Everybody Knows the Six Virtues

One way to define what it means to be educated is to think about people we like to be with. We want companions who are understanding, imaginative, strong, courageous, humble and generous; and we avoid people who are ignorant, unimaginative, weak, fearful, proud and selfish.

So, why don’t educators teach the six virtues of the educated person? We are literally caught in a “vicious cycle.”

TSVOTEP argues that the best public school educators model and teach three virtues — understanding, strong character and generosity. That is the good news. The bad news is they also teach three vices — intellectual incompetence, fear, and pride. Therefore, even our best graduates demonstrate understanding that is unimaginative, strong character that is fearful, and generosity that emerges from pride.

That is why the six-virtue definition of the educated person is so important. Only when all six are modeled and taught can the cycle be broken.

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