Life is not fair. It is a lesson all of us learn at one time or another. Despite this, we have trouble accepting this plain truth. At a certain point, we have to realize that we are not subject to the whims of the world. We have to take control of our character. In Seven Virtues for Success, the reader engages this practical truth about navigating life. We cannot control those around us, but we can control our own thoughts and actions. While meditating on these seven cardinal virtues--humility, gratitude, diligence, agency, relationship, forgiveness, and kindness--the reader is invited to set their mind towards a foundation of character. Once our character is strong, the difficulties of life become easier to encounter. The road is straightforward, yet difficult, as history has shown us through religious texts and wisdom literature. This book is a distillation of thought on character building in the modern age. Starting with the ancient method of building habit found in Aristotle, it begins the path to thinking about how we build our own virtues and set our mind on the road to success.
George Tsakiridis is a Senior Lecturer of Philosophy and Religion at South Dakota State University. He is also the author of Evagrius Ponticus and Cognitive Science: A Look at Moral Evil and the Thoughts (Pickwick, 2010).
“If you’re looking for wisdom on how to get the most out of life’s difficulties, here it is! Tsakiridis knows firsthand that ‘life is difficult.’ But he also knows how to turn a difficult situation into a powerful tool that can transform adversity into a virtuous soul. Here is a realist who speaks sanely to the modern age through the worldviews of philosophers, religious texts, and wisdom literature. Believers and unbelievers alike will find it to be filled with wisdom and inspiration.”
—Bradley Nassif, Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies, North Park University
“It is unusual to find a scholar in midcareer writing a book of wisdom. That is what we find in George Tsakiridis’s book on seven virtues. It is a compelling personal narrative which at the same time ponders how a life should be lived and distills wisdom that we all can apply to our lives.”
—Philip Hefner, Professor emeritus of Systematic Theology, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
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