On Christian Decorum
The attire of the body and the laughter of the teeth and the gait of the man show what he is.
(Eccl 19:27)
'Whether we think, speak or act in a good or an evil manner depends upon whether we cleave inwardly to virtue or to vice.'
St. Thalassios
'It is surprising that most Christians look upon decorum and politeness as merely human and worldly qualities and do not think of raising their minds to any higher views by considering them as virtues that have reference to God, to their neighbor, and to themselves. This illustrates very well how little true Christianity is found in the world and how few among those who live in the world are guided by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Still, it is this Spirit alone which ought to inspire all our actions, making them holy and agreeable to God.'
St. Jean de la Salle
'To blaspheme no man, not to be litigious, but modest: showing all mildness toward all men.'
Titus 3:2
'Eyes, ears, and mouth are the doors of the soul.'
St. Francis de Sales
#decorum
The attire of the body and the laughter of the teeth and the gait of the man show what he is.
(Eccl 19:27)
'Whether we think, speak or act in a good or an evil manner depends upon whether we cleave inwardly to virtue or to vice.'
St. Thalassios
'It is surprising that most Christians look upon decorum and politeness as merely human and worldly qualities and do not think of raising their minds to any higher views by considering them as virtues that have reference to God, to their neighbor, and to themselves. This illustrates very well how little true Christianity is found in the world and how few among those who live in the world are guided by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Still, it is this Spirit alone which ought to inspire all our actions, making them holy and agreeable to God.'
St. Jean de la Salle
'To blaspheme no man, not to be litigious, but modest: showing all mildness toward all men.'
Titus 3:2
'Eyes, ears, and mouth are the doors of the soul.'
St. Francis de Sales
#decorum
Ecce Verbum
The definition of a Catholic gentleman St. John Henry Newman -He never speaks of himself, except when compelled -Never defends himself by a mere retort -He has no ears for slander or gossip -He is scrupulous in imputing motives to those who interfere with…
definitionofgentlemannewman.pdf
1.5 MB
Newman's" Gentleman"
A leader in the Oxford Movement and a cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church, John Henry Newman (1801-1890) was a prolific writer and one of the most talented rhetoricians in 19th-century Britain. He served as the first rector of the Catholic University of Ireland (now University College Dublin) and was beatified by the Catholic Church in September 2010.
In "The Idea of a University," originally delivered as a series of lectures in 1852, Newman provides a compelling definition and defense of a liberal arts education, arguing that the primary purpose of a university is to develop the mind, not dispense information.
From Discourse VIII of that work comes "A Definition of a Gentleman," a superb example of character writing. Note Cardinal Newman's reliance on parallel structures in this extended definition -- in particular his use of paired constructions and tricolons.
definition of Newman's gentleman (short list)
another reading suggestion
further reading
#decorum #civility
A leader in the Oxford Movement and a cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church, John Henry Newman (1801-1890) was a prolific writer and one of the most talented rhetoricians in 19th-century Britain. He served as the first rector of the Catholic University of Ireland (now University College Dublin) and was beatified by the Catholic Church in September 2010.
In "The Idea of a University," originally delivered as a series of lectures in 1852, Newman provides a compelling definition and defense of a liberal arts education, arguing that the primary purpose of a university is to develop the mind, not dispense information.
From Discourse VIII of that work comes "A Definition of a Gentleman," a superb example of character writing. Note Cardinal Newman's reliance on parallel structures in this extended definition -- in particular his use of paired constructions and tricolons.
definition of Newman's gentleman (short list)
another reading suggestion
further reading
#decorum #civility
Ecce Verbum
On Christian Decorum The attire of the body and the laughter of the teeth and the gait of the man show what he is. (Eccl 19:27) 'Whether we think, speak or act in a good or an evil manner depends upon whether we cleave inwardly to virtue or to vice.' St.…
Christian-Decorum-reprint-2007(1).pdf
2.2 MB
The Rules of Christian Decorum and Civility
John Baptist de La Salle
A book of decorum and civility.
