What is a Virtuous Circle?
When following Wessingway, Wessinites create eight different virtuous circles in their lives. These all combine to form “The Virtuous Circle of Virtuous Circles,” the Asterose:
Wessinites create virtuous circles in their lives because of their unlimited potential for good. So what exactly is a virtuous circle? It is the opposite of a vicious circle. Both are similar to chain reactions where the outcome of one event leads to the outcome of other events and all of the events ultimately reinforce the others, causing the cycle to strengthen and become more intense. But while outcomes of a vicious circle are increasingly negative, the outcomes of a virtuous circle are increasingly positive.
For example, in a vicious circle, a man who has trouble sleeping stays up late watching social media, but has to be at work early in the morning. This sleep-deprived individual sleeps past his morning alarm and relies on caffeine to get him through next day. He does not have the time, knowledge, or inclination to plan and cook healthy meals. Consequently, along with drinking loads of coffee, he eats fastfood, leading to weight gain and listlessness. The abundance of late-day caffeine coupled with the lack of exercise and outdoor light causes him to drink beer at the end of each day to unwind. The abundance of alcohol and caffeine coupled with lack of exercise and outdoor light further contribute to poor sleep, further leading to more sleep deprivation and sugary coffees, fast food, beer, and late-night screen time the next day. Day after day, night after night, each bad habit reinforces the next until the individual is morbidly obese and fighting diabetes and heart disease. But what if this same individual refused to drink caffeine after 12:00 noon or look at a computer screen after 7:00 PM? What if this same individual committed to walking outdoors at least after lunch with a friend?
When it comes to their core values, Wessinites not only recognize and avoid vicious circles, but they actively promote virtuous circles. Using the same example, but with positive outcomes, the man invests time and money to learn and practice the basic tenets of good sleep hygiene. The next day, a well-rested individual gets up an hour earlier than his normal, sleep-deprived self, and uses this time to plan, cook and eat whole-food plant-based meals for lunch and dinner. After eating a home-prepared lunch, this individual meets with a colleague for a thirty-minute outdoor walk. Invigorated from the sleep, walks, socialization, and sunlight, he no longer needs caffeine in the afternoon. After work, he meets with the same friend at the YMCA for weightlifting. By exercising at the same time at the YMCA, they meet more friends. By then end of the day, the man is too tired to stay up surfing the internet. Instead, he goes to sleep earlier than his usual sleep-deprived self, sleeps better than normal, and the cycle begins again, ultimately leading to a leaner, more muscular body, better health, better relationships, and a longer happier life. This is the Wessingway.
Most virtuous circles begin with a investment of resolve, time and money to overcome toxic inertia. Once this toxic inertia is overcome, smaller, periodic investments help maintain and strengthen the cycle. In this example, the man first invested his time in learning, applying, and perfecting the principles of good sleep hygiene . He also spent a good bit of time learning how to cook healthy meals. Once he learned how to sleep well and cook a plant-based diet, the cycle seemed to be propelled by an energy of its own. By going to bed earlier and sleeping better, he had an extra hour and a half more each morning, which he chose to use for preparing his lunch and dinner. Since he does not have to wait in line for fast food come lunch or dinner, he has more time then to exercise all the while investing in relationships. In virtuous circles, one good turn leads to another and by way of habit. Day after day, night after night, the rewards are exponential.
