Truth from the Heart: good

Treat Yourself! : The Slogan of College Students on Christmas Break

1:16:00 AMCatherine Beigel

Having been home from a hectic semester for a couple of weeks now, I still find a small voice (like the evil Kermit meme) telling me, “You studied for months. Treat yourself!” With that in mind, I hope it makes sense when I say since arriving home from college and dropping my bags, I’ve spent many long hours binge watching Netflix. I never watch TV. Strange, I know, but I’ve never really liked it much. The stress of school always keeps me from enjoying it. Christmas break turns me into a little monster who needs to watch a years’ worth of TV in approximately 30 days. Plugging in my computer, and with a mug of tea in hand, I set up residence on my couch. 48 hours later, I realize I’ve watched an entire season without even noticing. The plot line is dull. The acting sub-par. The lines cheesy. However, I can’t stop watching.

Inadvertently, my eyes began to sting from staring at a computer screen too long, and I was forced to take a break. Between running some errands around town, and wrapping Christmas presents, I stopped to think for the first moment in days. And I asked myself, how effective had my choice of leisure been? Did Netflix aid me in my pursuit of rest?

Not really. My brain feels like overcooked spaghetti. Instead of re-energizing myself, I was emotionally drained by characters that didn’t matter in the slightest.

Netflix was just a medium of filling my head with an artificial noise. Left without the responsibilities of the semester, I had managed to escape the silence. Silence, is rather a terrifying thing. We hide from it quite well. Whether it’s Netflix, Spotify, or Social Media, there always seems to be something to fill it. Silence I don’t believe so much is the absence of sound but the absence of fluff sensory data. We occupy ourselves with so much how do we ever expect to have time for what really matters.

Lovely rhetoric, but what exactly do I mean by things that matter and things that don’t? To answer that question we turn to delve into the world of values. Because believe it or not, there are some things which possess greater value than Netflix binges. Although everything has value, some have a higher value than others. Dietrich von Hildebrand identifies moral values as the highest, “goodness, purity, truthfulness, and humility. (3)” These values, can only inhere in the person. By engaging reality through conscious free attitudes, you and I can participate in goodness, purity, truthfulness and humility. It involves an active engagement in a world of values in general. For example, I become morally good when I respond appropriately to the reality around me. By choosing to tell the truth in a difficult situation, although it may be at some cost to myself, I show reverence to the reality of being. Truth has higher value than what is subjectively satisfying. By subjectively satisfying, I mean something which has value because I enjoy it. It’s value is not universal. Truth is universally valuable, placing it above Netflix binging, which only brings pleasure to myself. Contrasting with Netflix, the truth is important in itself.

“Only the man who can see beyond his subjective horizon and who, free from pride and concupiscence, does not always ask, ‘what is satisfying for me?’ but who, leaving behind him all narrowness, abandons himself to that which is important in itself – the beautiful, the good – and subordinates himself to it, only he can become the bearer of moral values. (4)”

The vision to see and recognize what is true, what is good, what is beautiful, only comes by making oneself aware. When we’re filling our ears with artificial reality, we are unable to hear what is going on in reality. This is why cultivating a virtue of interior silence becomes so key. Dietrich contrasts this with the irreverent man who, “can never remain inwardly silent. He never gives situations, things, and persons a chance to unfold themselves in their proper character and value… he listens only to himself, and ignores the rest of being (5).”

It is not that Netflix, Spotify, and social media are negative values. They are neutral. Only when our participation in them causes us to neglect the world around us do they become negative. The silence of conversation with my family and friends is refreshing. Silence is not the absence of noise, but an interior attitude and consciousness towards being. Why be just a record Netflix watcher when you could be someone who is good, pure, truthful, and humble? Why continue to be a slave to a screen? Allow yourself the freedom to seek after those things which deserve your attention. Those things which,rather than dull your vision, give you the means to truly see; see a world of values which causes your soul to grow wings.

