Jeffrey Luk's Blog

Returning to the subject of modesty for men, another instance in which we can be virtuous is in terms of humility and meekness. Arrogance -- to attribute achievements to yourself in a way to either put others down or to raise yourself up -- is the most obvious. It can be more subtle, however. That's why biblically, virtuous acts of altruism, selflessness, and charity must be done in private. There is a certain discipline in denying yourself the pragmatic benefits of these acts and doing them such that they serve the good in and of itself only. Virtue must be pursued for its own sake -- not for societal approval, to feel good about oneself, or for anything other than moral goodness.  The only other reason for pursuing charity that is justified other than carrying out the good is to build the virtuous character. But it shouldn't be the only reason -- imagine saying that the only reason why I help poor people is to build up my own moral character. This is intuitively wrong.  In c...

I grew up around a pair of twins who were tall, handsome, smart and athletic. They had no trouble receiving affection from girls, but ultimately, they did not even try to date anyone. One of them, especially, was adamant about rejecting the advances of girls. He would purposely sabotage any attempt by his suitresses, bluntly pushing them away. He was ambitious, staying on top of classwork and honors classes. They ended up going to a 6-year dental program and finding girlfriends through their Christian fellowship. I'm glad that they are where they are now.  I always wondered why their temperament and outlook on dating were so admirable to the younger me. When I'd ask him why he never dated anyone, he would always say that it was a waste of time. He would scold me for pressing him too much on this question. Why was it interesting to me? Because in today's day and age, I think it's very easy for handsome men to score and be promiscuous. There's a huge temptation to sle...