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VirTrue: Decorum (Decorum) a Part of Faith

VirTrue - Helping Man Grow in Truth and Virtue

🎙️ Podcast Show Notes 👋 Intro Welcome to VirTrue where we work together to turn away from vice, and adopt the virtuous life we are all called to. I’m your host, Jethro Higgins 📖 Virtue Description Decorum, as a sub-virtue of Faith, is the outward expression of what we believe to be true about reality. In our closing prayer each week, we say, “Help us to keep you in everything that we think, say, and do.” This is a call to decorum, when a person aligns their internal moral sense with their outward conduct, creating harmony between thought, word, and deed. Decorum ensures that what we believe is made visible in how we present ourselves. Drawing from St. Thomas Aquinas, decorum is about fittingness. It is the discipline of acting, dressing, and speaking in a way that is appropriate to reality, to our state in life, and to the presence of God. Faith orders the intellect toward truth, and decorum orders the body to reflect that truth. Decorum is closely related to the virtue of modesty, but it flows from faith outward. It is not just about preserving dignity. It is about expressing truth through action. ⚖️ Vice of Deficiency: Indecency Definition Ever notice how some people seem to ignore what is appropriate in almost every situation? Indecency is the vice of failing to act with proper decorum. It disregards what is fitting in speech, behavior, dress, and attitude. Instead of aligning outward actions with the dignity of the moment, indecency treats everything as casual and without order. Why it fits Decorum orders outward behavior to reflect truth, dignity, and circumstance. Indecency rejects that order. It ignores context, disregards propriety, and treats serious things lightly. What it looks like • Speaking crudely or inappropriately regardless of setting• Dressing without regard for modesty or occasion• Acting casually in serious or solemn environments• Treating others without the respect due to their dignity• Ignoring boundaries that maintain order At its core, indecency fails to recognize that different situations require different responses. ⚖️ Vice of Excess: Affectation Definition Ever meet someone who always seems a little rehearsed? Affectation is the vice of artificial or exaggerated propriety. It is the desire to appear refined rather than to be sincere. Outward behavior becomes forced and performative. Why it fits Decorum allows behavior to flow naturally from truth and situation. Affectation distorts this by turning propriety into performance. The focus shifts from what is fitting to how one is perceived. What it looks like • Speaking in an overly formal or unnatural way• Overdressing or exaggerating mannerisms• Prioritizing appearances over sincerity• Treating etiquette as display rather than service• Correcting others harshly over minor breaches At its core, affectation replaces authenticity with performance. 🧠 My Life Decorum was not easy for me growing up. I have ADHD, and I was often too energetic for the situations I found myself in. I struggled to match my outward behavior with what the moment required. I was drawn to environments where I could be expressive and animated, especially in youth Mass. But looking back, some of that freedom was actually a lack of decorum. I was approaching worship on my own terms instead of allowing the structure of the Mass to form me. As I matured, I came to appreciate stillness and reverence. True decorum allows for a deliberate act of the will rather than being carried along by emotion. 🌍 The Secular Perspective Our culture struggles to see the balance between these two extremes. In many cases, indecency and affectation are divided along class lines. Some reject decorum entirely, presenting themselves without regard for fittingness. Others embrace a performative version of decorum, focusing on appearance while living in contradiction privately. The world sees a false dichotomy. Either casual disorder or artificial performance. But true decorum is neither. It is the alignment of outward behavior with truth. 🕊️ Example Saint: St. Thomas More What does it look like to carry yourself rightly in every situation? Not just in public.But at home. In conflict. Under pressure. St. Thomas More (1478 to 1535) lived at the center of political power as Lord Chancellor of England. Yet he never lost his sense of what was fitting. In the court he was composed.In his home he was joyful.In conflict he was firm without harshness. Even when imprisoned and sentenced to death, he remained calm, clear, and faithful. His life shows that decorum is not about appearances. It is about consistently ordering your actions to truth, dignity, and God. 📣 Call to Action Let us know your thoughts in the comments.Like and subscribe.Help us grow by engaging with us across platforms. 🙏 Act of Decorum O my God, You are the source of all order, beauty, and truth. I will conduct myself in a way that is fitting to each moment, speaking, acting, and presenting myself with dignity and sincerity. I will avoid indecency that ignores what is proper, and reject affectation that seeks to impress rather than to be true. I will let my outward behavior reflect the truth of who You are and the dignity You have given to every person. In all things, I will strive to act with simplicity, humility, and right order before You. Amen. 🙏 Prayer Lord, bless us with faith, hope, love, prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice that we may live as you intended man to live, in all virtue and righteousness. Help us to flee from sin, and avoid all temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Protect us with a spiritual hedge in front of us, behind us, above us, below us, to our right, and to our left, within us, and all around us, and seal it with the blood of your precious Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Help us to keep you in everything that we think, say, and do. Amen. Go out and fill the world with virtue, Deus Vult! Follow Us on Social Media and Popular Podcast Networks: Get full access to The Social Catholic at socialcatholic.substack.com/subscribe