One of the most significant symptoms of the crisis of the European conscience was the disappearance of the gentleman, the person of culture and refinement.It is not pretentious to consider De La Salle’s book a courageous effort to preserve and to perfect that type of human being by giving decorum and civility a religious motivation. De La Salle sought to revive the concept and the reality of the gentleman, the person who acts with decorum, self-controlled modesty, and propriety, even when alone, and with civility, evangelical courtesy practiced in the presence of others.It is significant for the light it sheds on the personality of the author, revealing him as a person of great sensitivity and refinement. The historian Georges Rigault described this book as “the work of a gentleman and a saint, a basic document of our history.”
more:
Newman's "Gentleman"
#decorum
John Baptist de La Salle
A book of decorum and civility.
One of the most significant symptoms of the crisis of the European conscience was the disappearance of the gentleman, the person of culture and refinement.It is not pretentious to consider De La Salle’s book a courageous effort to preserve and to perfect that type of human being by giving decorum and civility a religious motivation. De La Salle sought to revive the concept and the reality of the gentleman, the person who acts with decorum, self-controlled modesty, and propriety, even when alone, and with civility, evangelical courtesy practiced in the presence of others.It is significant for the light it sheds on the personality of the author, revealing him as a person of great sensitivity and refinement. The historian Georges Rigault described this book as “the work of a gentleman and a saint, a basic document of our history.”
more:
Newman's "Gentleman"
#decorum
Ecce Verbum
Christian-Decorum-reprint-2007(1).pdf
Decorum in speech
St. Jean- Baptiste de la Salle
taken from
"The Rules of Christian Decorum and Civility"
-You must avoid all useless and foolish questions, because they only give rise to disputes.
-You ought not to argue because, as a servant of God you must not be contentious.
- If others put forward anything that either is not true or seems inappropriate, you may simply express your opinion with so much deference that those who think differently will not take offense.
-If someone contradicts what you have said, you ought to show that you willingly submit your view to his, unless it is altogether contrary to Catholic maxims and the rules of the Gospel.
-You must never argue with a voluble person, lest you fuel his fire.
-Never contradict the word of truth in any way.
-If you are not well versed in a given subject, prefer to keep quiet and to listen to others.
-You must listen attentively to what others say.
-If you believe that the opinion you have set forth is correct, you must defend it in a mild and courteous way.
- Don't interrupt a speaker by asking, for instance "Who is that","Who said so","Who did that".
-Don't interrupt someone who is telling a story and try to tell it better yourself; don't say that you know all about it or that you know exactly what the speaker wants to say, or to declare openly: "I bet it did not happen like that".
-If someone makes a mistake, you have no right to call his attention to it, but must wait until the speaker catches the error himself and corrects it.
-Pay close attention to what the other person is saying, so that he is not obliged to repeat it.
-When a speaker had difficulty in finding the right words or hesitates, don't suggest words or add the words the speaker has not pronounced properly.
-You must not take it upon yourself to reprimand anyone, unless you are obliged to do so, or the matter is important; don't set yourself up as critic and public censor.
-Never poke fun at someone who proposed something a little unreasonable, and still less ought you to treat him with disdain, for it may be that you did not correctly understand what he had in mind.
-Don't reveal secrets to one and all . Before revealing a secret to anyone, you must make sure who is the person to whom you intend to tell the secret, whether he is able to keep the secret and whether he will indeed do so.
-To speak prudently, consider whether it is the proper time to speak or to remain silent.
#decorum
St. Jean- Baptiste de la Salle
taken from
"The Rules of Christian Decorum and Civility"
-You must avoid all useless and foolish questions, because they only give rise to disputes.
-You ought not to argue because, as a servant of God you must not be contentious.
- If others put forward anything that either is not true or seems inappropriate, you may simply express your opinion with so much deference that those who think differently will not take offense.
-If someone contradicts what you have said, you ought to show that you willingly submit your view to his, unless it is altogether contrary to Catholic maxims and the rules of the Gospel.
-You must never argue with a voluble person, lest you fuel his fire.
-Never contradict the word of truth in any way.
-If you are not well versed in a given subject, prefer to keep quiet and to listen to others.
-You must listen attentively to what others say.
-If you believe that the opinion you have set forth is correct, you must defend it in a mild and courteous way.
- Don't interrupt a speaker by asking, for instance "Who is that","Who said so","Who did that".
-Don't interrupt someone who is telling a story and try to tell it better yourself; don't say that you know all about it or that you know exactly what the speaker wants to say, or to declare openly: "I bet it did not happen like that".
-If someone makes a mistake, you have no right to call his attention to it, but must wait until the speaker catches the error himself and corrects it.