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(1) Image one

(2) Image two

(3) Dietrich von Hildebrand, The Art of Living, pg. 1

(4) Dietrich von Hildebrand, The Art of Living, pg. 4

(5) Dietrich von Hildebrand, The Art of Living, pg. 4-5

(6) Image three

depression featured good

Abandonment - the "Home Remedy" for Depression

6:00:00 AMAnonymous

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“Self-centered happiness at length wears itself out and ends in boredom and emptiness. The constant enjoyment of the merely subjectively satisfying finally throws us back upon our own limitedness, imprisoning us within ourselves.”

Dietrich von Hildebrand (source, 31)

Lately I’ve been reflecting a lot on the things I wrote about in my blog post at the beginning of the summer. I had found myself in a slump, and now that we are at summer’s midway point, it’s an important time for all of us to ask ourselves (for all those who resonated with the post in the first place): how am I doing on my resolutions to live life more fully?

This has caused me to think a lot more about those things in my life which lead to my “imprisonment” (as Hildebrand would phrase it) versus those things which lead to my full flourishing and freedom. I turned to his work Christian Ethics for further pondering.

I think that the first major step towards freeing ourselves from a depressing lifestyle of laziness is developing and fine-tuning the ability to recognize value where it may be found. For Hildebrand, this is one of the most elementary (yet profound) distinctions we must make. In fact, much of his philosophy rests upon this seemingly simple distinction.

When it comes to importance, there are three major categories that Hildebrand distinguishes: things which are subjectively satisfying, things which are objectively good for the person, and things which are good in and of themselves. For our purposes, we’re mostly going to focus on the distinction between the subjectively satisfying and the good-in-itself.

Those things which are merely subjectively satisfying are those things which (you guessed it!) personally give us some sort of pleasure, while at the same time not being objectively pleasurable for everyone. It derives its importance merely from the fact that I take pleasure in it. If I suddenly come to dislike a thing (which before held the importance of subjective satisfaction for me) then it loses its importance as a result. An example of this would be something as arbitrary as me liking pepperoni pizza rather than cheese pizza. While I may prefer pepperoni (thus deeming it more important than cheese pizza), Joe may in fact prefer cheese. These preferences are dependent upon our own experiences as personal subjects. Preferences, pleasures, and leisurely activities also fit into this category. All of these things strike me as important insofar as I fancy them.

Curiously enough, while the realm of the subjectively satisfying is the “least important” category of the three types of importance, it seems to be the most wildly popular. Sad? Eat some ice cream. Feeling bored and don’t know how to fill up all of the hours in a day? It’s okay. Just watch a season of a TV show on Netflix. Angry at your ex-boyfriend? Great! Just use somebody else to get back at him. After all, this is quickly becoming a culture flying under the banner emblazoned with the motto: “Treat yo’ self.” These are all marks of a culture that is permeated with the over-glorification of the subjectively satisfying.

But more often than not, this is what gets us into our predicament of boredom and frustration with life in the first place. While it may not be politically correct to say so, I’ve always wondered if perhaps many people who are diagnosed with depression actually have no biological predisposition towards depression at all. Of course, as someone who in fact does have diagnosed depression, I understand how frustrating it can be to hear from others that “being more positive” or “praying more” will be the solution. I do not claim any of those things here. Rather, I simply mean to share a reflection on what I have found on my own journey with depression, Hildebrand, and learning about “value response.” It has definitely helped me find ways to manage my depression.

Perhaps many of us who have been told that we have depression have simply been looking for happiness and fulfillment in the wrong places, and our hearts are trying to sound the alarm to wake us from these slumbers. The subjectively satisfying leaves us hungry, asking ourselves incredulously: there’s got to be something more, right?

I have often found that the trick to managing my depression lies in abandoning myself in the true sense of the word.

Abandonment.

There is something so freeing about abandoning ourselves to value. In sharp contrast to the realm of the subjectively satisfying, the realm of the important-in-itself (which can be properly called the realm of value) includes those things which are good whether we prefer them to be or not. They are those things which stand autonomous in their importance, such as virtues, beauty, or other human persons. “Our engagement with a value elevates us, liberates us from self-centeredness, reposes us in a transcendent order which is independent of us, of our moods, of our dispositions” (Ibid).

