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Editorial
What's your vice?
The word vice comes from the Latin vitium which means "failure or defect" and in this sense it’s not surprising that we all have one, because we are not perfect.
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In a broader concept we can say that a vice "is a bad habit that can cause physical harm or discomfort to anyone who has it or to others."
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Of course there are vices and then there are vices, because we can’t compare alcoholism or smoking to the habit of watching movies or eating chocolates every day.
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Probably most vices are involuntarily generated by finding a special or excessive taste for something that leads us to consume or do it frequently until we fall into excess. And, this being a slow and gradual process, it’s certainly hard to realize that we are falling into it. Unfortunately, being an excess, most vices are harmful and leaving them is very complicated. For those who have tried leaving even the "small" vices like drinking soda every day, it is not easy; abandoning the greatest vices requires a lot of strength and sometimes the help of therapy or medicine.
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As with many other things, the first step to eliminating a defect is to recognize that we have it and accept that leaving it is for our own good or for that of our relationship.
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Below is a list of the most recognized vices:
Apathy, Arrogance, Greed, Cowardice, Corruption, Cruelty, Self-centeredness, Selfishness, Gluttony, Ignorance, Indifference, Infidelity, Intolerance, Lust, Misanthropy, Negligence, Laziness, Vanity.
If you have any (or some of them), do not wait until year-end to make the goal to eliminate them from your life.
Are you religious or spiritual?
The concept of religion comes from the Latin word religio and refers to the dogmatic creed and knowledge of a divine entity. Thus "religion implies a link between man and God, with which the person will govern their behavior according to certain rules and will participate in certain rituals".
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On the other hand, spirituality is formed by the words spiritus (soul), ality (quality), meaning "quality on the soul." It refers to "a moral, psychological or cultural disposition possessed by those who tend to research and develop the characteristics of the spirit."
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The vast majority of people around the world fall into one of these definitions. So that in one way or another we believe there is a soul or spirit that is part of our life. And this belief determines our behavior and how we interact with nature and society.
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Pope Francis himself said: "It is not necessary to believe in God to be a good person. In a way, the traditional idea of ​​God is not updated. One can be spiritual but not religious. No need to go to church and give money. For many, nature can be the church. Some of the best people in history did not believe in God, while many of the worst acts were done in his name."
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It is somewhat strange that the leader of one of the greatest religions of the world says it is not necessary to go to church or give money, but it shows that his main interest is to remind us that we have a spirit and we feed it with good things.
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While it is true that the way bear any belief, is completely personal and depends on many cultural and family factors, it is important to remember that we live in society and if we all act well and do not bother others, (whether we think that will take us to heaven or not), we will all live better.
The modern Olympics
Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Games concluded and one of the biggest fears dissipates with it: the terrorist attacks on athletes. And it’s because modern Olympics have become a showcase for everyone to see, not only athletes, but also the political and economic situations around them.
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Even before they started, the Olympics are always controversial: whether there are bribes to choose a venue; whether the host country is ready to provide security for the performance of the games; or if the investment is greater than the gain; are there more important things to invest for the good of the country or the host city?, etc.
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Moreover, with regard to mere sport, logical things happen, countries that win more medals are the most industrialized nations and send more athletes. (In the case of Rio 2016 the 20 countries with more medals, sent 5,800 of the 11,550 who participated, nearly 50% of the total).
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Of course you can’t blame the rich countries for having good sports programs, modern and complete facilities, adequate nutrition, etc.; but it leaves the question of how things would be if all athletes prepare themselves on equal conditions.
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The case of Latin America is a very clear example of this situation where, in addition to poverty, corruption still prevails, favoritism and insolence of the leaders in the management of government budgets for the sport.
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These situations aside from sports do not take away any merit to athletes of all countries, who prepare themselves for years in order to participate in different categories.
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Our respect and admiration goes to all of them, but especially to those that with very little support make great personal effort that leads to success.
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Congratulations to all of them!!!
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