is not exploiting an advantage that you have over another, whether that advantage was earned or a product of circumstance. We all have opportunities every day to show Mercy. It is easy to know what words will hurt another, where their wounds and weaknesses lie. With our friends it is easy to ignore these, for Compassion toward our friends is second nature. With strangers there is greater temptation: a driver trying to merge, a shopper eyeing the same bolt of fabric, a poorly considered fashion choice. In these cases Mercy requires a conscious choice to take or keep what we see as ours, or to seek humor at the expense of others. Harder still to show Mercy to those who we actively dislike, or who we feel have done us harm. We feel superior, or filled with righteous indignation. But what value is there in superiority, what truth to our righteousness if we spend our moral coin on vengeance and insult?

It is easy to attack the weak, the other, the absent. But do our ideals not tell us to defend the weak, to offer hospitality to the stranger, to show Honor in our words and deeds when no one is there to see? Show your strength by showing Mercy.

Virtues: Compassion

Philosophy

As I have said before, the code of Chivalry serves as a self-imposed moral check on the behavior of the powerful toward those less powerful than them. It is for this reason that Compassion is key among those virtues, for without thinking of the needs and feelings of others there is no motivation for right action.

Just as Prowess may be practiced until skills become second nature, so can Compassion. To become a better fighter, one must test oneself against difficult opponents, and for Compassion it is no different. It is easy to consider the feelings of those you are close to, but harder for those you do not know, or that you do know and do not like. Likewise it is more challenging when the acts required by Compassion demand sacrifices, be they of time, effort, resources, or pride.

Like any other virtue, perfection is unattainable, but by striving to achieve it we are all made better people.

The Purpose of Chivalry

Philosophy

Let us not forget that the Code of Chivalry was created to serve as a moral compass for the powerful, so that they may make the world a better place for all, and not only take what they want. The higher your station, the more you must examine your words, your actions, the ripples you create that touch so many others around you. Whether that station was earned by labor, luck, or birth, the message is the same: from those who are given much, much is expected.

Chivalric Virtues: Franchise

Philosophy

During a recent discussion about Chivalry, I looked up a list of Chivalric Virtues. Most of them are fairly self explanatory, or at least easy enough to understand once defined. One that crops up often, yet is variously and vaguely defined, is Franchise. It is often said to encompass freedom of action, noble bearing, or exemplifying the other virtues, but what does this mean in practical terms? How can it be put into practice in a way that is useful in the real world?

It can be hard for a modern person to feel comfortable emulating the Medieval notion of Franchise, couched as it often is in terms of nobility and gentle birth. Our egalitarian conditioning shies away from this sort of thinking. But in the SCA we have titles, awards, offices, and Peerages, which are bestowed upon us in recognition of our nature and our deeds. I think that perhaps Franchise is the ability to accept and take ownership of the station to which one has been raised, gracefully and without false modesty. In this way it is the opposite of impostor syndrome, and thus lends the aforementioned “noble bearing” to one’s actions and demeanor. A sword must be gripped with conviction to strike a telling blow.

This interpretation of Franchise must, of course, be tempered by Humility, just as Prowess is tempered by Compassion, and Courage by Prudence. These are not opposing notions, but complementary to each other. Chivalry is not defined by one Virtue alone, but all of them together and in balance.