Recommit to Virtue: Part 1 of 10 - The Courage to Choose Virtue over Vice

We all have lofty aspirations for success and peace, but lying side by side are the impulses of immediate pleasure.  Virtues are desired behaviors or skills that are earned through practice and discipline.  A vice is the byproduct of habitually following impulses and desires. Virtues are uplifting and inspiring, whereas vices are generally negative and behaviorally limiting.

Prior to his death, Mohandas K. Gandhi, known by the title Mahatma, identified what he considered to be seven mistakes that society commits that lead to violence.  In October of 1947 his grandson, Arun Gandhi, visited his grandfather and was taught these seven mistakes with the charge to make a difference with his life.  The seven mistakes include: 1- Wealth without Work, 2- Pleasure without Consequence, 3- Knowledge without Character, 4- Commerce without Morality, 5- Science without Humanity, 6- Worship without Sacrifice, and 7- Politics without Principle.  Many years later, Arun Gandhi added an eighth blunder to the list: 8- Rights without Responsibility.  It seems that in order to live a virtuous life, these mistakes, like the attendant vices, need to be addressed on a personal level.  Each of these societal errors correlates to one of the 8 Virtues.

childofvirtue.com