Which Virtue is the Most Overrated?
If I had to Pick Just One ...
I was asked this question on another writing website. In order to answer it, I thought it only fair that I find out how many virtues there are. I wanted to base my decision on facts.
By definition, a virtue is a good habit, character trait, or a quality valued as being good to have. Okay, got it. A virtue is a good thing we should all have. Now, how many are there and what are they?
There four cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude.
There are three theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity.
The seven capital virtues (the opposite of the seven deadly sins): chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility.
That’s quite a list! But, are any of them overrated? I didn’t think so, but I didn’t really know. So I asked one more question as part of my research.
Are there any virtues that are both good and bad —they can go either way, depending on who uses them and how they are used?
One other virtue popped up. It was Obedience. There are three types: constructive, destructive, and blind.
Now I was more prepared to decide which virtue is the most overrated.
Early publishing magnate, Cyrus H. Curtis, once said,
"There are two kinds of men who never amount to much: those who cannot do what they are told, and those who can do nothing else."
I’m going to say the most overrated virtue is obedience: “The willingness to obey, to be controlled when necessary, or to carry out orders.”
Obedience does have its place, the most obvious is in the military. I see no other place for complete and total obedience, other than maybe teaching a dog to pee and poop outdoors, not inside the house.
The only other place for obedience —and even then only if it’s well diluted —would be in raising children.
As parents, we want them to do what we say, but we want it to be out of respect, not fear. We want them to learn in a loving way what is best for them.
The respectful obedience a child learns while growing up will give them a foundation for respecting authority figures later, such as teachers, law enforcement, and eventually their employers.
I would even go so far as to suggest that “obey” be taken out of the marriage vows. Let’s replace it with ‘respect’ … do you promise to love, honor, and respect …”
That is something I can believe in.
That would be something I can … respect.
Poet/Writer/Author of 5 books.
Quora Top Writer 2018.
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I totally agree, CJ! Respect is a better word than obey! After all I'm a human, not a dog!
I am a survivor of catholic schools, so, as a young fellow, obedience was quickly dismissed.
As I worked my way through puberty, under the supervision of celibate women and men, I came to disparage chastity, at least as it was understood by my religious mentors.
Now that I am considerably older I would advise caution with regard to prudence and temperance. I think that we lose a very important element of living, if, as we age, we become risk averse. If prudence and temperance are of any value, I think they should teach us to evaluate and value change and risk, not to shun them.