Our culture of individualism has trouble seeing the family, or understanding what it is seeing, when it does see the family. Ruth Institute Circle of Experts member, Dr. Scott Yenor has an inspiring article, well worth sharing with the dads in your life.
How is our culture’s emphasis on autonomous independence different from an attitude of love? Is that salary yours or is it the family’s? Is the house you live in yours or is it family’s? Is your child’s education his or hers or is it the family’s? Is your time yours or is it the family’s? When these things are yours, you have adopted an attitude of independence; when they are the family’s, you exhibit an attitude of love.
Writing on the Knights of Columbus Fathers for Good blog, Dr. Yenor points out that the world needs good fathers and that we do not appreciate them. More than that: our culture of individualism undermines good fatherhood, and blinds us to good fathers when they do appear.
Ruth Institute Expert
Author of “Family in Politics” a really great book, IMHO.
We hear all about “self-interest rightly understood” and “rational self-interest” and “ethical egoism.” These concepts obviously imply their opposites: “self-interest wrongly understood” and “irrational self-interest” and “unethical egoism.” Perhaps we just need a completely new term to describe our current cultural moment: “irrational individualism.”
In any case, great and inspiring article by Dr. Yenor. Share with the Dads in your life!
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