On Philotimo and the Christian Life

In the Greek tradition, dating back to ancient times, there is a tradition of cultivating the virtue of philotimo (φιλότιμο). Literally translated, this word means “love of honor,” but within the Orthodox tradition, this is hardly sufficient. One can love honor, and be bound by honor, and not be Christian. After all, Confucius, the Chinese philosopher, built a system based on honor without ever having heard of Christ. In the Orthodox tradition, philotimo is better understood as a state of virtuous gratitude to God for all things combined with a self-emptying humility. According to Elder Paisios, philotimo is “the reverent distillation of goodness, the love shown by humble people, from which every trace of self has been filtered out. Their hearts are full of gratitude towards God and their fellow men, and out of spiritual sensitivity they try to repay the slightest good which others do to them.”

As Orthodox Christians, our primary spiritual focus should be to strengthen the virtue of philotimo. Without the virtue of philotimo, we will never acquire inner peace, we will never acquire virtue, and we will never fulfill St. Herman’s call to “love God at all times.” The question, then, is how does one strengthen the virtue of philotimo?

The answer, of course, is simple to say but requires great effort on our part: to practice philotimo on a daily basis. Practice of philotimo starts with one’s personal demeanor and attitude. How do you treat others in your daily actions? Are people treated well, or not? Are you arrogant and dismissive, or are you kind and respectful? More importantly, are you kind externally while resentful, disrespectful, and unkind in your inner thoughts?

To encourage philotimo, practice first creating a good ethos in your life and having a good charitable and humble attitude towards your fellow travelers in this life. Fill each day with regular prayers. Assume good intentions from others, even if the result is bad or even unjust to you. Practice humility towards others and love for all people and all of God’s creation. Practice gratitude towards God for all things. Above all, order your life first around God and his Church. The rest of our life should orbit the Son of God as the planets orbit the Sun.

Fr. Simeon B. Johnson
October 22, 2011