The Continuum of Character Traits
The Virtuous Leadership Pyramid™ by Alexandre Havard (http://virtuousleadership.org)
(originally published in the Handbook of Human Formation, by Cameron Thompson)
A virtue (as mentioned previously) is a habit of character that is acquired by degrees and over time. Just like acquiring any skill, the process of acquiring virtue means a person’s character may fall anywhere along a continuous spectrum of character traits in regard to a particular virtue. This continuum of virtue acquisition shows the spectrum of degrees to which a particular virtue is possessed, from not having the virtue at all (completely vicious) to complete mastery of the virtue (completely virtuous).
These Character Traits are defined as follows:
Vicious Character: “Unconsciously Unskilled” in regard to a particular virtue; this person neither recognizes nor does the right thing in the right way at the right time, but rather takes pleasure in actions that are harmful.
Incontinent Character: “Consciously Unskilled” in regard to a particular virtue; this person desires to do the right thing, but fails to do so either out of weakness or out of ignorance.
Continent Character: “Consciously Skilled” in regard to a particular virtue; this person both knows and does the right thing, but only through sheer effort and force of will. He or she finds the idea of virtue attractive, but takes no pleasure in the right action in and of itself.
Virtuous Character: “Unconsciously Skilled” in regard to a particular virtue; this person knows and does the right thing as though it were second nature, without much conscious effort or exertion. He or she takes pleasure in the right action in and of itself.
The Primary (Cardinal) Virtues
The moral virtues are generally categorized according to two levels: the Four Primary (or “Cardinal”) Virtues, which can be understood as sort of “muscle groups”, and the various Subsidiary Virtues, which are like the specific “muscles” within each of those four primary “muscle groups”.
These Four Primary Virtues are Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, and Self-Mastery. Each of the Primary Virtues will be described in the next few posts, along with their respective Subsidiary Virtues.
