On eagles wings: Our recovery from Coronavirus (XXIII). The virtues required in our economic frameworks
Today is a special one for this saga. I will begin to describe the most relevant virtues that every human being must learn to apply not just to its creative powers for business endeavors and projects, but to daily life between family, friends, employees, colleagues, bosses, and the rest of human beings around us.
Before starting, I just want to acknowledge that Coronavirus times are far from being over, and we have started to feel it in El Salvador. Here, doctors and health practitioners have begun to depart us. A very good friend from my parents, an MD nephrologist, passed away two days ago. Je suis trés desolée. Many medical practitioners are at the moment experiencing higher risks of sacrificing their lives in local hospitals and medical infrastructure facilities. The issue goes beyond the limited resources of PPE, but the deficiency of methods and excellent optimization of these resources under a feasible and organized system, that can keep the physicians and medical staff community safe-well protected at all times during the Pandemic health services. Pray for good decision making at higher places in town, to keep health workers safe as much as I pray for the families of them, who necessitate finding peace and comfort. I have no words to express my sympathy and feelings of solidarity for this suffering situation.
“Olives for restoration”. An aquarelle exercise by Eleonora Escalante 2020. Handmade with love on Paper Fabriano Artistico Traditional White, Grana Satinata.
Essential virtues needed in our character as decision-makers. Although our Corona Times sickening chaos, we need to continue our journey. So, let´s begin. Eleonora Escalante Strategy has defined Jesus-Christ as the utmost role model of excellence. I can´t find anyone else that can fulfill the beatitudes of what type of character should we built. I am sure there are plenty of prophets, scholars, martyrs, saints, and studious men or women in history, some of them without Jesus-Christ, and others who were active followers of Jesus´s character. Many are extremely good to regard, but at the end of the day, the root of those virtuous leaders take us to Jesus-Christ, who have all the beatitudes you can think of.
To be like Jesus is extremely difficult. Communities with Christocentric praxis (regardless of the Christian denomination, here I include Catholics, Baptists, Presbyterians, Assembly of God, Methodists, Jews for Jesus, etc), we all have a role model to imitate. His name is Jesus Christ. But there are other societies, those who do not know the life of Jesus Christ, or who belong to other religions, who have issues to follow Christ, not just because they have never met him in spirit, neither have never read about him, but because Christians (including myself) are not the mirror of Jesus virtues. To be like Jesus is extremely difficult. None of the Christian followers, and Ministers or Priests, are true examples of what Jesus showed us.“The imitation of Christ does not mean to live a life like Christ did, but to live your life as authentically as Christ lived his-H.Nouwen”.
Ethical virtues needed in our economic-business frameworks. We must dedicate some episodes to explore what were the most relevant beatitudes or virtues of the Son of God, which are innumerable, but we will stick to those ethical values which represent him the most. These virtues are included in the following list (that we will explore during the next two weeks properly):
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- Humbleness
- Meekness and Peacemaking (kindness)
- Mourning
- Hunger for Righteousness (justice)
- Mercy
- Courage under Suffering
- Purity of Heart
- Love
- Faith
- Personal and genuine concern for others
- Hope
- Integrity (honesty, sincerity)
Let´s begin today with the first two virtues of this list.
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- Humbleness is defined as the virtue of excellence against pride. To be humble means to be marked by docility or modesty in our behavior, attitude, or spirit towards one-self and others. It is defined by the same Jesus Christ as Poverty of Spirit: “Blessed are those who are so aware of their own bankruptcy, in and of themselves, that they have nothing to count on in this world except God, for his bliss will be theirs”. We must not confuse the term Humbleness with False Humility, neither with the Resentful Humility.
False humility happens when you find mealymouthed, passive, or “I-have-no -important-needs or-desires” attitude. False humility is self-driven and self-absorbed. “A person who is falsely humble is a person who is truly proud”:
Resentful humility is even more dangerous. “Because Christianity was first the religion of slaves under oppression by the Roman Empire, these Christians turned their unchangeable powerlessness into humility, but inwardly resented the power of those in charge”.
