The Virtues We Choose

I’ve been thinking about the difference between the résumé virtues and the eulogy virtues. Whether we realize it, they are the virtues we choose. Here’s what David Brooks, author of The Road to Character says about virtues:

Résumé virtues are the ones you list on your résumé, the skills that you bring to the job market and that contribute to external success. Eulogy virtues are deeper. They’re the virtues that get talked about at your funeral, the ones that exist at the core of your being — whether you are kind, brave, honest or faithful; what kind of relationships you formed.

I know little of David Brooks, other than he writes for the New York Times and was a Jew who converted to Christianity. With that said, I fear someone will comment, “You call yourself a Christian but you quote a man who … (fill in the blank).” But the thought of choosing virtues intrigued me.

Virtue vs Character, Is There a Difference?

Definitionally, virtue refers to a specific, praiseworthy moral trait or quality, whereas character encompasses the totality of a person’a moral and ethical dispositions, including virtues and vices. Essentially, virtues are the building blocks of character. 

Virtues are not merely human aspirations but are divinely inspired and empowered, leading to a closer relationship with God. A few of these are listed as Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

God’s thoughts on Character threads through the Book of Proverbs:

The integrity of the upright guides them … (Proverbs 11:3a)

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely … (Proverbs 10:9)

Where Do You Stand?

Different places in Life cause us to lean in particular directions. Because I am in the winter of my life, I find myself taking inventory of the types of relationships I have fostered over the years and if my relationship with Christ has  (or has not) influenced them.

We all make a mark on this world. It’s what we choose that determines what type of mark we leave.

Whether we realize it, we make a choice over which virtue we live. Resume or Eulogy? Share on X

NOTE:
I cannot recommend reading The Road to Character because I haven’t read it. But when I came across that line–that explanation between virtues–I stopped me in my tracks and  pondered over how I think others see me.

Looking for a Do-Over?