Listen to the speaker’s “good talks”, but do not follow the speaker’s “bad walks”

Matthew 23:1-12. The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses

Sometimes, we humans do not walk our talk. We have heard countless horror stories coming from moral authorities and ethicists preaching what is supposed to be right, but their actions are not right. Sometimes it is unintentional given our flaws; but what is wretched is when politicians rely on appearances and perceptions without good actions that justify what they talked about. This is the very meaning of bullshit — without regards to truth, only to one’s appearance.

(This is why I’ve grown to think that the intentional BS-er is the true enemy of the authentic, rather than the liar. At least, the liar cares for the truth, but intends to veer the listener away from it. The BS-er does not care at all, and it makes the BS-er more dangerous.)

As someone who is in the teaching profession, my fear is that I could be inconsistent or inauthentic. The pressure is real when I discuss ethics and claim a more mature or to be a moral authority as a teacher — what if I’m just an impostor?

This is why it is important for listeners to be critical. If I say something wise but do otherwise, does that negate the wisdom of what I said? Not at all. Thus, it is important for the listener to discern, to critique; and for the one speaking, to be open to criticism and dialogue.

As I write these reflections, I may be “talking my talk”. At the same time, I know how difficult it is to “walk my talk”. Posting these reflections publicly in my Facebook wall and in my blog is a pressure. But at the same time, I think, feel, and believe that there is power in honing my craft while contemplating on my spirituality.

I recently listened to the recent reflections of Jordan B. Peterson and his drifting away from atheism. It seems that he is beginning to embrace a more theistic view of the world through Christianity. And he mentioned the importance of authenticity, i.e., consistency and integrality, in words and actions. I admire how he tries to be as precise as he can when he articulates his beliefs; he tries to fully mean what he says and he acknowledges the limitations of his claims and beliefs.

The scribes and the Pharisees may be hypocrites, but they are still capable of speaking and writing about what is good. Business persons, PR specialists, and politicians may be masters at greenwash, but there is still some good to be derived from the pristine image they try to project.

The challenge is for the audience to adopt a more active role — paying proactive attention, rather than waiting to be passively stimulated by spectacle. Listen to the speaker’s “good talks”, but do not follow the speaker’s “bad walks”.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 74: MARCH 15, 2022]

In pursuit of personal change

Luke 9:28b-36. The transfiguration of Jesus

The transfiguration is a mystical event, a form of literal metamorphosis; a radical change or conversion. Should we aspire for our own version of transfiguration?

I do not think it is necessary. I remember one of my dad’s favorite quotes he uses in his speeches: “The only permanent thing in this world is change. Change can be so constant that you could not feel the difference.”

A virtuous cycle of reflection and action towards flourishing can feel like there’s no difference. I feel that there is elegance in this subtlety, because this kind of change does not beg for a spectacle to happen. The accumulation of insights, wisdom, and virtues can be like an hourglass gently dropping the sands of time.

Isn’t this more authentic? To some, discipline and consistency are boring, compared to buzzwords of disruption and innovation.

But there are times when boring consistency (ala Tim Duncan) is more authentic and resilient than a spectacle of temporary disruption. Personal change need not be radical; it could be as slow as the steady tortoise who is sure of his integral development and flourishing.

Inch by inch, bit by bit, we can become better today than yesterday.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 72: MARCH 13, 2022]

Righteousness is not self-righteousness

Matthew 5:20-26. Righteousness that surpasses Pharisees and scribes

The Pharisees have become experts of self-righteousness, complying with the letter of the commandments for the sake of spectacle. The challenge is to go beyond or even avoid spectacle for appearance’s sake, for what matters is what a person or organization does outside the public eye.

The paradox is that being right is not about boosting one’s ego. Authentic righteousness is not self-righteousness. Being right is about humbling our ego so as to not feel entitlement towards a reward. Anonymous charity, I think, is a pure form of authentic love and righteousness, because it is a kind of charity that does not seek recognition as the hypocrites do when they fast.

The challenge is that in business and politics, this goes against the norm of public relations and political campaigning. But I’d like to believe that people can possess a discerning eye — detecting bullshit from the authentic through dialogic reflection.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 70: MARCH 11, 2022]

If we know that we cannot fully know, should we stop from attempting to know?

Luke 11:29-32.

“There is something greater than Solomon here.”

This verse resonated with me as an educator and researcher. Solomon represents the one who is blessed with the highest form of human wisdom. Jesus claims that there is something or someone greater than Solomon; wiser than the wisest.

Even the wisest man is not immune to sin, and there is Someone who is wiser even than the wisest of men. Our understanding will always be imperfect and limited. It’s easy to ask: what’s the point?

What’s the point of taking courses?

What’s the point of writing research?

What’s the point of quenching our curiosity when this thirst can never be fully satisfied?

I find solace in the difference between “perfectionism” and “excellencism”. The former talks about being flawless, but the latter acknowledges weakness but still being a better version of ourselves despite our weaknesses.

Maybe we can learn from Olympians on what virtues and flourishing means. World records can be broken and it also involves a lot of luck. But isn’t that more motivating? Those who come before us can build foundations; on their shoulders, we can stand. Humanity’s progress is built on the insights of those who came before.

There’s something romantic in creating a virtuous cycle, an infinite flourishing. “Human perfection” (if it exists) is boring; human excellence and virtue is more captivating.

If we know that we cannot fully know, should we stop from attempting to know? My answer is a resounding no!

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 68: MARCH 9, 2022]

20-mile march, consistency, and virtue

Matthew 25:31-46. Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me

Jim Collins, in Great by Choice (as a follow up to Built to Last and Good to Great) contended that great organizations are those that consistently perform a 20-mile march, whether the conditions of the field are favorable or not.

The call to virtue means a call for consistency regardless the situation and suffering; whether friend or foe. Suffering and temptations are tests. We pray in the Lord’s Prayer that we may be brought away from tests, but such is the condition of our lives. We don’t and shouldn’t seek temptations, but they will come.

Resilience is a popular buzzword during the pandemic, but what does it really mean? Taleb also talked about antifragility, or entities that thrive in conditions of extreme volatility. How can we be resilient and antifragile?

I find insights in this gospel: a sober awareness of our controllables and adapting our activities without losing our authenticity. We are meant to be good but we have different ways of being good. We are all meant to help the least of our fellow, but we have different ways of helping.

A useful maxim is: Hope for the best, expect the worst. Prepare for both graces and curses. The prayer for serenity, courage, and wisdom and insight guides us towards being the best version of ourselves.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 66: MARCH 7, 2022]