Which is the most difficult virtue to acquire?

[loverofhumanity]

Those lacking wisdom can't recognize the rest of the virtues.

Nazis believed that they were doing the world a favor by torturing to death millions of Jews, and making unprovoked wars against other nations. All the while, their arrogance made them think that they were the "master race." Yet, weren't the Jews superior to have kept their faith under torture and many even forgave their captures.

Nazis pretended to have died during WW II, and instead fled to South America. Many nations were glad to have their pilfered money (from museums in France, from Jews, etc). What unspeakable medical experiments were they running in South America once they got there? We know that Dr. Mengele lived to a ripe old age, despite the Nazi hunters noting his presence and trying in vain to deport him.

Notice that Hitler started out Christian, but, with greed and pride was able to turn an entire nation against Jews, and against their own Christian faith.

I haven't seen anything that frightening since...except that President George W. Bush made wars in wrong places (Iraq, Afghanistan, and tried to make war in Niger--look up Wilson and Plame for more info). The Taliban had captured bin Laden and offered to turn him over to the US, but W. Bush preferred war against his own Taliban allies who had been working closely with his father to repel Soviet incursions. Like Hitler, W. Bush made torture camps...some of the few torture camps of the 20th century.

Again, W. Bush (who had been elected president of the Religious Right shortly after his US presidency began) turned his nation against Christ. Wars (especially against the innocent) and torture camps, along with damage of God's environment, certainly are antiChristian.

By looking at the horrible decisions that lead to the horrible state that the United States (and world) is currently in, we can deduce which virtues are more important.

Arrogance, endowed W. Bush with the God-like power to decide who lives and who dies.

Lack of sympathy or empathy led to deaths and torture camps....diplomacy was the last option that was never tried.

President W. Bush used to brag that he was humble. This is because humility is a mandatory virtue for Christians. Yet, no one can brag that they are humble. Being humble means that one does not brag. How can one brag that they don't brag? How can one brag that they are more humble than another person? How can a person have the hubris to run for the presidency of the United States and have the power to command others, and still maintain that they are humble? W. Bush was elected in his own nation....he was not elected to be king of the world and decide to alter elections in Iraq and kill Iraqis.

When people elect a leader they need to look more closely at the character and not so much a smooth tongue or slogans. Some of the leaders people elect reflect a lack of true understanding of the qualities required to lead.

 

[Vinayaka]

Being silent when there is nothing I can actually offer is difficult for me. I often regret speaking.

 

[oldbadger]

Patience is certainly one that I struggle with.

Come on........ posting to me for years must have helped with that!

 

[Trailblazer]

For myself I would say wisdom and patience. We can learn much about wisdom from parables and sayings in Holy Books.

Humility is difficult to acquire but easier to sustain. Patience is the most difficult because it is an ongoing thing.

 

[RestlessSoul]

Courage, without it you cannot practice any other virtual consistently - Maya Angelou

Courage is the first of all human virtues because it makes all others possible - Aristot

In Mikhael Bulgakov’s ‘The Master and Margarita’ (one of the 20th Century’s greatest novels imo), Yeshua Ha Nosri (Jesus) observes to Pontius Pilate that cowardice is one of the most terrible vices. To which Pilate replies, “No, philosopher, I disagree with you: it is the most terrible vice!”

 

[RestlessSoul]

Being silent when there is nothing I can actually offer is difficult for me. I often regret speaking.

“Nothing succeeds like restraint of tongue and pen”

 

[Spirit of Light]

Being silent when there is nothing I can actually offer is difficult for me. I often regret speaking.

I have come to that point too, a lot of what I said here I RF could have been avoided if I thought before speaking

 

[Clara Tea]

Without wisdom, we cannot recognize other virtues.

 

[stvdv]

For myself I would say wisdom and patience. We can learn much about wisdom from parables and sayings in Holy Books.

Virtuous living leads to wisdom

 

[stvdv]

For myself I would say wisdom and patience. We can learn much about wisdom from parables and sayings in Holy Books.

Thanks for reminding me to follow certain virtues

From the list of 20 (above) essential for Wisdom

 

[CG Didymus]

For myself I would say wisdom and patience. We can learn much about wisdom from parables and sayings in Holy Books.

Generosity and just over-all helping others in need. It's hard and maybe the hardest, because when do you stop helping and stop giving? And you know that when you give some money to some people, they're not going to spend it wisely. And when you help one person, there's always going to be someone else in need. And even if you do like that old saying, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." So instead of giving a person food or money you teach them how to grow food or teach them a skill so they can earn money to buy food? Being too generous with your time and money can get out of control to where a person gets all used up. So what is a person to do? Pick and choose who they help and who they ignore?

 

[loverofhumanity]

Generosity and just over-all helping others in need. It's hard and maybe the hardest, because when do you stop helping and stop giving? And you know that when you give some money to some people, they're not going to spend it wisely. And when you help one person, there's always going to be someone else in need. And even if you do like that old saying, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." So instead of giving a person food or money you teach them how to grow food or teach them a skill so they can earn money to buy food? Being too generous with your time and money can get out of control to where a person gets all used up. So what is a person to do? Pick and choose who they help and who they ignore?

Wisdom on who to give money to and who not to. I wouldn’t give money to someone who just likes being lazy but give him work. However a person who is disabled and cannot work that’s different. Still we all need to try in life. Apprenticeship is also a great way to learn skills too.

 

[Vinayaka]

Generosity and just over-all helping others in need. It's hard and maybe the hardest, because when do you stop helping and stop giving? And you know that when you give some money to some people, they're not going to spend it wisely. And when you help one person, there's always going to be someone else in need. And even if you do like that old saying, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." So instead of giving a person food or money you teach them how to grow food or teach them a skill so they can earn money to buy food? Being too generous with your time and money can get out of control to where a person gets all used up. So what is a person to do? Pick and choose who they help and who they ignore?

I had a friend who ran into quite the dilemma. At least he thought it was a dilemma. An individual, an immigrant, made the sob story of how he needed money to bring his family to Canada, and he drove an old beater, worked two jobs, etc. He seemed in need. But through the grapevine my friend caught the real story ... that he made more money than my friend did, and had more than enough to bring his 'family' if he even had one. My friend's dilemma was that he's already promised him. To me it was no dilemma at all. I'd let him keep whatever I gave him and chalk it up to a life lesson, but not fulfill the promise.

I give regularly to the food bank here. it seems a safe way.