26 Oct 2026

The Beginning Of Wisdom

In recent years, violent acts have been - and are - committed by astonishingly young people. The recent killings of tots and their teacher by a teenager in Bend, Oregon is a horrid example.

What prompts these youngsters to murder? What lapse of Reason sickens the moral sensibilities of these young killers?

Our power to Reason includes our sense of right and wrong. Reason serves as humanity’s healthy conscience. Reason’s voice (often a whisper) is innate, a gift given to alert us to the ethical path in life. Reason even speaks to children, who are aware of Goodness and who feel badly about their wrongdoing.

It is most important to realize that Reason alone - unaided by Revelation or by the Catholic Intellectual Tradition (which are the bases of Christian ethos) - alerts us to life’s ethical limits. Reason makes it clear that it is our responsibility to develop our consciences, deepen our moral awareness and make appropriate sacrifices so we may live according to Virtue’s dictates.

Reason urges us to shun violence and honor the dignity of each human being. This principle is certainly clear enough … but it is lost on murderous youngsters … and on many adults, as well.

The Struggle

We think of ourselves as “straight shooters,” but we are also heirs to myriad weaknesses which plague our race. Many people do not admit weakness, but they thereby disregard Truth. Without a moral compass to guide them, they’re bound to ignore the principle of “Love Thy Neighbor” and what that really entails.

So, we are born in dignity … but we’re also born with weaknesses and temptations which undermine our finest instincts and obliterate the life of Virtue to which we are called. As a result, people estranged from ethical reasoning and moral restraint are caught in the destructive net of their own choices. For example:

• Drug abuse, racial discrimination, ethnic intolerance, commercial vice and disregard for Virtue fill our culture.


• We even have extreme violence and fuzzed nudity as living room “entertainment.”


• Many citizens and elected officials ignore our moral and ethical obligations to speak truly and act with decency.


• Ideological distortion and a false sense of honor eclipse the right to life for persons at any age, for those who are ill and, incredibly, for those who are simply bored with living.


• Language is used as a weapon for character assassination rather than as a tool for clarity.


• Some religions even preach hatred … in the name of God.

Working Principles: What We Can Do

So, given the malaise of Modernity - with its avoidance of ethical restraints and moral limits - what are we to do?

What are some ethical principles which Reason announces even to the young? Here are a few:

1. We are not alone on this earth. Other people have the same responsibilities and rights we claim for ourselves.


2. We are not given life so that we may do psychological or physical harm to one another. Civility is essential first step.


3. If we ignore these fundamental principles and shun Virtue, social and personal chaos gains ascendence, as History attests.


4. When problems arise and we can remedy them, we must do what good we can … and be quiet about our efforts.


5. Responsibilities come before rights. We can claim our rights only after we first honor our moral responsibilities.


6. Our character is revealed as we face moral issues, maintain responsibility and stay accountable for our words and deeds.


7. We must control our selfish urges and angry instincts, keep guard over our motives and avoid envy, hostility and pettiness.


8. Communication is basic to life, so we must listen carefully to people’s concerns before we presume to have answers.


9. We must never treat anyone with discourtesy, haughtiness, disdain or rudeness. Courtesy, civility and decency are essential, since these Virtues honor human dignity.


10. Ethical character is healthy because it unleashes Virtue. Patience, Prudence, Kindness. Generosity, Fidelity, Hope, True Love, Truth-telling, Justice and Temperance are beneficial to each of us, and are essential to building a virtuous, stable society.

Ethical obedience to the moral order is obvious, even to a child. Our observance of ethical principles leads to cultural stability. Ethics is character distilled.