| In the world,
because of laws of nature, we can predict the future. When we
throw a ball in the air we can predict its descent because of
physics. We have faith that the sun will rise at a certain time
and place because of the rotation of the earth around the sun. Though
all of this is true, there is no necessary cause and effect. We
can not predict with certainty that the future will repeat the
past. This was David Hume's insight. The future is always
uncertain to some extent. In a person's life laws of nature also operate. We call them habits. If a person has good habits we can predict the behavior and the outcome of events because of the discipline of the person. We call good habits virtues. When my manager needs results fast and accurate, he will go to someone who has a proven track record, someone who has cultivated good habits. Because we can not know the future with certainty, we do not know positively whether the person chosen for the task will succeed, but we can be sure that the person chosen will give us the best chance for success. As a worker it behooves us to develop good habits. In doing so, our manager will have confidence that we can perform the given task well and with success. Is it a guarantee? Of course not. But like knowing the sun will rise tomorrow, our manager will be confident that we will perform our task well. EOM |