The Axiom Of Realistic Expectations
Individuals Demonstrate Valid Behavior
By Having Realistic Expectations
For Themselves, Their Lives, And Others
Since everyone is talking about the economy and the bailout, as well as the upcoming presidential election, we thought we would join the discussion with a perspective that is perhaps a bit different:
People following Magna Sententia work so that they are individuals of character, something that is not always easily achieved and usually requires more than a few bumps and bruises along the way. According to Magna Sententia, character is the internal desire to act ethically, and it has three outward manifestations: cordiality, appreciativeness, and conscientiousness.
Cordiality is simply having manners so that family life and social interactions are more pleasant and meaningful. Appreciativeness involves acknowledging when others go out of their way to make your day (or life) better and clearly expressing your gratitude. Conscientiousness is the most challenging: it is being trustworthy, even when no one else is looking; it is treating property respectfully, even when it is not yours; and it is being an honest, hardworking employee, even when there are temptations to do otherwise. In essence, it is being a decent human being.
Clearly, the bailout is only a band aid to stop our nation’s bleeding, and contrary to all of the differing versions of the blame game, deregulation, predatory lenders, and corrupt executives are not at the root of our bleeding. It goes much deeper than that.
The true cause of America’s bleeding is our complete lack of character as a nation.
Yes, there are still some among us who have character, but in the aggregate, we are a nation that cares about the superficial more than substance. We care about what people think of us more than what we think of ourselves. We care about our children being the quarterback of the football team and getting into the “right” college more than the quality of our children themselves. We care about satisfying today’s desires more than living within our means and saving for our family’s future. We care about our girlfriends more than our husbands, about our reputations at work and within our communities more than our wives and children. We care about playing dirty politics more than the truth behind the issues.
We have no one to blame for our country’s current state but ourselves . . . and if we don’t change, our country will only get worse.
We all have the power to rise up and change America. We don’t need Sen. John McCain or Sen. Barack Obama to get this job done. In fact, we would be remiss in fulfilling our own responsibilities if we relied on either one of these men to do for us what we can only do for ourselves.
We must start by making our homes and families our priority, our most significant responsibility. Not the size of our house, the car we drive, or the vacations we take, but our homes. Homes don’t have to be fancy; rather, they need to be filled with love and direction and a place where children develop character and adults work to maintain their own.
Then, we have to live our lives with character, demanding that company executives, teachers, police officers, politicians, and all other authority figures are held to the highest standards of behavior. Most importantly, when we exercise our right to vote, we must never support measures or candidates just because they will “make life easier for us.” We have to vote for what is right, for the good of the country, even if that means we will have to sacrifice.
Character is the only solution to our nation’s problems, and with it, there is hope.
Anna and Ellie Sherise
Creators of Magna Sententia
Authors of Magna Sententia: The Logical Cure for Our Society