-Pay close attention to what the other person is saying, so that he is not obliged to repeat it.
-When a speaker had difficulty in finding the right words or hesitates, don't suggest words or add the words the speaker has not pronounced properly.
-You must not take it upon yourself to reprimand anyone, unless you are obliged to do so, or the matter is important; don't set yourself up as critic and public censor.
-Never poke fun at someone who proposed something a little unreasonable, and still less ought you to treat him with disdain, for it may be that you did not correctly understand what he had in mind.
-Don't reveal secrets to one and all . Before revealing a secret to anyone, you must make sure who is the person to whom you intend to tell the secret, whether he is able to keep the secret and whether he will indeed do so.
-To speak prudently, consider whether it is the proper time to speak or to remain silent.
#decorum
Ecce Verbum
Decorum in speech St. Jean- Baptiste de la Salle taken from "The Rules of Christian Decorum and Civility" -You must avoid all useless and foolish questions, because they only give rise to disputes. -You ought not to argue because, as a servant of God you…
Decorum in speech
St. Jean- Baptiste de la Salle
taken from
"The rules of Christian Decorum and Civility"
Part II
-Enjoy witty, spirited repartee, which deals with something agreeable without wounding anyone or offering courtesy. Such fun is very innocent and can make a conversation much more interesting.
-Never insult another person. Such words must never be found on the lips of a Catholic, for they are extremely improper for anyone who has the least claim to being a well-educated person.
-Don't make fun of someone's natural and involuntary handicaps.
-Don't poke fun at someone because of a misfortune or a disgrace that has overtaken him.
-Do not show exteriorly that it bothers you when someone makes fun of you- it is a mark of refinement, as well as a sign of piety, not to let yourself be disturbed by what others say about you, however disagreeable, offensive or insulting it might be.
-When you are advised or reproved by another, receive the admonition graciously and show gratitude. The more gratitude you show, the more you will act like a true Catholic and the more highly you will be regarded.
-If it happens when someone insults you, say nothing at all, a Catholic ought not to show any resentment or even experience any.
-Do not scandalise anyone in any way and never speak ill of anyone.
-If you do not wish to say anything good about someone, you should say nothing.
-Do not report to people the tales that someone else has related about them.
-Don't call attention to the physical defect of anyone, this shows that you are mean and poorly brought up.
-Don't make comparisons between to whom you are speaking and someone else, so as to bring out some defect or misfortune that happened to that other person.
-Don't refer to obvious defects or blemishes on a persons face or ask how they got there.
-Don't remind someone of events in which he did not do well or to say things that can disturb or embarrass the person you are speaking to.
-Be very attentive to your words, so that you do not dishonor your soul.
-Be on guard against being too quick with your words.
-Don't reveal all that is on your mind, and in many things you must act as if you were ignorant.
-When you are with people older than you, or with the very elderly, tell little and listen a great deal.
-When someone has said or done something that is out of place and you notice that this person spoke without reflecting and is already aware of it and embarrassed when he thinks of himself and of what he said, you ought to pretend to have noticed nothing.
-Those who have nothing to relate except gossip and frivolous, silly stories, and those who affect introductions so long that no one else can speak, would do much better to keep quiet.
more:
•Ignatian rule of charity in conversation
•humility in conversation
#decorum #speech
St. Jean- Baptiste de la Salle
taken from
"The rules of Christian Decorum and Civility"
Part II
-Enjoy witty, spirited repartee, which deals with something agreeable without wounding anyone or offering courtesy. Such fun is very innocent and can make a conversation much more interesting.
-Never insult another person. Such words must never be found on the lips of a Catholic, for they are extremely improper for anyone who has the least claim to being a well-educated person.
-Don't make fun of someone's natural and involuntary handicaps.
-Don't poke fun at someone because of a misfortune or a disgrace that has overtaken him.
-Do not show exteriorly that it bothers you when someone makes fun of you- it is a mark of refinement, as well as a sign of piety, not to let yourself be disturbed by what others say about you, however disagreeable, offensive or insulting it might be.
-When you are advised or reproved by another, receive the admonition graciously and show gratitude. The more gratitude you show, the more you will act like a true Catholic and the more highly you will be regarded.
-If it happens when someone insults you, say nothing at all, a Catholic ought not to show any resentment or even experience any.
-Do not scandalise anyone in any way and never speak ill of anyone.
