Be a Better Man

Be a better man
(a learning process)
Written by Douglas Scofield, updated 9/11/2021

Every man has at least a few habits which could be modified or deleted. The good sense for making changes has to do with pursuing ways for healthy interactions with others, quite often. In recent years, I adjusted many of my habits. It seems I am not done, but here is some of what I already changed.

Many of these things also apply to women. Their pursuit to be better women is at least parallel to what I write here.

Wise?
What helps me recognize wisdom? Wisdom comes with age, but it isn't automatic. Sometimes, wisdom comes quietly, without much ado.

When I ask questions, I hope for answers. So, here's a bunch of questions, and it seems they help us find wisdom.

What leads toward stability? It seems the wise have a good stable footing.
What brings a swinging pendulum closer to the middle region of the potential swing? It seems the wise are moderate.
What describes the things which almost everyone agrees is reasonable and logical? People seem to listen to the wise, as if they have good things to say.
What falls within the category of common sense and progress toward long-term goals by which so many men and women can remain mostly content and satisfied? I like the way the wise think about others over the long-haul, and they are not so short-sighted.

Who or what defines reality? In search of an answer, the wise dig deep until the most likely case of reality is discovered and confirmed. Having identified fallacy or deception, wisdom refuses to use lies or fabrications to support core principles by which its lifestyle is built, even if loved ones will be left behind in this journey to live by what is real.

Courage
Courage is a companion of wisdom.
Even though the actual labor of doing what is wise might be arduous, and it might make me physically sore, or it might inflict some mental pain in my soul … if I still perceive the potential goodness of it (even if only some small emotional profit), then I may move forward to do it. There's a chance my confidence and courage could lead to a stronger me.
Practice makes perfect. Rinse and repeat. My hard work and accompanying soreness are like storms. The storms make trees stronger, and my life's storms make me stronger.
Moving forward despite risk of pain takes courage. Wisdom seeks to weigh the risk, and on the green light (with help from the Spirit of God), courage walks right into the fire … fire being a metaphor for risk.