Tapestry of Faith: Virtue Ethics: An Ethical Development Program for High School Youth

Taking It Home: Humility

Part of Virtue Ethics

Compassion directed to oneself is humility. — Simone Weil

IN TODAY'S WORKSHOP... we discussed the virtue of humility. We read quotations from holy texts and wise people on humility and turned those words into real life situations. We journaled about ways we might practice the virtue of humility in our lives.

Just for Fun. The Virtues Project website has a game called Five Spread. It resembles a Tarot card reading, but with suggested virtues to help you with a dilemma you are experiencing. Remember: No game on a computer can understand you or your personal situations. The game's predictions are random and should not be taken too seriously. However, if you find information that seems useful, consider it. After all, who among us cannot benefit from practicing virtues?

Humility. Rap music is known for its boasting. Virtually every rap artist and group has a song espousing their supremacy. For example, Kanye West in "Stronger" commands us to, "Bow in the presence of greatness." While boasting is often associated with men, female rap artists get in the act, too. Joanna Newsom says, in "The Book of Right-On," "Do you want to sit at my table?/ My fighting fame is fabled/ And fortune finds me fit and able." The Am I Right website (Making Fun of Music, One Song at a Time) collects boasts from music. Many samples have been sent in and you can see that rap is not the only genre full of boasting. Do you have lyrics to submit?

On the Gratefulness website, you can light a candle in appreciation for good things in your life or if you feel in need of support for something troublesome. Share this site with your friends.

The Doctor (PG-13, 1991, directed by Randa Haines) is a movie about a cocky physician who becomes seriously ill and is humbled by his experiences as a patient. What other movies about humbling experiences can you think of?