Vice
Immoral or wicked behaviour or characteristic.
Examples: greed, envy, gluttony, pride, sloth, wrath, lust, vanity, avarice, despair, arrogance, bigotry, callousness, contempt, cruelty, cynicism, deceit, dishonesty, disloyalty, distrust, egotism, fanaticism, gossip, hypocrisy, ignorance, impatience, indulgence, ingratitude, insensitivity, irresponsibility, jealousy, malice, manipulation, narcissism, negligence, obsession, overconfidence, pessimism, prejudice, procrastination, recklessness, rudeness, selfishness, spite, stubbornness, unfaithfulness, vindictiveness, waste, xenophobia.
Virtue
Good moral quality in a person. Behaviours that demonstrate a high moral standard.
Examples: acceptance, assertiveness, authenticity, beauty, caring, cleanliness, commitment, compassion, confidence, considerate, contentment, cooperative, courage, creativity, detachment, determination, dignity, empathy, encouragement, enthusiasm, ethical, excellence, fairness, faith, flexibility, forgiveness, friendliness, generosity, gentle, graciousness, gratitude, harmonious, helpful, honest, honour, hopeful, humility, idealism, integrity, imaginative, joyful, just, kind, love, loyal, moderation, modesty, optimistic, orderly, passionate, patience, peace, perseverance, preparedness, purposeful, reliable, respectful, responsible, self-discipline, sincerity, tact, temperate, tenacious, thankful, tolerant, trustworthy, truthful, understanding, unity, visionary, wisdom, wonder.
Vices and virtues are characteristics of a person, the contrast between good and bad characteristics shown through your actions. Everyone has virtues and vices, to which degree determines the quality of the person. Your ability to choose between right and wrong and to self-govern these qualities ultimately determines the quality of your character. We all have our vices, the ability to recognize that fact and to actively attempt to limit or eliminate poor behaviour in and of itself is a virtue. Many people go through life with little to no self-reflection, no thought to the way they think or behave.
Throughout history there have been many teachings on virtues and vices. Habits to aspire towards and habits to avoid. Through these teachings there is a very similar definition for good characteristics and bad characteristics. Most notably, the Heavenly Virtues and the Seven Deadly Sins.
“Do unto others as you would be done by.”
Jesus Christ
I have never read The Bible but I have been subject to most of the teachings all throughout my life from family and pop culture. Christianity is a part of western culture and therefore we are indirectly and/or directly exposed to its teachings.
The seven heavenly virtues are chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, kindness, patience, and humility. Translated to modern English, that would be restraint or refrain, avoidance of alcohol and drugs, voluntarily helping those in need, a sense of duty and hard work, considerate and generous, tolerant of others, and humbleness. The inverse of these qualities are the seven deadly sins: lust, gluttony, avarice, sloth, envy, wrath, and pride. Again, in modern English: strong sexual desires, overindulgent/over-consumer, extreme greed, laziness, a feeling of jealousy or longing for what other’s have, short-tempered/angry, and a high opinion of oneself/vanity.
Over the years, more and more characteristics and qualities have been classified as virtues and vices. At the core, being a virtuous person is someone that has a strong moral compass. A sense of what is right and wrong, and choosing to do what is right. The true measure of character is how you behave when no one is watching.
Good vs. Evil
Every fairy tale ever told has the same plot, good vs. evil. The protagonist must overcome some challenge and win the fight against evil and save the day. It’s a story as old as time, and we tell these stories to kids over and over. The desire to do what is right is engrained in us. It is human nature. Humans are social creatures, and therefore we want to live in harmony. This must be true because humans have written and preached about doing the right thing and being a good person since the dawn of time. By nature we want to be good and we are taught how to be good through literature such as The Bible and ancient philosophy. Life will throw all sorts of temptations at you and it is your duty to resist, hold yourself to a higher standard and be the best person you can be. Do not become corrupt and blacken.
Vices
“It is only human to commit a sin.”
Oswald of Carim
Yes, indeed. To sin is to be human. It’s unavoidable. No one is perfect but that does not mean you should not aspire to be. We all have moments of weakness. Our emotions get the best of us at times. The vices you choose can have varying affects on your life and health. Recognizing the problem and attempting to eliminate the issue is the progress we need to become the best versions of ourselves. Knowing the difference between right and wrong, good qualities and bad is part of being a moral person.
In today’s society it appears that often times vices are applauded, encouraged, and admired. Everything is sexualized, greed and envy are normalized, vanity is promoted, laziness is applauded. We see these qualities in our everyday lives and often times they are displayed in a positive light. It is our duty as humans to govern ourselves and not fall into these traps. There will always be temptations all around us, choosing to avoid these temptations and do the right thing is the virtuous thing to do. Honour is the highest quality a person can possess.
We should all aspire to be the best version of ourself, and that requires work.