Nine Virtues For Life

Almost everyone seeks deontology, consequentialism, or some other ethical system to find their moral footing. It seems as if our moral philosophies focus on what is beyond the individual towards systems and rules.

That being said, there is something attractive about focusing on the individual themself and the values they have to cultivate. In this sense, virtue ethics dominates all other philosophies by providing the individual with what is necessary to chase not just eudaimonia, but what is ethical as well.

So in the honor and tradition of the Stoics and Benjamin Franklin, here are the virtues I aim to (and do) cultivate and cherish in the search for a happier and more ethical life.

1. Wisdom - Ground yourself in epistemology, logic, and science; never believe falsehoods. By finding the truth, one avoids the pitfalls of misinformation and can more accurately engage in achieving their objective.

2. Rationality - Stay consistent with your preferences under the axioms of rational choice. Only through consistency can one maximize their expected utility.

3. Temperance - Be self-disciplined; avoid akrasia and impulsivity. A lack of conscientiousness can prevent one from reaching their goals and stir one away from a more efficient path.

4. Humility - View yourself as a rational third party would; know your strengths and weaknesses. Zero self-awareness and modesty destroy the possibility of self-reflection and self-improvement.

5. Courage - Face your daily struggles by changing what you should and accepting what you can't. Cowardice and rashness only pave the way to no gain or great pain.

6. Fluidity - Update your plans when the situation calls for it. Too much rigidity closes one's options and pushes one towards roads that lack exploration of what life at its fullest has to offer.

7. Justice - Follow a set of rules such that if they became universal laws, social welfare would be maximized. The road to Heaven is paved with rules and order.

8. Egoism - Before starting a charity, help yourself in a way that hurts nobody. Selflessness without a healthy self, in the long run, leads to helping nobody at all.

9. Altruism - If you can greatly help others at little cost to yourself, you must do so. Accepting one’s moral obligations creates benefits to not just others, but oneself as well.

Now that I've done my part, what virtues are of importance to you?