People usually remember the seven deadly sins, but they forget the seven Heavenly virtues. The seven virtues actually deflate the seven sins. It is about balance with your family, friends, and work. Enjoy.
3. Pride
Pride is the deadliest of the seven
sins. It is the Original Sin, leading to
the Fall of Man. It is the source of the
other sins.
Pride is essentially believing you are
better than other people.
For Dante, prideful people carry large
stones to constantly bow and to be
closer to the Earth (more grounded).
4. Humility
Humility is the opposite of pride.
According to C. S. Lewis:
“Humility is not thinking less
of yourself, it is thinking of
yourself less.”
People with pride are characters.
People with humility have character.
When you encounter pride in yourself
and others, try to be humble.
5. Envy
Envy is a jealous feeling or resentful
longing aroused by someone else's
possessions, qualities, or luck. You
covet what someone else has.
In Dante's Purgatory, the punishment
for the envious is to have their eyes
sewn shut with wire because they
have gained sinful pleasure from
seeing others brought low.
6. Kindness
Kindness is charity, compassion,
praise, and friendship for its own
sake. It is empathy and trust without
prejudice or resentment.
It is unselfish love and voluntary
kindness without bias or spite.
When you encounter envious people,
use kindness. It builds more kindness.
7. Wrath
Wrath is a forceful, vindictive anger
that seeks to destroy a person. It is
fiery and hateful. Wrath lasts longer
than the grievance that provoked it.
In Dante's Purgatory, smoke fills the
eyes of wrathful people and chokes
their breath. They are blinded.
Dante seems to fight fire with fire.
8. Patience
Patience is the ability to endure
seemingly unbearable situations
with forgiveness, moderation, and
dignity. It is resolving conflicts
peacefully, not violently.
Accepting the grace to forgive; to
show mercy to sinners. It is creating
a sense of peaceful stability and
community rather than suffering,
hostility, and antagonism.
9. Sloth (or Laziness)
Sloth can be defined as being lazy:
mentally, spiritually, or physically.
Sloth is the center of Dante’s Hell.
Apathy, or an uncaring attitude, is
classified as sloth. Apathy is worse
than ignorance. You don’t care!
In Dante’s Purgatory, slothful
people must constantly move. The
laziest were required to run at top
speed continuously.
10. Zeal (for Work)
A zealous attitude towards work,
home, and your life combats sloth
every time. Zeal requires you to be:
- Decisive
- Steadfast
- Persistent
You must budget your time and
monitor against laziness. When you
are zealous when nobody is looking,
people call it integrity.
11. Greed
Greed is an insatiable desire to
acquire (or possess) more than
you need, especially with respect
to material wealth. It can lead to
bribery, hoarding, and stealing.
In Dante’s Purgatory, greedy
people are forced to lie on the
ground because they concentrated
too much on earthly thoughts.
12. Generosity
Generosity is the habit of giving
freely without expecting anything
in return. Generosity, charity, and
self-sacrifice are aspects of love.
Do not hoard your work, share it.
Do not steal ideas, collaborate.
According to Maya Angelou: No one
has ever become poor from giving.
13. Gluttony
Gluttony is an over-consumption of
anything to the point of waste.
Thomas Aquinas says gluttons may
eat too much, too soon, too eagerly,
too daintily, too expensively, and
too wildly.
In Dante’s Purgatory, it rains
garbage. The gluttons eat anything
they can find. Only one glutton
notices Dante and Virgil.
14. Moderation
Moderation is the practice of
restraint and self-control. It is the
ability to be prudent:
- Right action at the right time
- Self-interest vs public interest
- Sacrificing for another
It is about honoring your needs,
your customer’s needs, and the
business. It is striking a balance.
15. Lust
Lust is an intense desire for money,
food, fame, power, or sex. It is an
unnatural craving that people use
to justify bad choices. It is selfish.
In Dante's Inferno, lustful souls of
are blown about in hurricane-like
winds to symbolize their own lack
of self-control to their lustful
passions in earthly life.
16. Purity
Purity is the ability to refrain from
being distracted and influenced by
hostility, temptation, or corruption.
It means being honest with your boss,
your family, your friends, co-workers,
and your…..self.
Lust is very selfish. Purity is self-less.