-If you do not wish to say anything good about someone, you should say nothing.
-Do not report to people the tales that someone else has related about them.
-Don't call attention to the physical defect of anyone, this shows that you are mean and poorly brought up.
-Don't make comparisons between to whom you are speaking and someone else, so as to bring out some defect or misfortune that happened to that other person.
-Don't refer to obvious defects or blemishes on a persons face or ask how they got there.
-Don't remind someone of events in which he did not do well or to say things that can disturb or embarrass the person you are speaking to.
-Be very attentive to your words, so that you do not dishonor your soul.
-Be on guard against being too quick with your words.
-Don't reveal all that is on your mind, and in many things you must act as if you were ignorant.
-When you are with people older than you, or with the very elderly, tell little and listen a great deal.
-When someone has said or done something that is out of place and you notice that this person spoke without reflecting and is already aware of it and embarrassed when he thinks of himself and of what he said, you ought to pretend to have noticed nothing.
-Those who have nothing to relate except gossip and frivolous, silly stories, and those who affect introductions so long that no one else can speak, would do much better to keep quiet.
more:
•Ignatian rule of charity in conversation
•humility in conversation
#decorum #speech
Telegram
Ecce Verbum
The Rules of Christian Decorum and Civility
John Baptist de La Salle
A book of decorum and civility.
One of the most significant symptoms of the crisis of the European conscience was the disappearance of the gentleman, the person of culture and refinement.It…
John Baptist de La Salle
A book of decorum and civility.
One of the most significant symptoms of the crisis of the European conscience was the disappearance of the gentleman, the person of culture and refinement.It…
Ecce Verbum
On Christian Decorum The attire of the body and the laughter of the teeth and the gait of the man show what he is. (Eccl 19:27) 'Whether we think, speak or act in a good or an evil manner depends upon whether we cleave inwardly to virtue or to vice.' St.…
On Christian Decorum
p.2
Introduction to the Devout Life, Chapter 25 of Part III
*According to St. Francis de Sales, an appropriate way to dress depends on the context in which we find ourselves. But the aim should always be elegant simplicity that is neither overly flashy nor careless and sloppy.
"For my own part I should like my devout man or woman to be the best dressed person in the company, but the least pompous and affected, as St. Peter says, with “the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.” As we read in Proverbs, they should be characterized by grace, decorum and dignity. St. Louis said that the right thing is for every one to dress according to his position, so that good and sensible people should not be able to say they are over-dressed, or younger gayer ones that they are under-dressed. But if these last are not satisfied with what is modest and seemly, they must be content with the approbation of the elders."
"Now, modesty in dress and its appearances depends upon the quality, the fashion and the cleanliness thereof."
"As to the quality and fashion of clothes, modesty in these points must depend upon various circumstances, age, season, condition, the society we move in, and the special occasion. Most people dress better on a high festival than at other times; in Lent, or other penitential seasons, they lay aside all gay apparel; at a wedding they wear wedding garments, at a funeral, mourning garb; and at a king’s court the dress which would be unsuitable at home is suitable."
#decorum
p.2
Introduction to the Devout Life, Chapter 25 of Part III
*According to St. Francis de Sales, an appropriate way to dress depends on the context in which we find ourselves. But the aim should always be elegant simplicity that is neither overly flashy nor careless and sloppy.
"For my own part I should like my devout man or woman to be the best dressed person in the company, but the least pompous and affected, as St. Peter says, with “the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.” As we read in Proverbs, they should be characterized by grace, decorum and dignity. St. Louis said that the right thing is for every one to dress according to his position, so that good and sensible people should not be able to say they are over-dressed, or younger gayer ones that they are under-dressed. But if these last are not satisfied with what is modest and seemly, they must be content with the approbation of the elders."
"Now, modesty in dress and its appearances depends upon the quality, the fashion and the cleanliness thereof."
"As to the quality and fashion of clothes, modesty in these points must depend upon various circumstances, age, season, condition, the society we move in, and the special occasion. Most people dress better on a high festival than at other times; in Lent, or other penitential seasons, they lay aside all gay apparel; at a wedding they wear wedding garments, at a funeral, mourning garb; and at a king’s court the dress which would be unsuitable at home is suitable."