What could possibly be more freeing than realizing that I can live a full, valuable life regardless of my mood? Whether I’m struggling with clinical depression or not, value gives me the guarantee that I can live a life full of wonder and beauty regardless. The quality of my life can transcend the moods which seek to dictate it. This is true freedom. Instead of finding that our depression is managing us, we find that it is simply a tool we can use to motivate ourselves to be ever-ready to respond to value.

What would our lives look like if we chose to abandon ourselves to the experiences that make us most free? I would like to challenge you to make this your reminder that life is beautiful and that nothing can steal your joy. Responding to value where it may be found, whether or not we are “in the mood,” guarantees that we are giving this life our best shot.

Let’s all strive to live well.

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If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, please note that what I have written in this post is not meant to take the place of properly prescribed medication or counseling from mental health professionals. I hope and pray that this post was uplifting and helps to bring comfort and solace to all those to whom it applies.

Aristotle featured good

An Inquiry into Leisure

6:00:00 AMAnonymous

At the end of the day, everyone just wants to be happy.

According to Aristotle, happiness is one of those things that is desired in and of itself, and not for the sake of something else. For Aristotle, happiness is our end (1). In light of the Judeo-Christian Revelation, thinkers such as Aquinas would expand upon this notion by claiming that only God can make man truly and genuinely happy. God is our end. If the world needs happiness, then the world needs God. If the world needs God, then man must have the time set aside to pursue God. This raises the question of leisure.

Leisure is often referred to in our modern American culture by its synonym, free time. This is indicative of the very nature of leisure itself, as leisure and freedom are intimately connected (2). Alex Sager observes, to his dismay, that, “to professional philosophers, the philosophy of leisure has none of the weight of metaphysics, epistemology, or the philosophy of science, less rigour than logic or the philosophy of language, and little of the urgency of ethics” (3). In a rebellious culture that seems to be demanding personal freedom now more than ever, the discussion of leisure and its importance in developing a happy and healthy human society shouldn’t be simply glazed over or belittled in the philosophical realm. Rather, the philosophy of leisure should be given its fair due as a serious branch of study in philosophy.

While the study of the importance of leisure seems to be sorely needed today, classes at universities on such a topic seem to be scarce. Nobody is talking about it. It’s not seen as being a discussion worth having amongst so many other pressing ethical or metaphysical questions being raised by an increasingly relativistic culture. Thus, leisure is something that has fallen to the wayside, “surrendered…to the self-help gurus and pop psychologists” of today (4).

Perhaps this is why such a morally blunted culture has also rapidly become a very unhappy, miserable culture. According to Aristotle, most people who seem “happy” are people who repeatedly find themselves taking refuge in their leisure time (5). If you were to contrast that idea of happiness with the idea of happiness that modern utilitarianism seems to propose in our culture of busyness, it wouldn’t take long for you to figure out just how far we’ve wandered from that ancient Greek ideal of human flourishing. Instead of taking refuge in our leisure, whether that is the enjoyment of natural talents, prayer time, or a family movie night, modern man has learned to take refuge in his work, allowing it to distract him from the reality of his personal life. In the modern drama, the hero is the busy bee. Afterall, if you snooze, you lose, right?

But what value is it exactly that Aristotle sees in leisure? Why is it fundamental to human flourishing?

The value of leisure time lies in its restorative power. To put it simply, Aristotle states that, “we need relaxation because we cannot work continuously” (6). How does the philosopher expect himself to answer the burning ethical and metaphysical questions that humanity is facing if he does not have the leisure to be contemplative or thoughtful, or to rest his tired mind in order to approach the question later with fresh eyes? Leisure often increases our productivity because we are happier and better rested when we take the time to enjoy life and treat our bodies well. Many people have abandoned all thoughts of leisure and recreation because there is simply too much to be done. These people work too much. They ignore what is most important in their lives. They abandon living in order to simply exist from paycheck to paycheck. Life begins when they clock-in in the mornings, and ends when they clock-out just in time for the afternoon rush hour. Our work often defines us, and we feel an incredible sense of self-worth based upon what we have accomplished. But what quality of living is that? What is it that makes a good life? What makes life worth living? Is leisure simply the freedom from work, or is it the freedom for something even greater? It is the philosophy of leisure that seeks to answer these questions, and in my opinion, they’re worth asking ourselves.

