Human Virtue Through the Lens of Integrative Intelligence - PART ONE

By Laurel Elders

I grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons where the main character would inevitably come to a crossroads. They have to make a choice. Do I do the "right" thing and consider others? Or do I do the "wrong" thing and hurt others for my own gain? An angel would magically appear above one shoulder and a devil upon the other. They would then argue back and forth and try to get the main character to abide. 
 
It has been said that every human is capable of either vice or virtue. We get to choose. 
 
Today, we are exploring the precipice of human vice and human virtue through the lens of Integrative Intelligence. I define Integrative Intelligence as the wisdom that develops from understanding interconnectivity. 
 
Before we dive in, I wanted to share with you a fun fact. 
 
Get this! We don't create possibilities. We also can't create them. 
 
Why? 
 
They already exist. They surround us 365 days a year, 24/7. While we may not create possibilities, we do create probability, and by expanding our probability, we create access points to opportunity. 
 
A prime example is if I show up to work with a chip on my shoulder. I am short with my colleagues. I don't engage much. I avoid new projects. I'm not all that pleasant to work with or be around.
 
What is the probability I'll get the upcoming promotion? 
 
I think we can all agree that the probability is relatively small. 
 
Yet, what happens if I get coached? What if I begin to dispel the chip on my shoulder? What if I'm now showing up more open, talkative, and supportive? What if I contribute my creative ideas freely now? And what if I'm now much more pleasant to be around? 
 
With this shift, what is the new probability I'll get the promotion? 
 
I may or may not get it, but I've increased my access to the possibility by opening up an opportunity for myself. 
 
Possibilities abound! The question is, do we have access to them?
 
Just like possibilities exist around us, possibilities also exist within us.
 
Unlike external possibilities, where we have to increase our probability to gain access to them, the internal possibilities can be activated anytime we need them. Internal possibilities ignite the expansion of probability.
 
Let's reference the example above. To address the chip on my shoulder, I had to choose to activate the human virtues of self-acceptance, appreciation, and grace. Once I activated those within me to address and resolve my "chip," this naturally increased my probability. 
 
Activating the possibilities within us gives us greater access to the possibilities surrounding us.
 
So you may be wondering. What are these human virtues? What possibilities exist within me? 
 
The list below is just a snapshot of the possibilities that exist within each human being.

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You may also be wondering… if all of these possibilities exist within each human being, why don't we all act like it? Why does evil exist?
 
There is one answer to these very historical questions. The answer is simple—the implication is complex.
 
The human ego shrouds the human heart. The ego is bound by hyper-external focus. Its projections are all in the name of our self-protection. It creates defenses, reacts to fears, and cultivates stories that become the walls encasing our hearts.
 
Human virtue we only see once we are free. 
 
Now that you are aware of the potent interconnectivity surrounding you and the inner-connectivity within you, what will you choose to activate? 
 
Speeding up is the ego's solution.
Worrying is the ego's pollution.
By slowing down, we begin to ground.
Looking into the heart, there is wisdom to be found..