Constancy

Apparently there was a time when constancy was considered a virtue, and as such, one of those quaint old virtue names was created: Constance. It became popular, I have no idea why, horrible name, but let's not get into names because that is always a bad idea.

I doubt very much that most of the more modern Constances were so named in the hope they'd be constant, and I honestly don't think people think about constancy much any more.

What does it mean? Well, it means somebody whose thoughts, words, and deeds are reliable, not ever-changing.

It means someone who commits to something and follows through.

It means someone who is not a hypocrite.

It means someone who is decisive, having made a wise choice in the first place.

It means someone who keeps promises.

It means someone who doesn't flip-flop on their opinion.

And a whole lot more.

These days, instead of this being a virtue, it's pretty much dismissed. In fact as far as I can tell people are proud of being inconstant.

It means a lot to me, and I try very hard to achieve it. It's a personal goal, to be constant.

And, as a result of that inconstant people annoy me. They frustrate me. Even if they are kind and well-meaning, otherwise. Especially if they don't appear to be even trying, and if they seem proud of it, well, I growl.

If they try, and fail, OK, that's part of being human. I just have to live with that, and I do. If they try.......

I am bothered by this trend that it's funny to be inconstant. That it's not important. If I had said publically, maybe 30 or 40 years ago that I failed miserably at committing to things, chances are it would have been in the form of a confession, and I would have been ashamed of it. And while I may have had people sympathetic, and say "well, nobody's perfect" there would still have been a general feeling that the thing to do would be to work on this, to try harder.

Now people makes jokes about it, they don't care.

I think it's great that we can be more honest about our faults and flaws. I'm not so keen on the idea that by being fully open about trhem, that it somehow makes them OK.

I remember when people apologized for being late, and meant it.

I remember when people apologized for forgetting things, and meant it.

I think I'm getting old.