Congratulations, we have reached the last Episode in this Series about Applied Moral Wisdom. If you are a committed Existentialist, you already understand that human beings possess deep, intrinsic desires that transcend earthly life. Existential Hunger manifest such desires in the perennial drive for positive relationships throughout life. Hence, human beings seek transcendence beyond themselves.  Transcendence infers a “rising above” oneself in thought and action. As a vision of meaning, it dispels the meaninglessness of existence experienced by the committed atheist who actively denies the existence of any conflict with the desire to experience a transcendent life because such a desire is, itself, not logical but is unreasonable and meaningless, if it exists at all.

The application of Moral Wisdom raises a person above oneself.. Through the application of Moral Wisdom, a person recognizes the “Unalienable” nature of human worth, a nature that by existing transcends the malleable dictates and pronouncements of all civil authorities at whatever level of authority. The denial of the unalienable nature of Moral Wisdom is a Formula for Failure and the ascendency of tyranny.  Arrogance, Cowardice, Death-Centeredness, Deceitfulness, Faithlessness, Ignorance, Intolerance, Malevolence, Hatefulness, Ruthlessness, Selfishness, and Shallowness all characterize the absence of Moral Wisdom in daily life. The degree of absence influences the direction of decision-making and inhibits the formation of positive relationships inside and outside the workplace. As toxic as such a state of existence may be, an environment transformed by the adoption of the Cardinal Virtues becomes a place of Great Expectations. In this way, Moral Wisdom becomes so crucial to human life.

Trickery, coercion, deception, lying, injury, humiliation, mockery, isolation, theft, false witness, and even murder are the strategies commonly employed by people who are indifferent to the fruits of Moral Wisdom. These people are not guided by a well-developed conscience. Nor do people like this offer anything but painful relationships because people like this complicate life in dark ways that infringe human freedom.  Moral Wisdom is not a slogan. It is the path that simplifies life and preserves personal freedom. It enables people more potently to discern sincerity in others and form enriching relationships. A life lacking in Moral Wisdom is a life subject to the manipulations of people who prey on the best intentions of friends and colleagues. Most importantly, Moral Wisdom enables people to make informed decisions about right versus wrong actions and the conduct of their lives.

“Everybody Hurts Sometime,” so the REM song reminds us. Life is like this: One day great; the next day not so great. This is when gentleness becomes less desirable and simplicity more desirable. Sadly, life does not come with a menu. We need to achieve simplicity ourselves by applying Moral Wisdom. We are approaching the end of our series. We are nearly there. This is a good time to reflect on how far we have journeyed together. When we began this Series, Ukraine and Russia were not killing one another. Life seemed simpler back then, just a short time ago. What changed? Obviously, a person made a decision to abandon Moral Wisdom, invade a country and change history through force even at the expense of innocent human lives. Chaos is not simplicity and murder is not Gentleness. You see, people indifferent to Moral Wisdom are dangerous.

Justice, Fidelity, Self-Care, Prudence, the four Cardinal Virtues. These are the hinges that open the door to a life well lived. How best to nurture them, apply them, and value them is a question best answered by those who have made the decision to love one another. So, what do you think?  If you truly understand what Moral Wisdom is all about, you will recognize that it is all about forming, nurturing, maintaining, and enjoying rewarding relationship that are inspired by a deep “Love of the Sacred” that we recognize in other another.

Moral Wisdom can become complicated. As we move deeper into adulthood, we can begin to refine our Moral Wisdom to discern the corrective guilt that enables us to adopt morally wise behaviors from self-punishing guilt that emerges from life’s childhood interjections.  Applied Moral Wisdom is not about finding faith in things bigger than ourselves, like the deep mysteries of life’s meaning. It is about finding ways to simplify one’s life by forming and enjoying rewarding relationships with family, friends, and colleagues.

If you write one page a day every day of the year for one full year, you will have produced one large book or two books of more than 180 pages each. A little effort goes a long way. Desire, consistency, dedication, intellect and will fortified by the Cardinal Virtues produces a great life that is strengthened by simplicity, the gift of Applied Moral Wisdom and right action. One can never regain the time lost by wrong action. Rather wrong action forces a person to life a life of “catch-up”. 

Gentleness requires constant attention. Wherever love abounds, gentleness flows. That which connects us to the loveliness of life is treated with gentleness in that it leads us to the gift of friends and family, the Scared, the home of our spiritual life. In Living the Gentle Life, therefore, we live the spiritual life. For the deeply spiritual person, gentleness is the guiding attitude. Deeply spiritual people see all creatures as suffused by a Cosmologically Divine Love. For the deeply spiritual person, therefore, every person evokes a gentleness formed in love. Authentic Gentleness cannot be experienced any other way except through Love. 

The love of noise and excitement in modern civilization is due in part to the fact that people are unhappy on the inside. Noise exteriorized them, distracts them, and makes them forget their worries for the moment. There is an unmistakable connection between an empty life and a hectic pace. ─ Fulton Sheen

We live in a “Hurry-Up” world that struggles to move forward because influential people hold it back by feeding on the emotions of “hindsight.” Rather than nourishing themselves with the promise of the future, these people dull the hope of tomorrow by rewriting history with a poisonous ink.

Abstractionism, Agnosticism, Aristotelianism, Atheism, Capitalism, Dadaism, Existentialism,, Humanism, Manichaeism, Marxism, Militarism, Realism, Socialism, and on and on; they all have passed us on the way to the future and we found lacking. Forever Forward my friends.

When I speak about the Spirituality of Executives, I am speaking about the intrinsic qualities that illuminate Moral Wisdom. These qualities include the Cardinal Virtues and the derivative values such as respect, gratitude, fairness, integrity, decency, honesty, kindness, generosity, love, and gentleness.  The more people can order their lives to express these spiritual attributes, the more people can live a more fulfilling and rewarding life.