I’ve been thinking lately about virtues and vices, in relation to the book and see if I can make some discoviers on my own, and one I stumbled upon was the concept of resonance between vices and virtues. Often times invidiauls resonate with certain activities that we may call talents. Some may be naturally gifted at drawing, swimming or running, in that same fashion people exihibt talent in virtue. For example being able to tell the truth or being confident. On the other hand, we also have an “anti-talent” with vices, things that can bring a specific individual down more than others. Some people have a cycle of ruining relationships, but that same person might not have an issue with gambling, even if they have gambled many times because they just stop. You might ask isn’t this the case with every vice? can’t the person just simply stop? I think not because if that were the case then why would people carry their vices to dangerous limit, they obviously know it’s bad for them. For example, I don’t have to try that hard to not drink soda, even if I drink a soda today or tomorrow, or even a couple days in a row. I’ll be able to go back to not drinking soda.
Back to the main point, I believe that just how you have to disocver your talents. You have take caution on what vices you let into your life knowingly. You never know if you resonate with the vice, and start a life of desparity.
Just like how I could be an incredible singer, but I don’t know since I haven’t tried. I could also be pulled into gambling more than the average person, but I don’t know since I haven’t tried.
I’ve also noticed a general trend where it gets easier to indulge in vices as you move up through life. For example right now If I started drinking everyday, I could financially keep that up for a couple weeks, which is motivation against the act. Let say 20 years later, I have a stable job, and I’m making decent money. I can probably drink everyday and have little to no consequences.
Aside:
Clarification on Vice: these aren’t things that could be bad or good depending on how you use it. For example, this isn’t like being hot-tempered, which is the extreme of patience and lack of spirit. Let’s say your getting mugged with your entire family, you need to act out of anger to get out of that scenario. If you don’t get angry in that case it’s like you have no wil. In that same fashion you don’t want to start yelling at your kid if he dropped something, that’s where you exercise patience.
In my defiition I think a vice is something that is bad in any amount, like gambling, infedilty, and murder.