(1) Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle.

(2) A Plea for (the Philosophy of) Leisure, Alex Sager.

(3) Ibid.

(4) Ibid.

(5) Nicomachean Ethics

(6) Ibid.

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good goodness intrinsic good

To Love Goodness

6:00:00 AMUnknown

Despite all the characteristics and similarities which my mother and I share, I will never live up to her beautiful and radiant example. Although the way in which the corner of our eyes crinkle when we smile may be the same, my mother possesses a humble meekness which is all her own. When I think about my wonderful mother all I can focus on are our differences: how I wish my voice was as sincere, how I hope that someday I’ll be as confident, how I wish, if only I was still as naive, innocent, good,...as she still is.

I have learned over the years of striving to live up to my mother’s praiseworthy image that if it were not for the differences between us I would not have the same degree of profound respect and love for her. Her goodness which radiates through the tone of her voice, her smile, her actions surpasses my own feeble attempts at goodness. For, all the moments I can not relate to my mother, are the moments where I strive to better myself to become more like my mother, to essentially love better. It seems I tend to merely like what I can relate to but I love what I can not always relate to. My friend tells me that she too, often argues with her parents and I find the fact that we sin in common very relatable and agreeable. Yet, my friend’s example does not inspire me to better myself despite that fact that I find her relatable. However, when I witness my mother avoid watching a television show that I myself would not have avoided watching, I marvel at her integrity, a integrity which I sometimes lack. I may not be able to always relate to my mother’s attributes but her example inspires me to gain those attributes which I sometimes lack. I may like my friend’s relatableness but I love my mothers ideal goodness. There is a greater depth and profundity to the respect I have for my mother because she is an example of the goodness which I aspire to achieve.

If my mother sought to become more relatable to me and morally stoop down to my level I would no longer have a source of motivation to better myself. Her goodness which transcends my own is a beacon in the dark which beckons me to transcend my mediocrity. Her goodness is crucial in my life, for by it I can clearly see the imperfections of the world around me. How tragic would our lives be if amidst the chaos, selfishness, and suffering there were no moments of true goodness radiating from moral human beings as a source of hope. When a stranger risks his life to save his fellow man from great peril, most would respond with, "there's hope for humanity!" Without these clear examples of goodness could anyone even be moral?

Too often there are lesser goods and even things which are very much morally wrong which distract me and entice me. However, at the end of the long day of temptations, sinning, and losing hope, the goodness I find in my mother remains and I respond. I respond to her goodness with love. It seems that the two go hand in hand. Dietrich von Hildebrand in The Art of Living beautifully describes this as such;

"Love is, as it were, flowing goodness, and goodness is the breath of love" (pg. 48).

Hildebrand appoints goodness as the queen of all virtues. Goodness is at the very center of the moral life and is its most sublime fruit.(pg.48) There is no better way to respond to goodness, ‘the fruit of fruits’, the fruit from which all other fruits grow, than with love. When I love my mother, she stands before me: precious and noble. Not because of her attributes or characteristics but because she, as a human being, possesses intrinsic preciousness and contains value in and of herself. My love for her is not wrapped up in a specific word spoken. On the contrary, my love for her is a gift of my heart to her. Due to my great love for her I wish to protect her, cherish her, and heap only good things upon her (pg.49).

Consider the many moments in our lives when you are grateful for the example of goodness expressed by another. Whether it is the doctor who sincerely cares for the health of your dying child or the man before you in the drive thru who pays for your meal. Now consider how many times you have responded to goodness in general. It seems that we take goodness for granted and fail to respond whatsoever, let alone respond with love. Often we complain about the morally corrupt state of our neighbor, our society, our country, our world. We hypocritically chastise and blame those who we believe to be the root of immorality and corruption.

