Aristotle argues for this in the Nicomachean Ethics. Essentially, virtue is something we do, we can do it well or poorly, and just like anything else we do, we can be talented or untalented at it, we can better or more poorly trained at it, we can become more or less skilled at it through practice, and we can build, possess, and get rid of good or bad ethical habits. It’s specifically the habits you are speaking of here, because it is building good habits of virtue that makes it more likely that we will still be virtuous when we are tired, irritated, endangered, etc.
This is why I have found the spiritual disciplines so helpful - not as "I have to" but as a way to practice becoming more like the person I want to be.
This is undoubtedly true. However, one additional key is using “system 2” to shape “system 1” by changing how we think. To me, this is what it means to be “transformed by the renewing of your minds”. Our feelings are greatly steered by our beliefs. For instance, if I believe I am “entitled” to some such, when that is not received, my emotional response will be different than if I view some such as a gift, something I do not deserve but may obtain by grace. A different way of thinking will lead us to a different way of feeling, as well as a different way of reacting.
Well said. But I was just thinking today how a too long fuse can be not good as well. Sometimes it’s better to cry ouch when you’ve been hurt. And being clear about what the hurt was. If a person has been schooled in making nice, well that clarity is traded in for distancing, silence and a broken friendship. Christians also need training how to say ouch, and how to have these conversations in positive ways.
Aristotle argues for this in the Nicomachean Ethics. Essentially, virtue is something we do, we can do it well or poorly, and just like anything else we do, we can be talented or untalented at it, we can better or more poorly trained at it, we can become more or less skilled at it through practice, and we can build, possess, and get rid of good or bad ethical habits. It’s specifically the habits you are speaking of here, because it is building good habits of virtue that makes it more likely that we will still be virtuous when we are tired, irritated, endangered, etc.
This is why I have found the spiritual disciplines so helpful - not as "I have to" but as a way to practice becoming more like the person I want to be.
This is undoubtedly true. However, one additional key is using “system 2” to shape “system 1” by changing how we think. To me, this is what it means to be “transformed by the renewing of your minds”. Our feelings are greatly steered by our beliefs. For instance, if I believe I am “entitled” to some such, when that is not received, my emotional response will be different than if I view some such as a gift, something I do not deserve but may obtain by grace. A different way of thinking will lead us to a different way of feeling, as well as a different way of reacting.
Well said. But I was just thinking today how a too long fuse can be not good as well. Sometimes it’s better to cry ouch when you’ve been hurt. And being clear about what the hurt was. If a person has been schooled in making nice, well that clarity is traded in for distancing, silence and a broken friendship. Christians also need training how to say ouch, and how to have these conversations in positive ways.
This is a life-changing perspective. Thanks!