When you hear the term “standard of living” what do you think of? The phrase is most commonly used to describe a level of material comfort as measured by the goods, services and luxuries available to an individual. It is a scale upon which what you have can be weighed against the possessions and access of another.
I would like to suggest a new meaning to you today, for what you have has very little to do with the value of your life. What you reveal and how you carry yourself in public and in private is far more important. The world is in great need of men, women and children who set a new standard of living, one that transcends that pettiness and short-sightedness so common today.
William George Jordan suggests another approach in this excerpt from his book, “The Majesty of Calmness”:
“When man has developed the spirit of Calmness until it becomes so absolutely part of him that his very presence radiates it, he has made great progress in lite. Calmness cannot be acquired of itself and by itself; it must come as the culmination of a series of virtues. What the world needs and what individuals need is a higher standard of living, a great realizing sense of the privilege and dignity of life, a higher and nobler conception of individuality.
With this great sense of calmness permeating an individual, man becomes able to retire more into himself, away from the noise, the confusion and strife of the world, which come to his ears only as faint, far-off rumblings, or as the tumult of the life of a city heard only as a buzzing hum by the man in a balloon.
The man who is calm does not selfishly isolate himself from the world, for he is intensely interested in all that concerns the welfare of humanity. His calmness is but a Holy of Holies into which he can retire from the world to get strength to live in the world. He realizes that the full glory of individuality, the crowning of his self-control is,–the majesty of calmness.”
You cannot be subject to the herd mentality and exercise your individuality at the same time. Just because the overwhelming majority of your fellows settle for a lower standard of living, doesn’t mean you need to. In fact, many of them only do so for lack of a good example in their lives. You can be that example. You should be that example.
The majesty of calmness is a privilege among privileges, but you must work diligently to earn it. It comes quickly if you let it, that is, if you are willing to be firm in your relinquishment of the substandard habits that bind you to the common human condition.
It is not too late for you. It is not too late for humanity. That said, there are natural limits imposed on the destructiveness of man. Let’s not push it to the limit! Rise up. Set a new standard for yourself. Don’t expect overmuch from others, take care of your expression and those who will be inspired will be, while those who prefer to hew to a lower standard will have their reward. You needn’t be judge, jury or executioner!
Your calmness will separate you from the chaos in the world around you, but remember: that which divides also connect. You will be in the midst of it, but not mesmerized by it. You will find yourself free to act without reaction. Your every thought, word and deed will set the standard, rather than lower it.
What do you have to lose but the old, inefficient, impotent, frustrated, sometimes up, sometimes down, you?
Gregory Hake 
here’s the link to that post: http://gregghake.com/2011/03/virtue/
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This is a great series. “Calmness cannot be acquired of itself and by itself; it must come as the culmination of a series of virtues.” This statement caused me to do a search for another post you wrote on Ben Franklins virtues, which I just printed out. I can see how a regular review of these can help the process.
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Excellent evolvement of this subject. His points are well taken.
Congrats on the 500.
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It seems the state of calmness is available all the time, to everyone, but it requires us to stop our habit of agitation; caused most likely by our deeply ingrained habit of rushing to judgement.
Being free to act without reacting is a supreme standard of living. It would set a high bar for a new world. Just imagine what our political sector could accomplish if this were the standard they held to.
I love the practicality of his thinking. You can’t dismiss what he is suggesting by labeling him an idealist; as he makes it clear we need only do it for ourselves.
This series is invigorating. Great find!
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What all this invokes in me in thinking about it, is as follows. Woven together into a core sense of identity are attributes that reside within each individual – like seeds, they lay in potential awaiting their bloom. Freedom, true inner freedom, nobility, dignity are all there, for anyone at any time – not defined by biological lineage as has been typical throughout history. That being, a variety of ‘creature’ impulses and comforts stand in the way of irrigating these seeds. A measure of discipline needs to be emphasized along with proper education (such as these posts!) to develop properly and rise above creature impulses and herd vices. Only then can the promise of what lies inside these seeds be revealed, to the delight of all and everything! Crowns, robes, noble dispositions – kingly/queenly attire for everyone I say.
Thanks for continuing the upping of the ante!
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My heart tells me there is no option, in light of this simple, profound truth.
That being said, you have my agreement to set a new standard, to rise up, and to actually, and factually live the example, with the rising of the sun this day, so shall I let it be so.
Thank-you Gregg for so graciously refocusing the overwhelming opportunity at hand!
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Oh, goodie, another one!! This topic is so interesting and I just love the quotes from Jordan. Thanks for sharing them with us.
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I just wanted to reiterate somethig you said. If you are willing to make the necessary changes to be truly calm, the change comes quickly. You can feel the beginnings of it right away. But you will be tested. There is, for most of us, a particular set of circumstances that we have habitually allowed to damage our calm. If you have been reading these posts and have renewed your dedication to staying calm, what will you do when that circumstance revisits? Will you react like you did before? Or will you remember to Stay out of the fray, and stay faithful to something that you have already begun to feel? If you can so easily feel the beginnings of calmness, imagine what it will be like to find the mastery of calmness. Don’t give that up just because of past bad habits.
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Well said!
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