Perhaps your assumption that arrogance is missing is a problematic one.

I would assert that arrogance is a baseless pride that lacks a proper footing in honesty. Arrogance is an aberration that occurs when excessive pride is mounted on too weak a pedestal and is therefore underserved.

Could that be why ‘arrogance” was left outside the above list?

2 years ago I had a nearly identical revelation. I came to the realization that Truth, Love, and Courage were the essential elements of a well lived life.

I am inspired to see that others have come to exactly the same conclusion. I am also inspired by the thought that their intersecting virtues, Justice, Compassion, and Courage are products of the original three values combined!

Thank you for your thoughts.

I am always seeking literature that elaborates on the relationships on which we appear to agree. Are there any decent sources?

Godd Day to you!

This is a great article and really got me thinking. Long ago, when my chivalric deeds were on public display of a far-grander scale, I formulated a code of ethics that I sought to live by. They were derived from many sources, and then distilled into something I felt exemplified what I WANTED to be; to live my life as.

As part of my personal heraldry, I adopted the pictogram of 3 interlocking annulets, which were actually Ouroboros, representing the endlessness of each of 3 primary ideals, Truth, Love, and Courage.

The intersections of these ideals led to off-shoots such as Justice, Compassion, and Honor, and it was by these ideals that I sought to forge my life.

It proved to be quite difficult, and at my best I do not think I managed to be half as good as I desired, but I think the point of it all was to stay conscious. For in these modern times, it is remarkably easy to lose sight of simple things such as manners, empathy, and generosity, but, at least for me, codifying a code of ethics into a simple image was extraordinarily powerful. So much so that my production company bears the same mark, now representing Sights, Sounds, and Stories, but Truth, Love, and Courage are always underpinning.

Thanks for a wonderful article, a walk down Memory Lane, and much needed reminder to stay ever-vigilant of my own actions and choices.