The Head Vocab Flashcards

alienation

the sense of anxiety, isolation, or separation that comes from not feeling at home in one’s world

balance

maintaining a healthy equilibrium by choosing wisely when confronted with conflicting or overlapping responsibilities

belonging

feeling included, even “at home,” because of care received and reciprocated

character

the distinctive personal qualities and habits that direct a person’s decisions and future actions

community

a group of people pursuing a common mission in sustainable ways for the good of all of its members

coordination

the effective inspiration and management of a community’s efforts toward achieving a shared goal

curiosity

a strong desire to know or learn something new

ethics

the study and practice of the repeated behaviors and habits that lead to strong senses of spirit, belonging, and thriving

ethos (pl. ethoi)

the defining spirit of a community as manifested in its beliefs, habits, and aspirations

engagement

full involvement with others in a shared community

eudaimonia

the deep, profound happiness and satisfaction that comes from virtuously moving toward one’s telos throughout life (see telos defined below)

external goods

superficial, transitory rewards that exist in the world of things rather than in the complex emotional and ethical realm of the self

growth mindset

focus on the effort and improvement necessary to overcome challenges rather than on one’s ability or performance at a point in time

internal goods

intangible and enduring rewards derived from the gradual mastery of complex skills and productive, healthy practices

leadership

engaging, serving, and coordinating one’s communities in ethical and sustainable ways so that those communities move toward their goals; the cultivated habit of understanding the world as your world, for which you have the responsibility of proactive care (see responsibility defined below)

narrative goods

the intrinsic rewards of belonging and direction that come when one tells the honest story about where he comes from, where he is, and where he is going

negative capability

the ability to hold conflicting ideas, feelings, and motivations in oneself without forcing a premature judgment or decision among them

responsibility

the understanding that we must own our actions, that we are liable for their consequences, and that we owe reciprocal care to our communities

self definition 1

a self is its web of social roles, through which it cares for and is cared for by its world.

self definition 2

a self is its character, its capacity to be effective, its virtues minus its vices.

service

tending to the needs of people and our world in a way that promotes, preserves, and enhances their thriving

sustainability

creation and preservation of the conditions that allow something to continue existing

synthesizing

creating connections between separate entities in a way that imparts something new and unified

telos

what a being could become if it grew into its fullest self; the as-yet-unrealized-trajectory of one’s being

thriving

growing, developing, flourishing; actualizing one’s highest potential

vice

a destructive, unsustainable habit, behavior, or quality that inhibits caring and thriving and that therefore harms its host and his community

virtue

an excellent habit or quality, developed over time, that helps a person to care, to serve, to thrive, and to gain the internal goods that make life purposeful and satisfying