Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long, you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or a hellish creature.
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
The Habit Cascade:
In life, it seems that the smallest changes seem to make the biggest difference. When I take the time to get my habits in order, I notice that good things tend to happen. For example, keeping a log of my food and exercise not only helps me stay accountable, but it also makes me feel good. And when I feel better, I sleep better, which in turn gives me more energy for creative work.
I refer to this as "habit cascade." It's about lining up enough small and important habits that seem to spill over into every other part of my life.
This principle also applies to the development of virtue. As Aristotle said, virtue is developed as a result of habit. I would go further and add that virtues are developed out of seemingly ordinary habits that we practice every day. In short, it's the small, consistent actions that shape our character over time.
However, it's not just about cultivating positive habits. It's also about being mindful of the vicious habits that slowly corrupt our character. Sometimes, these vices may seem harmless at first, like being dishonest in small ways, getting angry in traffic, or insisting on having our own way. But over time, these seemingly innocent habits can lead us further away from the virtuous life we aspire to live.
Often the most vicious vices are a result of the small steps we have been taking towards the kind of person we have been becoming all along. It's the cumulative effect of these small habits that shapes our character and ultimately defines who we are.
Therefore, if we truly want to become virtuous individuals, we must not only focus on doing virtuous things, but also practice virtue in the little ordinary ways. It's the small acts of virtue that can cascade into a depth of character and transform us into the person we aspire to be.
Books:
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World (David Epstein): This book was quite a surprise to me. It has quickly become one of my favorite books on thinking and learning.
The Secret Place of Thunder: Trading Our Need to Be Noticed for a Hidden Life with Christ (John Starke): This seems like a strange place to share a book about the discipline of hiddenness. But I loved John’s book on prayer, and my performing heart needed to hear this message. I don’t know about you, but academic life tends to bring out the worst kind of “people pleasing” in me. If you’re interested, I recommend getting a copy and reading it with a good friend like I am.
Links:
Cultivating the Successful Quest for Purpose on Campus: I really enjoyed this article summarizing the work of Glanzer, Hill, and Johnson in their work on understanding the purposes that undergraduate students tend to identify as motivation for their study. The development of purpose and meaning in undergraduate students is something that I am increasingly becoming interested in. There also seems to be a direct connection between purpose and character education that I am excited to explore.
Understanding Purpose Through Interviews: One of the most effective ways to cultivate purpose in students is through the use of interviewing and reflective mind mapping. This article does a great job of introducing and explaining how educators can implement this exercise.
Seven Strategies for Cultivating Virtue in the University: I recently just finished re-reading this article from Lamb, Brant, and Brooks. It contains a wealth of information, ideas, and references. If you are an educator looking to “beef up” your syllabus with an emphasis on the virtues, this is a great resource to begin with.