Humbleness in the context of Jesus´s virtue has nothing to do with low in rank perception (give another one a lower condition or degradation) neither with humiliation, which is directly linked to putting someone down with shame or disgrace.
“Humble people handle stress more effectively and report higher levels of physical and mental well-being. They also show greater generosity, helpfulness, and gratitude—all things that can only serve to draw us closer to others”. Source: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/humility_will_make_you_greatest_person_ever
In summary, humbleness is the only virtue against pride, which is the worst and most prevalent of sins, “Pride is the fortress of evil in a man–Victor Hugo”. Pride is found in an individual form (such as whatever is said by narcissists who are only preoccupied with themselves); but it can be found in collective forms, such as a group pride identity, either of nationalism or racism or exclusivity identification. For those who have forgotten what pride is, let´s refresh the concept. Pride is an unreasonable conceit of superiority or overweening (excessive) opinion of one´s own quality. You can see the pride in egoism, arrogance, hubris, selfishness, vanity, haughtiness, presumption, boastfulness, big-headedness, self-satisfaction, self-centeredness…
The problem with our current corporate strategy frameworks rests in the spirit of pride which activates the competitiveness instead of cooperation. Many strategy models are not based on aid or help harmoniously, but these feed the spirit of war that we find in the book “The Art of War” from Sun Tzu. Of course, we can use the phrase “combat or kill the Coronavirus”, because it is a virus that is destroying humanity. But in business-enterprise, the whole methodologies that we have learned to use when defining our endeavors are based in competition, ferociousness rivalries, racing to be first; and you can find the spirit of “pride” immersed with revengeful tit for tat´s recipes for success everywhere. Look a simple example of pride that abounds in our practices nowadays: Whenever you listen to someone who wants to make his business or endeavor “the first one, the richest, the greatest again or most powerful enterprise in the world”; that phrase is fed by the spirit of pride, not of humbleness.
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- Meekness: The virtue of showing patience, softness, and gentleness is defined as meekness. Meekness is the opposite of anger. The beatitude of the meek triggers peacemaking. Do not confuse the word meek with being weak, or submissive or easily imposed. Not at all. Far from being weak, meekness, and peacemaking pivot on strength of character. “When the capacity to use force is the greatest that the strength not to do so, that is the clearest and most constructive sign of being meek”. The image of peace is not two lambs laying down together, but the lion (with superior force) laying beside the lamb, an otherwise easy prey”. You only can be meek when you have the strength of character to be peaceful and kind under stressful situations, when you have the capacity to put your anger under control, and when you know you are meek enough because you have tamed your rage or temper or violent fury.
Meekness and peacemaking are rooted in the appreciation of the infinite value of human life (yours and others). Jesus´teachings about being meek or doing peacemaking, are centered on the preciousness of each human being and their intrinsic value as reflections of God´s image. To search the virtues of meekness and peacemaking move beyond the commandments of Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not harm others, or Do not disrespect other’s boundaries. To be meek means to show gentleness, kindness, and forbearance, self-control, abstinence to respond with anger… and what is the most priority, to actively seek for reconciliation. The only way to show meekness is by having the beatitude of love, or what Jesus came to say to us: “Love your neighbors as yourself”.
In my next publication, we will develop the virtues of mourning and hunger for righteousness. Have a beautiful weekend, see you on the next one. Please don´t forget to protect yourself. The Coronavirus Prevention must be a habit, a matter to save our lives daily. I already explained it a month ago on the following post: “Coronavirus Prevention”
Blessings.
Sources of reference utilized to write this article:
“Steering through Chaos- Vice, and Virtue in an age of moral confusion”. The Trinity Forum, 1999.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/122882/the-wounded-healer-by-henri-j-m-nouwen/
Disclaimer: Illustrations in Watercolor are painted by Eleonora Escalante. Other types of illustrations or videos (which are not mine) are used for educational purposes ONLY. Nevertheless, the majority of the pictures, images, or videos shown on this blog are not mine. I do not own any of the lovely photos or images posted unless otherwise stated.
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