A little introspection game

As it’s that time of year when it is traditional to spend some time in introspection and musing, to think over what has gone before and what lies ahead, here’s a little mental exercise or game.

First, list your three best virtues or values; the things about your character or personality that you hold dearest. Order them most important first. So, I’d say honesty, intelligence, and caring.

Next, do the same for your three worst vices or faults; the things that you know to be your greatest weaknesses, the things that you maybe don’t want other people to see in you.

Now think about each of your “virtues”, and consider how it could maybe actually be a weakness. So, take honesty: if that is a core of your personality, that can mean you are vulnerable to people who are dishonest, or can be hurt by people who do not accept your honesty. On the other hand, if you value honesty more than caring, you may be too blunt with people and hurt them emotionally – not because you want to, but because you just cannot avoid it while being true to yourself.

After working through each “virtue”, do the same with your “vices”, and see in what ways these are, or could be, a benefit. A classic example is pride- it is listed as one of the seven deadly sins but Aristotle listed it as a virtue. So on one hand pride may be a weakness so that an attack on ones reputation is an attack on ones person; but on the other hand pride also gives a sense of self-worth and a drive to achieve ones best. In the same way, laziness may be something one needs to overcome to do anything useful, but it may also be a drive to work most efficiently to save effort.

The point of this game isn’t to cast oneself in “the best light”, but rather to consider “strengths” and “weaknesses” as all part of ones whole personality. So there is no need to tell anyone else what your own answers are, but if you do want to then feel free to leave a comment.

Buy Titled Plots from Atlantic Titles Ltd

Buy a plot of land in the Atlantic starting at only £29.99, together with title “Warlord of Atlantis”!

You may style yourself “Warlord of Atlantis”
When you buy land from Atlantic Titles, you will become the beneficial owner of the plot of land that you selected. Whilst all people are free to refer to themselves as Warlords, it is only those who own land sold by us that have a genuine reason to do so.

Lest we forget…

On 11th November, Remembrance Day, we remember those who gave their lives, or had them taken, in past wars.

Style Continuing Power of Attorney

In a recent court decision ¹ the Sheriff has questioned whether a commonly used style of deed of Continuing Power of Attorney in fact complies with the requirements of s15 of the Adults With Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000². Perhaps a little embarassing for the Office of the Public Guardian, it is the style they themselves suggest on their website³

Tartan Nation

Tartan is synonymous with Scotland. Whether or not we invented it, we have appropriated it as a symbol of our nation and it is one of the elements which all foreigners recognise as “Scottish”.

Kant get service – putting it through the Mills

A gentleman on Twitter made an interesting comment: “If you’re OK with Selfridges refusing to serve the EDL, you also need to be OK with B&Bs refusing gay couples”.¹

This is a very thought provoking statement, but also in my opinion quite wrong. Unfortunately Twitter may be a great forum for quick conversations with a range of people, but it’s not so good for debating complex philosophical issues, so this post intends to explain why I believe this.

View through a Crystal Ball darkly…

Inspired by an interesting talk by SF writer Charlie Stross¹ about what society might be like in 40-50 years time, I was thinking about what the Scottish Legal Profession might be like in a similar timescale. The problem as Mr Stross points out is that it is fairly easy to extrapolate current trends over the next 10 years, but after that you know that currently unforeseeable events will occur and change things significantly.