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We’ve seen movies about heroes who display courage, loyalty and coolness under fire. But what about somebody who sits in front of a computer all day? Is it possible to display and cultivate character if you are just an office clerk?
This is a question posed by The New York Times columnist David Brooks in a recent article titled “The Mental Virtues”. And his answer is “Yes”.
Brooks says even if you are alone in your office, you are thinking. And thinking well with a lot of information coming at you is a moral challenge.
Brooks cites a 2007 book, Intellectual Virtues, written by Robert C. Roberts and W. Jay Wood. The book explores some so-called mental virtues, and we can grade ourselves on how we represent each virtue.
1. Love of learning. Some people are more curious than others, either by cultivation or by nature.
2. Courage. The obvious form of intellectual courage is the willingness to hold unpopular views. Intellectual courage is knowing when to be daring and when to be cautious. An intellectually courageous person is willing to look at things that are hard to look at.
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3. Firmness, which is a quality of mental flexibility. You don’t want to be a person who easily surrenders his or her beliefs when met with opposition. On the other hand, you don’t want to hold dogmatically to a belief against all evidence.
4. Humility. The humble person fights against vanity and self-importance. He’s not thinking of himself much at all. A humble person is open to learning from anyone at any stage in life.
5. Autonomy. You want to be a person who can think for yourself. On the other hand, you won’t reject all guidance from people who know what they are talking about. Autonomy is the median of knowing when to bow to authority and when not to, when to follow a role model and when not to, when to adhere to tradition and when not to.
6. Generosity. You are willing to share knowledge and give others credit. It also means you are willing to forgive other people’s mistakes.
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