#decorum
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Ecce Verbum
The Introduction to the Devout Life
by St Francis of Sales
by St Francis of Sales
Ecce Verbum
Temperance as a riverbank for virtue "Discipline, moderation, chastity, do not in themselves constitute the perfection of man. By preserving and defending order in man himself, temperantia creates the indispensable prerequisite for both the realization of…
Temperance and elegance
On the first, and most fundamental, kind, we can start with the recognition that any genuine temperance must be consistent with the other cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, and fortitude), and facilitating such temperance in others must be consistent with the conditions for these, not imposing undue burdens on those trying to do act in accordance with them.
Therefore, to aid through temperance the prudence of ourselves and others, we get something like the first canon of elegance:
(1) To make allowances for honest differences in judgment.
(To aid through temperance the justice of ourselves and others)
(2) To prefer, where different options are available, the options that seem most obviously conducive to mutual benefit.
(To aid through temperance the fortitude of ourselves and others)
(3) To make allowances for those who are enduring obvious difficulties, even where it causes some difficulty to oneself.
(To aid through temperance the temperance of ourselves and others, directly)
(4) To make one's pleasures, especially one's social pleasures, reside in things that seem most conducive to cultivating virtue in oneself or making the lives of others more quietly pleasant or less difficult.
(On the other side, rules that help us and others more easily to do what virtues of the temperance family require, namely, to subordinate the pursuit of pleasure to more fully human things, the guidelines are perhaps more diverse. But there are a number of obvious candidates.
First, virtues in the temperance family are always very obviously concerned with some kind of moderation)
(5) To avoid apparent extremes that are neither physically nor morally necessary.
(That canon is about bringing our actions more in line with what seems moderate to our judgment in the moment. But we are social creatures, and therefore we can also take into account what appears moderate to people in general. Therefore we have another canon)
(6) To defer to reasonable custom.
(The moderation of the temperate virtues brings our actions into harmony, proportion, and balance, and thus the temperate virtues are most closely associated with beauty of character)
(7) To respect all things physically or morally beautiful.
(If one asks why the 'physically' is there, it is because, first, physical beauty can serve as a reminder of our need for spiritual beauty, and, second, because the physically beautiful is a symbol of the morally beautiful, and to respect the latter properly we must respect its symbols)
Finally, all of the virtues of the temperance family deal in great measure with pleasure, and, as Aristotle notes, pleasure tends to bias us, thus requiring special precaution. From this we get another canon of elegance
(8) To prefer the obviously virtuous or useful to the obviously pleasant.
The canons of elegance will not make you temperate, in part because they clearly deal with appearances and not directly with realities, but they are guidelines that aid in determining how to be temperate.
As noted above, they are not obligations, and there are situations in which they will not be the best rules, as well as situations in which violating them will be morally permissible. But they are the rules that in most situations are most likely to aid you toward the kind of temperate action that facilitates the temperate actions of others.
source
#decorum
On the first, and most fundamental, kind, we can start with the recognition that any genuine temperance must be consistent with the other cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, and fortitude), and facilitating such temperance in others must be consistent with the conditions for these, not imposing undue burdens on those trying to do act in accordance with them.
Therefore, to aid through temperance the prudence of ourselves and others, we get something like the first canon of elegance:
(1) To make allowances for honest differences in judgment.
(To aid through temperance the justice of ourselves and others)
(2) To prefer, where different options are available, the options that seem most obviously conducive to mutual benefit.
(To aid through temperance the fortitude of ourselves and others)
(3) To make allowances for those who are enduring obvious difficulties, even where it causes some difficulty to oneself.
(To aid through temperance the temperance of ourselves and others, directly)
(4) To make one's pleasures, especially one's social pleasures, reside in things that seem most conducive to cultivating virtue in oneself or making the lives of others more quietly pleasant or less difficult.
(On the other side, rules that help us and others more easily to do what virtues of the temperance family require, namely, to subordinate the pursuit of pleasure to more fully human things, the guidelines are perhaps more diverse. But there are a number of obvious candidates.
First, virtues in the temperance family are always very obviously concerned with some kind of moderation)
(5) To avoid apparent extremes that are neither physically nor morally necessary.
(That canon is about bringing our actions more in line with what seems moderate to our judgment in the moment. But we are social creatures, and therefore we can also take into account what appears moderate to people in general. Therefore we have another canon)
(6) To defer to reasonable custom.
