the constant cultivation of the mind

The human mind—unlike any other organ—requires intentional formation and constant attention. For the purpose of this discussion, we will use the term “mind” to refer to everything related to the human personality, since, according to modern science, the brain is the seat of affections, stress responses, and intelligence. This understanding contrasts sharply with ancient perspectives, but we believe that further clarification would not contribute meaningfully to our present topic.

Just as the body needs ongoing physical activity to remain fit, the mind demands continual cultivation. However, the mind’s needs are clearly more sophisticated. It requires the development of intelligence, wisdom, and knowledge; the deepening of emotional maturity; the strengthening of spiritual stamina; and the sharpening of mental acuity. It benefits from exposure to the visual arts and music, from a basic familiarity with significant literature, and from the fine-tuning that enables one to discern rightly between good and evil—and to submit willingly to what is right. It also requires the kind of rigorous exercise that equips it for complex reasoning and sustained thought.

In the everyday life of a couple, the first step in this cultivation is learning to think in terms of common sense: a healthy relationship should foster mutual flourishing, not the dominance or prioritization of one person. There should be no harm done, no negative attitudes, and no lure toward sin.

When it comes to the individual, this cultivation means achieving the golden balance between obligations and rights, spending time wisely, and being able to give an honest and accurate account of how that time has been used.