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12 Narnian Virtues

  • MARK PIKE

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  1. Wisdom. The habit of making good judgments; discerning what is true and good and choosing the best course of action.   We need courage to change what we can, the patience to endure what we cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference.

  2. Love. The habit of acting selflessly for the good of another, without seeking recognition or reward; willingness to sacrifice for another; being kind, caring, generous, and loyal. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for another.

  3. Fortitude. The habit of doing what is right in the face of difficulty; the mental and emotional strength to handle hardship, overcome obstacles, and endure suffering; showing confidence, courage,  patience,  perseverance, endurance, or resilience in challenging circumstances. They would need fortitude to endure the difficult journey ahead.

  4. Courage. The habit of overcoming fear when confronting physical danger or facing social pressure to do what’s wrong.   Moral courage — standing up for what’s right when it’s unpopular to do so — is rarer than bravery in battle.

  5. Self-Control. The habit of controlling one’s desires, emotions, and impulses; being able to resist temptation; waiting longer for something better.  In the absence of self-control, our desires control us.

  6. Justice. The habit of treating all persons with respect and fairness; giving people what they are due; not playing favorites.   A good ruler governs with justice toward all.

  7. Forgiveness. The habit of letting go of angry feelings toward another person, even while holding wrongdoers accountable for their actions.   Many people find forgiveness difficult when someone has hurt them deeply. She forgave his crime but felt he should still suffer a just punishment.

  8. Gratitude. The habit of feeling and expressing thanks.  Gratitude leads us to count
    our blessings.

  9. Humility. The habit of being aware of our strengths and weaknesses; admitting and
    correcting flaws and failures; being free from pride and arrogance. Without humility, we remain blind to our faults.

  10. Integrity. The habit of sticking to our moral values; following our conscience;
    being honest with ourselves and others.  As a leader with integrity, he listened to the voice of conscience, not the voice of the crowd.

  11. Hard Work. The habit of making a strong or determined effort to get a job done or achieve a goal. Nothing worthwhile was ever accomplished without a lot of hard work.

  12. Curiosity. The habit of being inquisitive; wanting to learn or know something. 
    Curiosity is the mark of an active mind.

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Acknowledgement

pike Mark Pike. "12 Narnian Virtues." excellence & ethics (Spring 2016).

Reprinted with permission. excellence & ethics is an education letter published by the Center for the 4th and 5th Rs. It features articles, research, and K-12 best practices that help school leaders, teachers, students, parents, and community members do their best work (performance character) and do the right thing (moral character).

excellence & ethics is published once a year. To receive subsequent issues by email at no cost, subscribe here. To see back issues, click here.

The Author

pike Mark Pike (M.Pike@education.leeds.ac.uk) is Dean of the School of Education at the University of Leeds, England; author of Mere Education: C.S. Lewis as Teacher for Our Time (also available in Dutch); and director of the Narnian Virtues project. The Center for the 4th and 5th Rs is a partner on the project.

Copyright © 2016 Center for the 4th & 5th Rs