It is said that actions speak louder than words yet at the same time we want the actions to come from the heart and be genuine. The right passions can be reinforced through habits or an epiphany through observations and education. It is clear however that there are two parts to having good character; passions and actions. A majority of the population is interested in the passion aspect. There are countless people who call themselves philosophers but they lack real world application. We see idealists born every day and yet those who act on good principles are hard to find since they are less vocal about it. They are found working and improving their lives and in the process, others are inspired to follow the same course of actions. A true philosopher is looking for ways to make himself a better person. There are dabblers who only use philosophy to look for ways to criticize others, giving themselves a righteous appearance while their actions aren’t consistent. In the end there is a greater cause than demanding justice. The greatest cause is becoming a just person. The same goes for kindness, courage or any character trait that is virtuous. So along these lines let us continue.

There have been numerous philosophies that attempt to explain human behavior. Unfortunately, no one has been able to pin it down by looking deep into the human psyche. It is there where choices are made between that which is right or that which causes damage, but the standard lies elsewhere. There exists a template when it comes to character that we are reaching toward. Aristotle presents observations on these standards of good motives and behavior when he wrote Ethics. A work of art is made according to something conceived inside a person but standards of behavior are more of a pattern that we all know we should follow. It is as if a perfect person exists as a pattern and we ask ourselves what this person would do if the same circumstances arose. And circumstances are important. It is important to use the right amount of courage so as not to be foolhardy, the right amount of kindness as not to be gullible and the list goes on. Virtue has to consider more than mere rules because each person’s circumstances are different. It is as if a template of perfection exists and we try to apply it to our experiences in this imperfect world. Sometimes we achieve the goal and other times we don’t. Sometimes we are absolute flops and other times we score and hit the bulls-eye. Every person has to work at it and we each have our hands full keeping ourselves straight. Only an arrogant person would say otherwise.

You are a worthy project. Trying to change others is a futile exercise. By focusing on others it is too easy to lose ourselves in the comparisons. When dealing with ourselves, it is good to do some soul searching to figure out what triggers us to fall short. What is causing the anxiety? And in our understanding of others we all can use a little more grace by understanding their circumstances. All of us should have the expectation of doing our best to live our lives according to a template of goodness so we can enjoy life better. Since good character begets contentment and peace with others it is right that we study the mechanics of it.