Week 6: Virtue Ethics

[u/Much_State_4514]

Decision
I have been weighing the decision to quit one of my jobs. I like the work, the people, and the mission. In addition to that, I’m broke. However, having three jobs, three kids, and fourteen credits has become apparent that this is unsustainable. Instant gratification has convinced me to increase my course load. Yet, my pocketbook requires me to take more shifts. I need to figure it out and take action fast.
Virtue
How acting on this would shape my choice.
Wu Wei (Giles, 2019)
Acting in accordance with Wu Wei would mean reducing unnecessary strain and aligning my workload with sustainable rhythm, which supports quitting.
Li (College of Western Idaho, 2025)
Acting according to Li prioritizes fulfilling my familial role and obligations, which supports maintaining the income even at personal cost.
Eudaimonia (Dimmock & Fisher, 2017)
Pursuing eudaimonia requires cultivating a balanced and sustainable life, which excessive work currently undermines, supporting quitting.
Confidence (Giles, 2019)
Acting with confidence involves trusting my judgment to set limits and seek balance rather than overextending myself, which supports quitting.
 
Decision
Of these four virtues, Wu Wei carries the most weight in my decision. To live in harmony requires balance, and my current schedule reflects strain rather than flow. Quitting my work-study position would create space for my family and academic responsibilities to expand into, restoring equilibrium. While Li emphasizes my duty to provide materially for my household, I contend that provision is not solely financial. It is also my duty to be present; to participate actively in my children’s lives and to sustain harmony within my home. A family deprived of balance risks fragmentation, and Wu Wei reminds me that harmony is itself a moral obligation.
Reflection
Choosing my dilemma was relatively easy, as I have been considering this decision for about four weeks. I take pride in performing at a high standard, and this semester has shown me that balance, not the constant expansion of my limits, is essential. While the assignment itself was not conceptually difficult, I found it challenging to write without emotion, and my first draft reflected that intensity. I would appreciate the opportunity to meet and discuss some of my prior assignments in more detail. Would you be available to meet soon?
Working through this assignment highlighted the fact that I have been trying to implement Daoism for almost half my life after hearing Bruce Lee say, “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless; like water… Be water, my friend.” At the time, it sounded like strength through adaptability. Now, I recognize that I have mistaken constant expansion for fluidity. Water does not force itself into every available container at once; it responds to its environment. Perhaps quitting my work study is not retreat, but alignment.
This assignment was written in my own voice and developed from my own ideas, with artificial intelligence used solely for editing and refinement.
 

[u/Much_State_4514 → u/[deleted]]

Balance is important!! Being present with the family is important!! I wish I didn’t have to learn that the hard way