It turns out that modern psychology, neuroscience research, “habit hacks,” and popular self-help literature can all be summed up in one very classical idea: the virtues.

So asserts Dr. Andrew Abela, founding dean of the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America. This week on HeightsCast, he helps us unpack his new book, Superhabits, in which he rebrands the virtues as “superhabits” to suit the contemporary discourse. Then, with the help of Thomas Aquinas and about a dozen gripping stories, Dr. Abela shows us how these superhabits of virtue are described, developed, and supported by modern research as the way to live a good life.

Chapters:

• 2:20 Virtues: the essential human operating system
• 5:19 Humans pre-wired for virtue
• 9:14 Psychology research, self-help books all point back to virtues
• 17:57 “Anatomy of Virtue” diagram
• 25:57 The role emotions play
• 29:12 Virtue gets easier!
• 33:21 Translating virtue into “superhabits”
• 37:19 Redirecting anger with gentlefirmness
• 43:22 Finding restful leisure with eutrapelia
• 48:41 Where to begin

Links:

• Superhabits: The Universal System for a Successful Life by Andrew Abela
• Dr. Abela’s Substack featuring blog posts and articles
• “The Anatomy of Virtue” by Andrew Abela, including his diagram of Aquinas’s categories of virtue
• Treatise on the Virtues by Thomas Aquinas

Further reading:

• The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Tiny Habits by B. J. Fogg
• The Virtues by John Garvey
• Learning the Virtues that Lead You to God by Romano Guardini
• The Heart of Virtue: Lessons from Life and Literature Illustrating the Beauty and Value of Moral Character by Donald DeMarco

Featured Opportunities:

• Fathers Conference at The Heights School (November 2, 2024)
• The Art of Teaching Conference at The Heights School (November 13-15, 2024)

Also on the Forum:

• Free Hearts and Magnanimity featuring Alexandre Havard
• From Anxiety to Adventure: On Reframing Challenges featuring Kevin Majeres
• Emotions Fully Alive: Forming Boys’ Affectivity Pt. I featuring Joe Cardenas
• Emotions Fully Alive: Forming Boys’ Affectivity Pt. II featuring Joe Cardenas