(The moderation of the temperate virtues brings our actions into harmony, proportion, and balance, and thus the temperate virtues are most closely associated with beauty of character)
(7) To respect all things physically or morally beautiful.
(If one asks why the 'physically' is there, it is because, first, physical beauty can serve as a reminder of our need for spiritual beauty, and, second, because the physically beautiful is a symbol of the morally beautiful, and to respect the latter properly we must respect its symbols)
Finally, all of the virtues of the temperance family deal in great measure with pleasure, and, as Aristotle notes, pleasure tends to bias us, thus requiring special precaution. From this we get another canon of elegance
(8) To prefer the obviously virtuous or useful to the obviously pleasant.
The canons of elegance will not make you temperate, in part because they clearly deal with appearances and not directly with realities, but they are guidelines that aid in determining how to be temperate.
As noted above, they are not obligations, and there are situations in which they will not be the best rules, as well as situations in which violating them will be morally permissible. But they are the rules that in most situations are most likely to aid you toward the kind of temperate action that facilitates the temperate actions of others.
source
#decorum
Blogspot
Evening Note for Tuesday, April 5
Thought for the Evening: Canons of Elegance We have an obligation to be temperate. However, temperance is by its nature a virtue very focus...
Ecce Verbum
Temperance and elegance On the first, and most fundamental, kind, we can start with the recognition that any genuine temperance must be consistent with the other cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, and fortitude), and facilitating such temperance in others…
On how the virtue of temperance is concerned with the beautiful
"As may be gathered from the words of Dionysius (Div. Nom. iv), beauty or comeliness results from the concurrence of clarity and due proportion. For he states that God is said to be beautiful, as being "the cause of the harmony and clarity of the universe." Hence the beauty of the body consists in a man having his bodily limbs well proportioned, together with a certain clarity of color. On like manner spiritual beauty consists in a man's conduct or actions being well proportioned in respect of the spiritual clarity of reason. Now this is what is meant by honesty, which we have stated (1) to be the same as virtue; and it is virtue that moderates according to reason all that is connected with man. Wherefore "honesty is the same as spiritual beauty." Hence Augustine says (Q83, qu. 30): "By honesty I mean intelligible beauty, which we properly designate as spiritual," and further on he adds that "many things are beautiful to the eye, which it would be hardly proper to call honest."
*The word translated here as 'honesty', honestas, actually means the opposite of the shameful, the sort of thing one approves or honors when one sees it, and so would be better translated by words related to 'honor'. Honestas is being honorable. Thus Aquinas's argument is that honorableness is a spiritual beauty recognized by the mind. The term can just be a synonym for 'virtue', but it is especially associated with the virtue of temperance, and can be used to indicate one of the fundamental components of temperance: being the kind of person to treat spiritual and intelligible beauty as more important than physical pleasures.
Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II, II, 145
#decorum
"As may be gathered from the words of Dionysius (Div. Nom. iv), beauty or comeliness results from the concurrence of clarity and due proportion. For he states that God is said to be beautiful, as being "the cause of the harmony and clarity of the universe." Hence the beauty of the body consists in a man having his bodily limbs well proportioned, together with a certain clarity of color. On like manner spiritual beauty consists in a man's conduct or actions being well proportioned in respect of the spiritual clarity of reason. Now this is what is meant by honesty, which we have stated (1) to be the same as virtue; and it is virtue that moderates according to reason all that is connected with man. Wherefore "honesty is the same as spiritual beauty." Hence Augustine says (Q83, qu. 30): "By honesty I mean intelligible beauty, which we properly designate as spiritual," and further on he adds that "many things are beautiful to the eye, which it would be hardly proper to call honest."
*The word translated here as 'honesty', honestas, actually means the opposite of the shameful, the sort of thing one approves or honors when one sees it, and so would be better translated by words related to 'honor'. Honestas is being honorable. Thus Aquinas's argument is that honorableness is a spiritual beauty recognized by the mind. The term can just be a synonym for 'virtue', but it is especially associated with the virtue of temperance, and can be used to indicate one of the fundamental components of temperance: being the kind of person to treat spiritual and intelligible beauty as more important than physical pleasures.
Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II, II, 145
#decorum
www.newadvent.org
SUMMA THEOLOGIAE: Honesty (Secunda Secundae Partis, Q. 145)
The relation between the honest and the virtuous. Its relation with the beautiful. Its relation with the useful and the pleasant. Is honesty a part of temperance?