The Applied Virtues (Faith,
Defense, Loyalty, Generosity, and Creativity) are easily achieved if the Fundamental
Virtues are properly understood. The execution of your core Virtues, your
Foundation, as you applied them in everyday life.
Faith is the combination of
Humility and Temperance, Defense is the combination of Justice and Fortitude,
Loyalty is the combination of Humility and Fortitude, Generosity is the
combination of Justice and Temperance, and Creativity is the combination of
Humility and Aesthetics.
1. Fidem
What
do I live on? My faith in my ability that I’ll make it…Faith makes it possible
to achieve that which man’s mind can conceive and believe.
Bruce Lee
Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, deity,
or in the doctrines of an ideology, religious or otherwise. People tend to
assume that faith and religion are one and the same, and that the followers of
logic and science cannot have any faith. Nothing is further from the truth on
both accounts. Many religious people are simply fanatics, having little actual
faith, and many atheists are extremely faithful to their ideals. Faith is understanding
there is a higher truth or ideal that you must aspire to, about believing in
something greater than yourself.
Faith provides people a conviction to something and
a determination to achieve your goals within that faith’s framework. Faith is
not about blindly following someone else’s rules, but about determining what is
truly important for you. Only then can you draw strength from your faith.
The man with faith in self and a proper ideal can carry a
lifetime of sacrifice and temptations. Always remember, your belief does not
make you a better person, but your actions do. He will believe something
greater that serves as a framework for his life and his actions. This will
provide fortitude when he must stand and strength for when he must fight, and
hope when he must live.
2. Defensum
I
do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right
to say it.
Voltaire
Defense has been expanded into several concepts, from
military to civilian and from sports to social. After striping it away of all
the specifics and decoration, defense is simply to protect from an attack, a
danger or an injury. In the way that Justice actively seeks peace and equality,
defense seeks to guard from attack and inequality.
Based on the Latin word for Things Protected or Forbidden,
defense seeks to provide a safe haven. It is not about agreeing with something
or someone, but rather resisting the advances of an offender. In many cases,
actually most, the offender will target people who they think are weaker, who
they can easily submit or abuse. In a society of looking the other way and not
getting involved, it is high time we do get involved.
It is a Gentleman’s duty to protect and defend those that
are not strong enough to defend themselves or those attacked by forces greater
than what they could handle alone. In some cases, only by providing a proper
defense and support, can the weaker be seen as equal.
3. Fidelitas
I
have a loyalty that runs in my bloodstream, when I lock into someone or
something, you can't get me away from it because I commit that thoroughly.
That's in friendship, that's a deal, that's a commitment. Don't give me paper -
I can get the same lawyer who drew it up to break it. But if you shake my hand,
that's for life.
Jerry Lewis
Loyalty is faithfulness or a devotion to a person,
country, group, or cause. If Faith is trust, Loyalty is action. You might be
faithful to your spiritual beliefs, but you are loyal to your religious
organization, see the difference?
Originally meaning Loyalty, fidelity, legitimacy, honesty
and good quality; Loyalty refers to an oath of fidelity, a promise to serve.
Interestingly enough, loyalty is the basic principle from which all other
virtues can be achieved.
It has to be a willing, practical, and thorough devotion,
a wholehearted commitment. Loyalty is actively engaged upon, not passively
expressed merely as a strong feeling about something.
As a Gentleman, remember that your word is your bond, so
never take it lightly.
4. Generosus
Real
generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.
Albert Camus
Generosity is the habit of giving without expecting
anything in return. This is not just about money, but it can be anything, from
your time, your talents or even simply your support. Some people are blessed by
having more than what they need while others are struggling just to get by with
the hand fate dealt them. The intention behind generosity is to look out for
the common good of everyone. It’s a reflection of your passion to help others.
Generosity is derived from the Latin word meaning “of
noble birth”. It was not till later than generosity began to refer to an
open-handedness attitude and liberality in giving money and possessions to
others. Interestingly enough, it is considered the antidote against greed in
several religions.
Unfortunately, a trend that has been popping up is the
idea of doing acts of generosity and charity under the assumption that you will
get paid back by God, fate, karma, or whatever other forces of the universe you
personally believe in. The fact that you expect some reward from your deed
negates the entire concept behind generosity.
A Man’s intent is to puts more into the world than he
takes out. Something as simple as a decent tip for your waiter, buying a
homeless person a meal, pay for a random stranger’s coffee, carry someone’s
groceries to their car, or even volunteer your time to help out a charity.
These actions, as small as they seem, grow past our personal reach. These good
actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others, as generosity
breeds generosity. Help others out, not so they can help you, but so they can
help others.
5. Creō
Creativity
is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
Scott Adams
Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something new and
valuable is created. The ideas and concepts so conceived can then manifest
themselves in any number of ways, but most often, they become something we can
see, hear, smell, touch, or taste. It is the ability to reinterpret what we
already know in a new way, to produce beauty out of the ordinary, and to create
value out of nothing.
Creativity is actually a rather modern concept,
originating from the Latin term “Creo”, to make. It’s modern meaning came
during the Enlightenment and Renaissance. Before that, man did not create, he
simply made what was already there, he simply discovered. Even the ancient Greeks thought that man didn’t
create art but actually imitated what was already there, or had a divine
insight into the world. It was not till the renaissance that creativity was
viewed, not as a conduit for the divine, but from the ability of Great Men.
It is when we understand that the creative process is
based on learning from our mistakes, and we are able to appreciate beauty, does
Creativity take form. Creativity is a trial and error process. We must be
humble enough accept our mistakes, yet strong enough to challenge the way
things are usually done.
As Gentlemen, we need not only
to be strong but have to be extremely disciplined and is expected of us to
protect the weak and defenseless. A Caballero should so be polite, honest,
estimable, generous and illustrious equitable to all. As Luigi Pirandello said,
anyone can be heroic from time to time, but a caballero is something you have
to be all the time.
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