Oh, the Humility!

Good Morning My Fellow Americans!

Thirty-five years before the United States became a sovereign nation, a 20-year-old Benjamin Franklin identified 12 Virtues that would become the philosophical core of how he would live his life. The twelve virtues included: Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, and Chastity. These 12 virtues provided B-Frank with a set of values to guide him through some of his toughest life decisions; such as:

“Should I get krunked with the fellas tonight? Should I pimp that fresh
plasma I’ve been peepin? Should I bang Debbie Reed? If I had to choose between ‘Housewives of New York’ OR ‘Rock of Love;’ which would I choose? If I were to draft the fricken’ Declaration of Independence, should I throw in a, ‘no idiots allowed’ clause?”

Although the 12 virtues provided Benny F. with a formula for success, he realized the poisonous byproducts of Pride and Righteousness may fester if left unchecked. His antidote for this potential illness was to add a thirteenth virtue to his list: Humility.

DEFINITION
According to Dictionary.com, “Humility” is defined as:

“the state or quality of being humble; freedom from pride and arrogance; lowliness of mind; a modest estimate of one’s own worth; a sense of one’s own unworthiness through imperfection and sinfulness; self-abasement; humbleness.”

I believe pride is the root of many evils; arrogance, self-importance, apathy towards others, self-entitlement, and so forth. Pride is a byproduct of a sense of ownership over one’s accomplishments and achievements. I’m not saying that our accomplishments are without value or that we should not recognize those who have achieved great things; rather, it is our sense of ownership of those accomplishments that leads to pride. An attitude of humility helps to combat arrogance, pride and self-importance. Regardless of societal position, contribution, or material wealth or value, it is imperative that one minimize their ownership over what they have achieved.

SMACKDOWN!
The traditional stereotype of an American, is an individual who is ambitious, innovative, and believes in individual achievement and wealth. After all, individual drive for success and consumption fuels over 70% of the US economy. Given the values that are portrayed through the media, one could infer that personal possessions and materialism are among the core values of our country. The culmination of these factors has yielded a media controlled sub-culture of overly self-important, arrogant, ignorant people, who turn an apathetic eye to the needs and views of others. Boom.

My simple point is this: In all his wisdom, Benjamin Franklin understood that knowledge, success, and achievement is all well and good, but he also discovered that pride may be a nasty byproduct, and it's important that we avoid the dellusional path of self-importance.

QUESTIONS FOR YOU HUMBLE SOULS
How does humility fit into the way you live your life?

Do you feel that humility is compatible with some of the notable values of the United States? Specifically, values such as: Achievement, Individuality, Innovation, Consumption, and Materialism

All right, click the "comments" link below to read the responses of others, as well as share your own responses. "NO" you don't have to be a member of Blogger to put in your $0.02; Just select "Name/URL," type in your name, and publish your comments... that's it.... it's as easy being sleazy!

For more information on Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues:
http://changingminds.org/explanations/values/thirteen_virtues.htm

The Passion of the Chimp

Good Evening!

As I stare at my Netbook's expansive 8-inch screen, I feel like a wildebeest using the fundamental theorem of calculus to find the derivative of an integral. To be honest, I'm feeling a bit rusty. It has been 9 months since my last Cubicle Chronicle posting, and I've decided that it's time for (yet another) rebirth. For the two or three of you who have participated in the chronicles of past, welcome back! For those who are reading for the first time, a little context: The Cubicle Chronicles is my sounding board on philosophy, politics, and other random bits of obsessive thought. The writing and opinions may occasionally dance upon the fringe of acceptable dinner table conversation, but I attempt to select topics that are at least moderately thought-provoking.

Originally, all postings were conceived, birthed, and raised from the confines of my cubicle at work; thus, the name. I encouraged other professionals to break up the monotony of filing TPS reports, and engage in online banter from the bounds of their own fabric-lined cages. Although I'm no longer in a position where I can afford to take a couple hours to craft a chronicle at work (and no longer have a cube...), I am committing myself to publishing chronicles on a bi-weekly basis from this point forward. My cubicle has transformed from its organizational diorama origins to that of the caffeine-peddling establishments across the DC area.

The Cubicle Chronicles is but one spicket from which I attempt to quench my creative thirst; and over the past 9 months, I've grown pretty damn parched! I hope that you'll not only enjoy what you read here, but participate in the banter by leaving your comments. With all of the cordialities out of the way, let's talk about passion!

Passion
It’s what you crave more than gut-rotting White Castle burgers. The most successful people in the world could not have reached the summit of their success without it. It’s the wind that fills your sails and gets you moving across the ocean of life. It’s the commitment that has yielded industrial and scientific breakthroughs throughout history. It expresses itself in many ways, but regardless of its origin or target, it’s the fuel that keeps one's spirit from slipping into cold grey rigor mortis. If you've ever experienced passion for something, or somebody, you know exactly what I mean.

To be, or not to be?
I’ve recently found myself questioning my own passion.

What fills my sails and gives me a sense of purpose?
What is it that invigorates me into a manic state of excitement?
What is it that I am passionate about?

I struggled with these questions, and found myself at a near panic when I could not find the answers. Am I without passion? Am I an empty shell of a human being who schleps through life, simply converting oxygen into carbon dioxide?

After some reflection, I realized that it was true: I have no wind of passion. I am passionless. It was after some reflection, that I realized: passion is bullshit. Passion is bullshit, because it doesn’t exist.

“Okay Don, you’ve gone too far; you’re talking crazy talk!”
Really, what is passion anyway? My quick $0.25 theory is that passion is an emotionally-based psychological energy that may drive people to take action. Sound familiar? Well, that’s because I just described motivation. In psychology, motivation is always based upon reward or punishment. The reward/punishment can come in two flavors; either emotional satisfaction/turmoil (intrinsic), or material or tangible reward/punishment (extrinsic). The psychological explanation of motivation is not as romantic or inspirational as its perverted business/sport pop-psychology cousin, but it serves as a much better alternative explanation. Passion is best left to big-toothed motivational speaker fodder, because it serves no practical or legitimate purpose in reality.

Questions for the masses…
Do you believe in the existence of “passion?” If so, what’s the difference between “passion” and “motivation?”

Do you feel that passion is merely enough to manifest action and accomplishment?

I look forward to hearing from you; for it fuels MY passion. Oh, and welcome to The Cubicle Chronicles!

All right, click the "comments" link below to read the responses of others, as well as share your own responses. "NO" you don't have to be a member of Blogger to put in your $0.02; Just select "Name/URL," type in your name, and publish your comments... that's it.... it's as easy as pie!