It is not necessary to be Catholic, or religious at all, to consider this framework for human ethics. I often accidentally find myself thinking about this classification of vice. It happened this morning when I felt proud of something I had done and began pondering pride as a sin. I grew up with a mother constantly admonishing me to "show a little pride" in the things I did, and clergy admonishing me to cultivate humility, that "pride goeth before destruction." An ironic twist is that I have known a few people quite proud of their humility. Anyway, another occasion this morning to revisit what pride is and is not, which once again opened the doorway to thinking about all of the supposed vices.
Without looking it up, can you list the seven deadly sins? Give it a try and see. I almost always miss the one or two that I am currently struggling with, as if my mind hides them from me.
So here is the list: pride, wrath, sloth, envy, greed, gluttony, lust. I actually listed from the one I have struggled with most to the one I have struggled with least. Let me clarify that to me lust is not wanting a lot of sex, but more the strong desire for anything of a material nature from money to power. Similarly, I don't see sloth as not cleaning one's living quarters, but laziness of mind and unwillingness to act when seeing the need for action.
I was wondering if others had pondered these and what they meant to you if you have. Is there one vice in particular with which you struggle?
Without looking it up, can you list the seven deadly sins? Give it a try and see. I almost always miss the one or two that I am currently struggling with, as if my mind hides them from me.
So here is the list: pride, wrath, sloth, envy, greed, gluttony, lust. I actually listed from the one I have struggled with most to the one I have struggled with least. Let me clarify that to me lust is not wanting a lot of sex, but more the strong desire for anything of a material nature from money to power. Similarly, I don't see sloth as not cleaning one's living quarters, but laziness of mind and unwillingness to act when seeing the need for action.
I was wondering if others had pondered these and what they meant to you if you have. Is there one vice in particular with which you struggle?
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