In the words of one Michael Jackson song "start with the man in the mirror." When we witness the goodness of another we must respond with veneration, gratitude, obedience and love. Likewise, we must respond to the morally good action. It is when circumstances are covered in darkness and you are steeped in the thick mud of temptation that the intrinsic beauty of goodness must be affirmed, defended, and protected. J.R.R. Tolkien's readers would have been appalled if on the way to Mount Doom to destroy the ring, Frodo would have given up, and succumbed to the tempting powers of the ring. Tolkien's stories would not have had the same impact upon his readers if there were not sources of goodness which radiated through the darkness: examples like Galadriel, Gandalf, Frodo and Samwise. That which radiates goodness should be responded to with gratitude and love. It would be shameful if I did not respond to the goodness of my beloved mother. Surely, it is tragic when one spits in the face of goodness.

What would this world come to without goodness? When dark and evil times come to pass who will be there to ensure that goodness still remains?

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Image 2: source

Quotes and Paraphrases: Dietrich von Hildebrand, The Art of Living (Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, 1965) 48-49.

dietrich von hildebrand good goodness

Is a Good Man hard to Find?

6:30:00 AMMeredith Kuzma

When you meet someone, one of the first things you want to find out is whether or not they are “a good person.” But what, exactly, is goodness? Even the word “good” itself has been applied to millions of things that don't seem to be on the same level. The term has been used for a range of objects and persons from ice-cream to God. This week in my continued blog series on The Art of Living we'll talk about Chapter 5, Goodness.

Dietrich von Hildebrand begins the first page of the chapter with the statement “goodness is the fruit of moral life” (p 47). It is different than all the other virtues we have previously discussed on this blog before such as reverence, faithfulness, responsibility, or veracity. Goodness is different because it is not a presupposition of moral life. For Hildebrand, goodness comes about as a result of moral striving. Again, Hildebrand calls goodness a “fruit.”

The fruit of goodness can only blossom in the human person through manifestations of love. Among all of the responses to value, love is the most outspoken. Hildebrand says "love is, as it were, flowing goodness, and goodness is the breath of love" (p 48). In the response of love, one affirms the beloved and has a will to bestow happiness on the beloved. Love can also reveal the ultimate interest in the growth and unfolding of the beloved.

There are different types of men who embody the very opposite and antithesis of the man who radiates goodness and who responds to others in love. One such man is like Cain. The man like Cain is full of envy and rebellion against the good man and the world of values. He “feeds himself upon hatred” (p 50). He is explicitly hostile, not neutral. He is at war with all of humanity as a whole. In him is found "a destroying search for nothingness, a being imprisoned in a spasm of negation" (p 51).

Another example is the hardhearted man, who refuses to give of himself when values call for a response. He is a “brutal superman” (p 52) empty of any compassion or empathy. Finally, there is the cold, indifferent man. His gaze is centered only upon himself. He sees the entire world as existing only for his enjoyment and satisfaction. He is “incapable of deeper inward emotions; in the end everything leaves him indifferent” (p 53).

It is not in accord with goodness to be angry, brutal, or indifferent. Nor is goodness confined to good-naturedness. Yet goodness is not weak, for it possesses great strength.

"In its mysterious strength, goodness shakes the world to its very foundations; it bears on its forehead the sign of victory over wickedness and disorder, over all hatred and all unfeeling coarseness" (p 55).

In life we seek to find people who are good because goodness is a virtue that brings peace, harmony, warmth, love, and many other qualities that serve to bring light into man's life. Where goodness is absent, we find a deep void in the life of man.

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Dietrich & Alice von Hildebrand, The Art of Living (Manchester: Sophia Institute, 1994)

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Treat Yourself! : The Slogan of College Students on Christmas Break

Abandonment - the "Home Remedy" for Depression

An Inquiry into Leisure

To Love Goodness

Is a Good Man hard to Find?

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