St. Mark’s School of Texas

English 10: Character and Leadership Vocabulary

Part I: Head/Concepts

alienation: the sense of anxiety, isolation, or separation that comes from not feeling at home in one’s world

balance: maintaining a healthy equilibrium by choosing wisely when confronted with conflicting or overlapping responsibilities

belonging: feeling included, even “at home,” because of care received and reciprocated

character: the distinctive personal qualities and habits that direct a person’s decisions and future actions

community: a group of people pursuing a common mission in sustainable ways for the good of all of its members

coordination: the effective inspiration and management of a community’s efforts toward achieving a shared goal

curiosity: a strong desire to know or learn something new

ethics: the study and practice of the repeated behaviors and habits that lead to strong senses of spirit, belonging, and thriving

ethos (pl. ethoi): the defining spirit of a community as manifested in its beliefs, habits, and aspirations

engagement: full involvement with others in a shared community

eudaimonia: the deep, profound happiness and satisfaction that comes from virtuously moving toward one’s telos throughout life (see telos defined below)

external goods: superficial, transitory rewards that exist in the world of things rather than in the complex emotional and ethical realm of the self

growth mindset: focus on the effort and improvement necessary to overcome challenges rather than on one’s ability or performance at a point in time

internal goods: intangible and enduring rewards derived from the gradual mastery of complex skills and productive, healthy practices

leadership: engaging, serving, and coordinating one’s communities in ethical and sustainable ways so that those communities move toward their goals; the cultivated habit of understanding the world as your world, for which you have the responsibility of proactive care (see responsibility defined below)

narrative goods: the intrinsic rewards of belonging and direction that come when one tells the honest story about where he comes from, where he is, and where he is going

negative capability: the ability to hold conflicting ideas, feelings, and motivations in oneself without forcing a premature judgment or decision among them

responsibility: the understanding that we must own our actions, that we are liable for their consequences, and that we owe reciprocal care to our communities

Self:

1. A self is its web of social roles, through which it cares for and is cared for by its world.

2. A self is its character, its capacity to be effective, its virtues minus its vices.

3. A self is its telos, its movement toward what it understands to be its most complete being.

4. A self is the narrative it implicitly or explicitly tells itself about where it has come from, where it is, and where it is going.

5. A self is its intellect, its ability to see and understand reality.

6. A self is its imagination, its ability to invent and to see the world fresh, so as to engage it in ways no one had considered before.

7. A self is its personality, through which it presents itself to the world.

8. A self is its inwardness, its private thoughts and feelings and reflections.

9. A self is its voice, its unique way of speaking its world.

10. A self is its brand, its accumulated reputation, style, and status in its communities.

11. A self is its faith, its ability to improve its world by living up to its noble beliefs.

12. A self is its material, biological body.

service: tending to the needs of people and our world in a way that promotes, preserves, and enhances their thriving

sustainability: creation and preservation of the conditions that allow something to continue existing

synthesizing: creating connections between separate entities in a way that imparts something new and unified

telos: what a being could become if it grew into its fullest self; the as-yet-unrealized-trajectory of one’s being

thriving: growing, developing, flourishing; actualizing one’s highest potential

vice: a destructive, unsustainable habit, behavior, or quality that inhibits caring and thriving and that therefore harms its host and his community

virtue: an excellent habit or quality, developed over time, that helps a person to care, to serve, to thrive, and to gain the internal goods that make life purposeful and satisfying

Part II: Heart/Virtues

amiability: a friendly and pleasant attitude

benevolence: good-will toward all

compassion: caring response to the misfortunes of others

confidence: self-assurance arising from a sense of certainty about the rightness of one’s conduct

continence: self-restraint

courage: determination in the face of pain, risk, grief, fear, defeat, or even death

courtesy: polite behavior toward others

deference: yielding to the skills, judgment, or authority of another person

dependability: trustworthiness; reliability

diligence: careful and persistent effort

discipline: self-control; self-denial; deferring gratification

empathy: feeling the experiences of another as though they were one’s own

enthusiasm: passionate eagerness in any pursuit

faith: trust or confidence

fidelity: loyal and faithful support

flexibility: the ability to adapt to change

forgiveness: pardon of injuries that releases resentment and bitterness; letting go of a grudge

fortitude: the strength to bear misfortune calmly and patiently

generosity: the act of giving more than is necessary or expected

grace: unmerited forgiveness and favor

gratitude: appreciation for what we have been given, especially that we did not deserve or create

grit: resolve in the face of difficulty; firmness of character; indomitable spirit

honesty: telling the truth and dealing fairly with all

honor: holding oneself to the highest code of conduct; contributing to the wellbeing of the community, and thereby deserving respect

integrity: wholeness; moral and ethical consistency; showing the same face to everyone

intimacy: close familiarity or friendship

irony: an attitude that recognizes and accepts the incongruities, complexities, and paradoxes of life

justice: giving each his or her due; fair behavior or treatment

kindness: selfless help of others

magnanimity: greatness of spirit; extreme generosity

modesty: attitude of moderation or humility concerning one’s abilities or strengths

openness: willingness to consider unfamiliar aspects of the world before making a final judgment

optimism: the ability to remain hopeful and resourceful in adversity as well as prosperity

patience: the ability to wait calmly

receptivity: acceptance of something or someone

resilience: the ability to “spring back” into shape after being crushed or pressured; the ability to recover quickly or easily from misfortune or shock; robustness; adaptability

respect: treating people or things as if they merit one’s care

reverence: deep respect

self-awareness: knowledge of one’s own personhood, including character, feelings, motives, desires, and place in the world

sincerity: meaning what one says

sophrosyne [suh FROSS uh nee]: condition in which a person’s reason and drives are in balance, giving each its due and allowing neither to dominate

vivacity: lively and animated participation

spirituality: concern with sacred dimensions of experience

vulnerability: the absence of emotional barriers between the self and others; the endurance of risk for the possibility of love

wisdom: the power to judge rightly in the face of ambiguity (phronesis); seeing the world as it is, not how it seems to be (sophia)

wit: the ability to use one’s reasoning ability quickly, cleverly, and effectively

Part III: Hands/Skills

advocating: standing up for a person, cause, or idea

attending: keeping an eye on someone or something, being ready to give care

caring: applying energy and skill in the service of someone or something

collaborating: working in partnership with others on a significant project

committing: pledging oneself to a person, thing, or course of action

communicating: sending or receiving a message

cooperating: assisting or complying with another toward shared ends

cultivating: fostering, encouraging, and preparing for growth; improving by labor, care, or study; refining

deciding: making a timely choice

defining a problem: setting forth or explaining the essential nature of a difficulty

delegating: entrusting a peer or a subordinate with a task

listening: sustained and attentive hearing

evaluating: determining the success or failure of an effort

imagining solutions: generating ideas that could solve a problem

including: allowing, inviting, and encouraging others to join a group or enterprise

inspiring: spurring to action or uplifting as if by divine force

mentoring: taking responsibility for the growth of another through the sustained sharing of knowledge and wisdom

planning: designing and arranging the component parts of a project

problem-solving: purposefully and skillfully addressing needs to guide a solution to successful completion

protecting: guarding or defending

prototyping: constructing a preliminary explanation, answer, or decision from which improved or modified versions may be developed

providing: meeting a need

sharing: voluntarily giving part of what you have to another

stewarding: managing resources sustainably