In the last post we discussed the pursuit of excellence in the context of mission. The mission defines the path that we must follow. But a mission alone is insufficient to make progress down the path. A mission provides vision. It provides an idea of the desired end destination. But what it lacks is an actionable plan and kinetic movement. For that we need begin to develop strategy.
In our quest, the strategy becomes translating the lofty concept of pursuing excellence into an identifiable roadmap with action plans. It translates the "What" and "Why" questions into "When, Where and How." We have already identified the mission as walking the path with excellence. The Arete strategy begins showing us what that looks like.
The question becomes, what does it mean to do things with excellence? Is excellence a relative concept or is there some standard by which we can define excellence? What does excellence mean when applied to tasks, things, personal development? The answer to all of these needs an understanding of excellence.
We have defined excellence in the classical sense as that which is the manifestation of Arete: the highest quality of a thing. A sense of virtue and purpose that reflects the divine origin of all things and divine calling for all of us. To understand excellence, we need to fundamentally understand the properties of being. What is the root essence of something? We cannot know what makes something excellent if we do not first understand what that is supposed to be, what it is, and the difference between the two. Stated differently, something is excellent if something fully embodies that which it was designed and created to be. So, to understand excellence, we need to break a thing down to its most fundamental characteristics and qualities.
Philosophers and theologians refer to these properties as the transcendentals. All things in their ideal state share several basic, fundamental properties. These are the properties of being that are common to all things. They are truth, beauty, and goodness. And these transcendentals will serve as the basis for developing our Arete strategy.
Truth - Reality
Truth is the most basic and fundamental property. It represents the reality or logic of a thing. It is the foundation upon which all things are built. Without truth, ideas would have no meaning, the physical world would fall apart, and life would have no meaning. It is the definition that gives meaning to words. Everything is built on the reality that there is fundamental, ultimate truth.
As a thought experiment, think for a moment about what would happen if the gravitational constant on the earth's surface suddenly were not a fixed number. All engineered objects would immediately fail. Buildings would collapse, airplanes would fall from the sky and people would experience forces that would alternate between moon like levitation to bone crushing bodyweight. Similarly, if there was fundamental truth informing a shared civic structure or morality, society would devolve into anarchy.
Today many people authoritatively declare that truth is dependent on one's context or lived experience. They claim that your perception of a matter is the fundamental basis for the reality of a matter. Or they hang truth claims on a technicality. To do this is to foolishly deny the transcendent reality of truth and the importance truth plays in the world.
It is the foundational bedrock that is a stabilizing force. It is the true measure by which all other things are measured. It is the light that guides us on the path. To seek excellence is to seek truth. Excellence is rooted in truth. Excellence promotes truth.
Beauty - Aesthetic
The second transcendental property that is common to all things is beauty. Beauty is a sense that there is a certain aesthetic that evokes inspiration, awe, or pleasure. Beauty is that property that all things hold that capture our attention and imagination. It turns our attention from the created thing that we behold and to the one who created it. Beauty began in the garden at the end of creation. God surveyed the totality of his work and described it as, “Very good.” Beauty is that property that makes us stop and stare in awe at a rising sun or in wonder at the miracle of a newborn baby.
The property of beauty is most obviously expressed when a thing exists as it was crafted. When it functions in harmony with the other things around it. Some say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And to some extent that is true. But beauty is not necessarily a property that attribute to a thing. Rather, beauty is inherent in that thing and is appreciated by us. Excellence seeks beauty. It seeks to find and express beauty.
Goodness - Morality
The final transcendental property that is common to all things is goodness. Goodness speaks of the usefulness or value of a thing. But more than that, it speaks to the manner in which that thing is used. It is a state of being and it is also a quality of action. It seeks not only its own well-being but also the well-being of others. It is the opposite of evil.
For something to be good it needs to be right or virtuous. When God said of his creation it was, “Very good,” he was affirming not only the perfection of the creation but the perfect functioning of all things in creation. All of creation in that moment lived in harmony and fulfilled its purpose.
Goodness is inherently moral. It is synonymous with morality and virtue. Goodness asks is that thing being used or done as designed by its creator and for the purposes intended by its creator? Is it being used in a way that upholds the truth and beauty of that thing? Excellence is rooted in goodness. Excellence seeks to do the right thing, the right way.
Applying the Transcendentals
So, as we apply this to our lives and our quest for excellence, we now have a series of questions to ask ourselves in every situation. Is what I am pursuing rooted in truth? Does it put beauty on display? And does it promote goodness?
As I live each day with my wife, I can apply the transcendentals. Our marriage is rooted in the truth that God has purposefully and intentionally brought us together to live in covenantal relationship to be a physical manifestation of the loving, covenantal relationship he has with us and to be the place where the next generation is raised and trained. In this unique relationship, the beauty of love, self-sacrifice, and pursuit are manifested. In this relationship, the goodness of God is made manifest, this arrangement brings stability to our home and provides support to each of us as we pursue the path of parenting and engaging in the world. So, as I assess my daily interactions with my wife, does this choice, action, word, or whatever build into that picture and mission for marriage or does it stand in opposition?
The same thought process can be applied to parenting, to work, to leisure, to everything. It starts with understanding our mission: the pursuit of excellence. Then applying the transcendentals of truth, beauty, and goodness to understanding what excellence looks like in that particular scenario. That’s the excellence strategy.
Comments