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The world if full of criminals; ones charged with murder, rape, theft, possession or use of narcotics, ect ect. But of those many crimes committed we feat the seven deadly sins in a whole different light. To be a sinner is to be sentenced to eternal damnation, or so we are lead to believe. I, like any good philosopher, cannot accept this written-in-stone rule. Is you ask me, the sins are not something to avoid but rather the guidelines to living a full, rich life. Gluttony, Lust, Envy, Greed, Pride, Wrath, and Sloth.
Gluttony, the act of eating excessive amounts all the time. A grievous misinterpretation indeed. Do not stuff yourself with food and drink, but eat and drink of life. Let you mind and soul be filled with the simple joys of the present, eat of them and drink them in with all that you are. Life is not breathing in and out, it is the moments that steal our breath. To fill your life with such moments is a life well spent. That is Gluttony, and it sounds absolutely blissful.
Lust, the crime of giving ones body to another in the throws of base animal desire. Again, mistaken. Do not give your body over to a man or woman, but to an idea. Devote your flesh, your heart, your mind and soul to a cause of honor, freedom, justice. Give in to it. Succumb to it. Put your life into that ideal and let it whisk you away. Be passionate about what you know to be true and right. Therein lies the truth of Lust.
Envy, to covet the possessions of another. As before it has been horribly misconstrued. It is not to covet the possessions, but to aspire to them. It is a drive to better oneself, using the image of another as an example. Work harder to earn more so that you may become more like the privileged that you admire. You envy them, and so you aspire to top them. It creates competition, gives us motivation and an unerring drive to succeed. It pushes us when we wish to stop, and kicks us a little closer to reaching the goal of triumph.
Greed, to horde giant amounts of anything and everything. But what is the specific face of “anything and everything”. What if it did not mean things like money or materialism, but knowledge? To have a deep passion for learning. To horde the knowledge and wisdom of the world is no crime, it is a noble pursuit that betters ourselves, and makes it possible for us to better help others. To horde information, and covet all that you learn, that is something we all take for granted this day in age. Perhaps it is that laziness that dubbed Greed a sin?
Pride, a good feeling following some measure of accomplishment. If a man were to invent a peace treaty that ended war forever, would it be wrong for him to be proud? If a physician discovered an inexpensive, effective cure for cancer should he not be proud? Of course they should, it is only right. Then there are those who take pride in misdeeds, like a perfectly executed robbery. That is not pride, not at all. That is the taint that masquerades as pride, a taint of corruption and raging materialism. Of course it can be argued that the sin of Pride refers to flaunting one’s achievements constantly. Again this is not pride, this is fear. Fear that their accomplishment will not be noticed, or that it will be forgotten. So they rehash and reiterate their glory to ensure this doesn’t happen. A far cry from Pride.
Wrath-the endless anger and revenge that boils in our blood. I say Wrath is only a sin if misdirected. The angry husband who beats his wife and child, that is partly wrath. The other half is his own shortcomings. He is blinded by imperfection, sees it everywhere, and this sends him into a fury. It is delusion, not Wrath, that brings about acts of violence. If someone is insulted and lashes out, it is because they believe that the insult actually matters, that is has some relevance on their life. It doesn’t. Hence it is once again delusion. Turn your wrath and vengeance against the wicked and unjust. Bring your blazing righteousness down upon them and watch as they crumble beneath its fiery gaze. This is Wrath, it is justice, it is conviction, it is a virtue.
The virtue of Sloth is two fold, as it is one of the most important. On the one hand it is a lifestyle where one knows the importance of not over working themselves. They see the simple joy of being able to sit back and do nothing for a while. It clears and relaxes the mind that we may work better when we return to the grindstone. It teaches us to rest when we are tired then set out against our tasks with renewed strength. One the other hand Sloth is a perspective; knowing that it doesn’t matter. In the long run who will care what about the way someone insulted your mother back in 8th grade. Nobody. So don’t let it get to you. Let it slip by and run past you, as it is unimportant and not worth your attention nor retaliation. Sloth is being too lazy to be bothered by the petty day to day problems and dramas that mean absolutely nothing. Those surrounded by the delusions mentioned in Wrath could use a few lessons in Sloth.
So here it is: the guide to a full life. One of greatness, of meaning and purpose, and most importantly one of happiness. Though many people living in fear of this life may call me heretic or condemned, I welcome it. For, after putting these thoughts to paper, I can think of no title more desirable or noble than Sinner.