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Why These 10 Better Habits?

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The short answer to this question is that these 10 better habits are based on thought leadership from ancient Greek philosophy, medieval Christian theology, and modern science. For a longer answer, read on.

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According to Aristotle in The Nicomachean Ethics and Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologica, happiness is the purpose of life, true happiness comes from continually striving to grow in virtue, and false happiness comes from pursuing worldly pleasure, honor, and wealth. Modern science even points to a "virtuous cycle" where virtue leads to happiness and happiness leads to virtue.

 

Aristotle and other Greek philosophers gave us the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. Aquinas, who is recognized as a Saint and Doctor of the Catholic Church, adopted the cardinal virtues and added to them the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Together, the cardinal and theological virtues form the traditional seven virtues that are needed for moral and spiritual flourishing.

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Both Aristotle and Aquinas taught that virtue is the "golden mean" (middle ground) between too much and too little of a good moral quality or character. They also taught that growing in virtue happens with intentional, repeated acts, and Aquinas added that the theological virtues are infused into the soul by God's grace while the cardinal virtues are developed through human effort.

 

Aquinas also taught that the cardinal virtues are divided into sub-virtues that focus human efforts on distinct aspects of the moral behavior, such as justice due to God (religion) or to people (friendliness); prudence in learning from others (teachability); fortitude in enduring physical (perseverance) or mental (resilience) challenges; or temperance in doing petty things (restraint), working (orderliness), leisure (eutrapelia), eating (abstemiousness), and spending money (thrift). There are others, but this multitude of virtues can be confusing and overwhelming. This is where ARMOR relies on modern scientific thought leadership that suggests a holistic approach to wellness using the 8 dimensions of wellness: physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, vocational, financial, and environmental.

 

The 10 better habits align with the virtues and 8 dimensions of wellness noted above as follows:

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