CONGRESS 2010

INCONTRO ROMANO 2010: LIFESTYLE - EXPERTS IN HUMANITY

Lifestyle is a term frequently used in modern-day speech. It is related to personal identity and is a reflection of how we understand the world around us - it is our way of looking at reality. Our lifestyle demonstrates our convictions, values, and ways of seeing and doing things – it is how we live. It is a choice in life that, albeit not always a conscious choice, determines who we are, how we present ourselves, and how we relate to others.

People create lifestyles that affect homes and families. ¨ We mold ourselves as human beings through the small things that we experience around us: a greeting, the way a house is decorated, one´s way of dressing, and the many things that may appear very far from theoretical discourse¨[1]. Individuals primarily create and project their lifestyle in a family setting. The family, in turn, is a microcosm of society that and as such greatly impacts culture at large. To contribute positively to the improvement of society therefore, we must focus our attention on the nucleus of the family – the human person. It is with this in mind that we propose the theme for 2010, “Experts in Humanity” [2], with the objective of investigating what it means to be a human person; what our needs are as human beings; and to discover how one can become an “expert in humanity.”

The following are two general ideas that are meant to serve as a guide for developing your projects. These ideas are based on anthropological foundations and the conviction that striving for high quality service enriches the development of persons - it is not merely a means to maximize economic profit.

a. Service. Work that directly affects persons generates a more human lifestyle, both for those who carry it out as well as for those who benefit from it, thereby contributing to the creation of a service culture in society.

Work is an essential dimension in the life of every person that leads to the building of a truly human culture. John Paul II explains, “work is a good thing for man–a good thing for his humanity-because through work man not only transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves fulfillment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes ´more a human being´”.[3] Further demonstrating the immeasurable greatness of work that is truly human we read, “sanctifying each day's work is the miracle of turning the prose of each day into heroic verse by the love which you put into your ordinary work. God waits for you there. He expects you to be a responsible person, with the zeal of an apostle and the competence of a good worker.” [4] With this in mind, it may be said that the work one does to create a home is a privileged archetype of human work. It is a free and responsible dedication to the care of one´s own house and family environment, it is enriching as an opportunity to demonstrate love, and it plays a key role in the process of creating a culture imbued with humanity.

“Whoever works in the home has to develop some very particular human qualities – manual dexterity, experience, and skills—; concrete virtues like spirit of service, generosity, humility; and, above all, a special capacity for being observant so as to discover the needs of each person.” [5] Living and working with this attitude imbued with a spirit of service, generates a lifestyle that humanises.

Manual work at the service of day-to-day life has scientific, artistic, and solidary value that converts it into a privileged paradigm of human work. It is work that seeks to give man his humanity. [6] There is no doubt that the home is the best place in which to discover and receive the warmth of service that treats one as a person. The home is also the perfect atmosphere in which to grow and mature. It is in the home that one forges a society expert in humanity.

b. Professionalism. The parameters used to evaluate the quality of a service ought to take into account how it contributes to a person´s integral development.

The more that work favours the integral development of the human being, the greater its value. Taking care of one´s home is a form of work closely related to the development of human beings. It therefore requires serious and thorough professional training in order to carry it out well. When this work of service is done professionally, as it is deeply connected to what it means to be human, it creates a culture that is experts in humanity.

Transforming a house into a home requires that all the work put into this transformation be done with professionalism combining science, art, and technical skill. It is here, in a house that is truly a home, that one is valued as a person. Here, each individual is able to take on a lifestyle that allows him and his family to live well.

In his book that inquires into the value of work, Matthew B.Crawford convincingly argues that we ought to publicly honour manual workers who acquire genuine competence for all of us depend upon their work everyday. [7] The more that work is done with professionalism and competence, the better it is a reflection of humanity. Improving professional performance and fostering the desire to care for ones home involves placing an importance on education and training such that one´s practical experience is sustained by up-to-date theoretical knowledge and vice-versa, well assimilated theoretical foundations can be translated into a wide variety of effective practical applications. Saint Josemaria sums it up well when he writes, ¨in order to do things properly, you must know how to do them. I cannot see the integrity of a person who does not strive to attain professional skills and to carry out properly the task entrusted to his care. It's not enough to want to do good; we must know how to do it. And, if our desire is real, it will show itself in the effort we make to use the right methods, finishing things well, achieving human perfection¨. [8]

Carrying out day-to-day activities in a way that reflects humanity necessarily implies the use of the intellect, will, and affectivity. Applying these human capacities to all that implies creating a home, compounded by the consideration of how each act of service is directed towards the concrete needs of a person, is true professionalism that values the human person.

[1] HERRERO, M.; Fasion and Lifestyle. Inaugural Conference of the XIX Incontro Romano; 8th April 2009.

[2] The expression “experts in humanity” was used by Paul VI in a speech made to the UN (4-X-1965) and subsequently was used several times by John Paul II.

[3] JUAN PABLO II, Encyclical Letter Laborem exercens, 14-IX-1981, n. 9.

[4] SAINT JOSEMARÍA ESCRIVÁ, Christ is Passing By; Scepter; New York 1975; n. 50.

[5] CHIRINOS, M.P.; Una propuesta filosófica para la santificación del trabajo: el ¨negocio contemplativo¨, en Romana No. 45, Julio – Diciembre de 2007.

[6] Cfr. CHIRINOS, M.P.; Un´Antropologia del lavoro: il “domestico” come categoria; Pontificia Università della Santa Croce - Facoltà di Filosofia; Roma 2005; p. 86.

[7] CRAWFORD, M.B; Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work; Penguin Group, Inc.; USA 2009; pp. 9, 18 y 22.

[8] SAINT JOSEMARÍA ESCRIVÁ, Christ is Passing By; Scepter; New York 1975; n. 50.

A SELECTION OF PAPERS AND PROJECTS FROM THE 2010 CONGRESS