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Virtues
The ability to use agile thinking and questioning processes allows the domains of principle and character formation to create a set of virtues that we display.219
The foundation that underpins a physical building, defines the integrity and the scale of the building that can be built. This simple metaphor defines the quality and depth of the life that can be built on a foundation that has been laid down on given degrees of character-building and principle formation.
Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation. Oscar Wilde
Virtues are concepts and not rules and must always be interpreted through context. Honesty is a virtue but to always be honest would cause far too much grief. When asked: “How do I look in this dress?”, the answer is always “Gorgeous!” The truth, as we see it, can unnecessarily cause anger and insult if we are honest in specific contexts. All virtues are tempered by the context they are applied in, the body language they are presented through, and the intent of the message or action.
Dispositions are the result of the non-conscious application of our virtues that are derived from our principles and character. The true assessment of our virtues is how we react in situations where we must make complex choices, often without any conscious thinking processes taking place.
The Identity Framework
By defining attitudes, qualities and values we can begin to see how our principles are formed, and by defining morality, ethics and beliefs we can begin to see how our character is formed. Our non- conscious dispositions; how we naturally respond to situations, develop in tandem with the development of our principles and character. The intersection of our character and principles creates our virtues, which provide a framework for our decision making across many aspects of our lives. Virtues are defined by the way we apply our character and principles to our daily decisions and actions.
Very young learners sometimes appear to express virtues, but they are more than likely not understood as concepts, but rather their actions are a response to learned rules or copying the behaviours of others. Internalising virtues as concepts makes us far more adaptable and able to deal with new and complex contexts as they arise. This capacity building assists in the development of a consistent framework for decision-making, actions and thoughts which, when achieved, is interpreted as wisdom.
Interestingly, we should not always apply our virtues to all contexts as it is not always wise to persist, be generous, reliable, respectful or even humble. Wisdom is the perceived, appropriate application of our virtues to the context we experience.
When we apply wisdom, we tend to view the outcomes of that application of wisdom through the lens of our worldview that is fashioned by all the factors we have just discussed, so it is not surprising we usually see ourselves in a mostly positive light. How others view us, through their world view lens can easily misinterpret our intentions. Our dispositions are our natural tendencies that we have embedded into automatic responses and these are filtered through our personality traits. Increasingly, administrators, the community and educators are talking about values, ethics, morals, attitudes, principles, qualities, standards, virtues and wisdom. Each of these terms is unique in its meaning and its application.
219 Cowan, J. & Roberts, A. (2003). Hauora: A Handbook for the Whole Person. Auckland, New Zealand: Parenting with Confidence.