Virtue In Society
Virtues are the essence of our character. Our character transforms when we choose how to behave in every particular situation in our life. The more we tend to promote virtues around us, the more joy we receive. The chain of getting pleasant emotions and warm in our hearts while helping other people, animals or plants is almost impossible to explain. However, no one can state that he felt so miserable after helping an elderly person crossing a road or a child looking for his mother in a shopping mall. This is the Law of our Nature whether we are into it or not.
Children receive their moral education within their families. Recent surveys prove that parents are the key people in their children’s lives. Family traditions contribute to children’s well-being and create lasting memories as well as molding their characters and manners of contacting with other people. Moreover, youngsters tend to imitate any behavior of those they respect. If children play, it is easy to recognize their fathers and mothers’ tone and manner of speech reflecting in the children’s voices during a game. Therefore, if virtues are promoted in a family, surely, all the members of it will take certain steps to support the idea of being kind and honest during their lives. Acts of service to those in need can turn a house into a home, a stray dog into a lovely pet and a stranger into a friend.
Despite all these clear moral principles people manage to ignore the rules of well-being and, as a result, find themselves in a trap. The basic values that mark our society in the twenty first century are developing digital technology and individualism. I am convinced that we live in the world of egoism where everyone concentrates only on his own health and wealth. People in developed countries forgot about compassion and tolerance. Everyone strongly believes that he is the center of the Universe and lives for satisfying his own wishes and needs. They dream about becoming rich one day to buy a spacious house, fashionable car and plenty of electronic devices. People become conceited with every photo uploaded in social web sites.
Continuing research in psychology shows that a materialistic attitude can hurt our overall well-being and happiness. If we focus too much on materialistic things, then we can lose track of the importance of relationships, health, knowledge, experiences, morality, and other values that influence our happiness. How often do we hear about the “rich guy” who had to back-stab all of his friends and families to get where he is? How many steps did he take to betray them? Does he really feel happy about his life? Is he proud of himself? Does he have sweet dreams sleeping in a king-sized bed in a mansion? What he might say, I can totally confirm that the answer is negative. Such people try to seem cheerful and glad with all the material possessions they have. Contrary, it is just an image of happiness. We don’t identify with what we have. A pleasurable life is not so happy without meaning. For instance, a single mother lives to bring up her baby. She works hard, but she is proud with her result. She has a family: a little baby who needs and loves her. Do you think that she is less happy while hugging her child than a woman wearing one of CHANEL dresses? I guess not. This example proves that promoting virtues in our lives starting from our families teaches us to enjoy every single day.
I don’t say that all wealthy people are miserable. I highlight that everything is about your motive. If you earn money and donate a part of them to a charity organization, it makes someone give a sigh of relief. This precious feeling shows you that you live for better. It gives you a stimulus to progress, your business flourishes and your family is balanced.
We live not for making money, but for interacting with people and other various life forms. Everyone has equal abilities and a choice whether he lives to create or to destroy. The world is not black and white. Frequently, it is difficult to understand whether our actions give a positive impact on our surrounding or not if only we don’t listen to our heart.
“Whenever you do a thing, act as if the world were watching”, Thomas Jefferson advised us. We must take into account the power of a personal example. If we want to change the world for better, we should not only announce that, but show it in our everyday life. For instance, you are passing by an old lady who is struggling to reach a box of cereals from the upper shelf in the grocery store. Will you give her a hand? Or you are meeting your old friend who has just asked you to babysit his child for several hours while he has to fill in his mortgage papers. Will you neglect his request? Can it be true that nothing will be able to touch your heart? Can a human being survive without making acts of kindness regularly? At the end of your life, what is a better way to be remembered than that of a “kind” person? Undoubtedly, the answer strongly depends on the society and culture you were raised in and surrounded by.
It is proved that monitoring of activities and behavior prevents many of possible crimes. The understanding of being watched leads to more ethical relationships. For instance, there are plenty of cameras in Israel that broadcast twenty-four hours a day. These cameras identify non-reliable persons, record conflicts and detect fraud. But who is the best monitor? - You.
In conclusion, we should understand that every day we have a power to change this world for better or for worse. All of our tiny thoughts, words, and actions add up to the whole. Consequently, how we live our lives echoes for eternity.
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