Mussar is NOT about being good and Middot are NOT virtues...so what are they? ❦ Conversation #42
Moralism never worked for you? Just couldn't get excited about being good? Good! Because Mussar isn't about being a good person, and Middot aren't virtues. Mussar is the path of the heart - it's about facing those parts of yourself you've been avoiding or suppressing so you can relate as a whole person instead of being fake. And middot are neutral, they're not good or bad. If a situation calls for a specific middah and you whip out the opposite, that could be a problem. Same goes for if you're always one thing and never the other. But walking the middle path doesn't mean being average or bland, either. Mussar will make you lots of all the different sides of yourself, not lots of nothing. Let's look at seven pairs of opposite middot and see what makes these neutral qualities helpful or harmful.