Can Georgia truly live its values of wisdom, justice, moderation and courage?

Something deeply disturbing is setting in. There’s no one to call. No political figure or tech genius is coming to save us.

We are witnessing a depth of ethical and moral rottenness that’s becoming increasingly more difficult to comprehend. We do, however, still maintain the power to choose an honest, hard look at ourselves and move in a better direction.

May I suggest an old way path for us to consider before it’s too late?

Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher, states that a society should be anchored by four cardinal virtues. It begs the question: Are the virtues of antiquity any match for the challenges of the 2020s?

Georgia seal and flag pledge offer us guidance

The scope of our modern problems seems endless. Abundant wealth is close enough to see but too far to touch. We live in the land of the free while shackled with debt so great that numbers are almost meaningless. What exactly is $40 trillion anyway?

Our data and privacy are sold to the highest bidder, and we routinely affirm that we “understand and agree to the terms.” We welcome the distraction and ease of entertainment and luxury, while drifting further away from our individual and collective purpose.

We chase meaning and identity in all the things that ultimately leave us feeling incomplete and undefined. We seem to know almost everything, trust absolutely nothing, all while missing that elusive something.

It’s tempting to mentally check out and just try to be happy in our own way. I’ve battled with this sentiment while in public office. This strategy of “protecting my peace” is appropriate, especially for a season of recovery. But like a boxer in his corner between rounds, the bell has sounded, and it’s time to get back in the ring and fight relentlessly with a strategy that’s been hiding in plain sight.

The scope of our modern problems seems endless. Abundant wealth is close enough to see but too far to touch. We live in the land of the free while shackled with debt so great that numbers are almost meaningless. What exactly is $40 trillion anyway?

Our data and privacy are sold to the highest bidder, and we routinely affirm that we “understand and agree to the terms.” We welcome the distraction and ease of entertainment and luxury, while drifting further away from our individual and collective purpose.

We chase meaning and identity in all the things that ultimately leave us feeling incomplete and undefined. We seem to know almost everything, trust absolutely nothing, all while missing that elusive something.

It’s tempting to mentally check out and just try to be happy in our own way. I’ve battled with this sentiment while in public office. This strategy of “protecting my peace” is appropriate, especially for a season of recovery. But like a boxer in his corner between rounds, the bell has sounded, and it’s time to get back in the ring and fight relentlessly with a strategy that’s been hiding in plain sight.

“Wisdom, justice, moderation … and courage” is what we recite each day of the Georgia legislative session. The three original pillars were adopted with the state seal in 1799 and have been closely associated with our three branches of government.

Courage was officially added to the Georgia State flag pledge in 2022 to reflect Plato’s four cardinal virtues in “The Republic Book IV.” Our government should ultimately reflect the values of the people. That means each of us should view our challenges through the lens of virtue, which can serve as a guiding principle in more ways than we think.

Create a four-way test for the Peach State

As a Rotarian, I’m reminded of another recitation after weekly meetings. Rotary International has a four-way test that starts like this: “Of the things we think, say, and do … Is it true? Is it fair to all concerned?” and so on, including all four questions.

It’s time that Georgians lead our nation by example, evaluating our decisions with our own four-way test. Every legislative motive, every business vision, every organizational strategy, every educational objective can be put to the Georgia four-way test.

“Of what I think and do … Is it wise? Is it just? Is it moderate? Is it courageous?”

Let’s start by breaking down the creed through the lens of wisdom. There’s no doubt that we have access to more information than ever before. One glaring flaw is that our knowledge is embarrassingly outpacing our wisdom. Great knowledge without wisdom will inevitably make us extremely smart fools. Like a fast car without brakes or a powerful train without sufficient tracks, it’s wise to think through how we use our new powerful tech tools, for example.

Wisdom acknowledges that large-scale technological infrastructure could have tremendous long-term economic benefits. Our state’s transportation framework, energy grid, and communication network have set our state apart from the rest. Wisdom also suggests that the inevitable risks must be named and addressed to help build safeguards and minimize damage. Think of the historic neighborhood impacted by our interstate, our river ecology downstream of our airport, and our agricultural land use adjacent to data centers.

The Georgia four-way test is a framework for making sense of this new world through an old lens. As legislators, we must carry these principles into our judgment and use them to vet the policies, ideas and decisions that come before us throughout our time in public service. It starts with wisdom, the prudent application of abundant information. Together with justice, moderation and courage, these pillars can guide Georgia toward a genuine optimism about our future.