Walkin’ the Walk: Compassion, Wisdom, and Justice in Everyday Life

Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.

Now, y’all know The Satanic Temple has these tenets, right? Well, there’s one that says, “Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.” Sounds fancy, I know, but it’s really about livin’ right, treatin’ folks with respect, and makin’ sure your actions match your words.

In this here essay, I’m gonna explain what this tenet means in plain ol’ everyday language, and give you some examples of how it can apply to your life—whether you live in a small town like me, or in a big city somewhere. So let’s dive in with Walkin’ the Walk: Compassion, Wisdom, and Justice in Everyday Life.

What does this Tenet even mean?

Lookin’ at this tenet, you may think it is pretty simple. The truth is that walking the right road is difficult, you have to learn when to take a stand and when you dont. You sometimes may have to put your personal safety to the back to stand up for another that may need it. But, let’s break it down into 4 easy to understand chunks.

Now, the first thing to know about this idea is that it’s not just about what you say, but about what you do. It’s about being a person who lives with nobility, which, put simply, is acting with honor, decency, and fairness. And as for the spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice—well, those are the qualities that should guide all of us in how we treat each other.

1. Nobility aint just fancy words

In the South, we got a saying: “Actions speak louder than words.” That’s the heart of nobility. Nobility don’t just mean wearing a fancy suit or talking real proper. It means you carry yourself in a way that shows you’ve got good intentions and respect for others.

Being noble is about:

Making Good Decisions: It’s like when you’re deciding whether to help out a neighbor who’s in a bind, or whether to take the easy way out. A noble person chooses the right thing, even when it’s not the easiest.
Being a Good Example: Folks will watch how you act and how you treat people. So being noble means setting a good example for younger folks or anyone who looks up to you.
Doing the Right Thing Even When It’s Hard: Sometimes it ain’t easy to do what’s right, especially if you’ve got a lot of folks telling you to do the opposite. But nobility means sticking with your principles, even if it’s tough.

2. The spirit of compassion

Now, compassion is something we talk about a lot down here. It’s about caring for other folks, showing ’em you understand what they’re going through, and offering a helping hand when you can.

Think of it like this:

Understanding Others’ Hardships: Compassion is when you see someone struggling and instead of turning away, you try to understand what they’re feeling. It’s like when someone’s lost a loved one, or they’re down on their luck. You take the time to listen, offer a kind word, or even cook ‘em a meal.
Helping When You Can: Compassion don’t mean just feeling sorry for someone. It means doing something about it when you can—like helping someone carry their groceries, or giving up your seat for someone who needs it more than you.

At its core, compassion is about treating people the way you’d want to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot.

3. The spirit of wisdom

Now, wisdom is something we get from a lifetime of experiences. It’s not just about being book-smart, though that sure helps. Wisdom is about using what you’ve learned in life to make better decisions.

Being wise means:

Thinking Things Through: Before you do something big, like making a decision that affects your family or your community, wisdom says you should think about the long-term effects, not just what’s gonna feel good right now.
Learning from Mistakes: We all mess up, and that’s okay. But wisdom is about looking back on those mistakes and figuring out what you can learn from ‘em so you don’t make the same ones again.
Being Open to Different Perspectives: Sometimes, the folks around us have different ways of looking at things. A wise person knows how to listen and consider others’ opinions before jumping to conclusions or making decisions.

Wisdom keeps you from rushing into things without thinking it through, and helps you make better choices.

4. The spirit of justice

Justice, especially here in the South, is all about fairness and doing right by folks, no matter where they come from or what they’ve done. It means making sure everyone gets treated equally, even when it might not seem like the easiest thing to do.

Justice is about:

Standing Up for What’s Right: Justice is when you see something wrong happening and you speak up or take action to stop it. It’s about making sure everyone gets a fair shake.
Fairness for All: Whether it’s the kid in school who’s being picked on, or someone being treated unfairly because of the color of their skin, justice means making sure that the rules apply to everybody the same way.
Holding People Accountable: Justice also means making sure folks own up to their actions, whether they’ve done something good or something bad. If you do something wrong, you gotta face the consequences.

Justice isn’t just a word we throw around. It’s a principle that means making sure the right thing happens for everyone, not just for yourself.

Why compassion, wisdom, and justice are more important than words

Now, the second part of this principle says that the spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the “written or spoken word.” That means it’s not enough to just say something nice or write a pretty post on social media. What really matters is how you live those values out in real life.

Words Can Be Pretty, But Actions Speak Louder

In today’s world, folks love to say things that sound good. You’ll see someone post on Facebook, “Be kind” or “We need justice for all.” And don’t get me wrong, those are good things to say. But the real question is: Are they living it?

You can say all day long that you care about people, but if your actions don’t match up, folks are gonna notice. And you’ll find that the real measure of compassion, wisdom, and justice is in what you do, not just in what you say.

Words can be misused

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen plenty of folks twist words to fit their own agenda. They’ll say one thing and do another, and that ain’t right. So, while words are important, they can be misleading. That’s why it’s even more important to make sure that your actions reflect what you’re saying.

If you say you stand for justice, but you’re treating people unfairly behind closed doors, that don’t count for much. Words are one thing, but it’s what you do that truly shows what you stand for.

How it relates to modern times

Now, let’s talk about how this principle works in the world we’re living in today. The times have changed a lot, but these old values of compassion, wisdom, and justice are still as important as ever.

Take social media, for example. Folks love to share their opinions online, but it’s easy to hide behind a screen and say things that don’t match up with how you live in the real world. If you’re constantly posting about how people should treat each other with kindness, but you’re putting folks down behind their backs, then you’re not really living that value.

In this modern age, it’s more important than ever to remember that our actions need to reflect our words. It ain’t enough to say, “Be kind.” You’ve got to show kindness in every part of your life.

Fighting for justice in today’s world

The world’s still got a long way to go when it comes to justice. There’s still a lot of folks who get treated unfairly because of their race, gender, or where they’re from. But just talking about justice ain’t gonna make a change. We need folks out there fighting for it in real life—whether that’s speaking out against racism, supporting your neighbors when they’re in need, or helping to make sure everyone gets the same opportunities.

Practicing compassion and wisdom in a divided world

These days, it feels like people are more divided than ever. But wisdom and compassion can help bridge those gaps. When things get heated, it’s easy to start judging others without really listening. But if we take a step back and try to understand each other, we’ll find we’re not as different as we think. It’s about being wise enough to listen and compassionate enough to care.

Living by compassion, wisdom, and justice

This ain’t just some fancy philosophy. It’s about livin’ a good life, treatin’ folks with respect, and makin’ the world a better place. It’s about bein’ a good neighbor, a good friend, and a good person.Compassion, wisdom, and justice aren’t just things we talk about—they’re the way we should act, day in and day out. So, whether you’re here in the mountains of southwest Virginia or out in the big city, remember that your actions speak louder than your words. Treat folks right, make wise choices, and always stand up for what’s fair. That’s how we make this world a better place for everyone. Let compassion, wisdom, and justice guide your actions.

Well folx, that concludes our lessons into the 7 Tenets of the Satanic Temple. How do y’all feel about this last tenet from The Satanic Temple? Doesnt this just sound like plain old common sense and manners? Maybe you feel that getting involved isnt your thing and would prefer to let others worry about it? Let me know in the comments below. I hope my posts have been helpful in understanding a little more about what Romantic Satanism is and is not. If y’all would like to learn more, reach out to GayintheCLE with what you would like to hear and I will work something out. Until next time, Hail yourself.

Walkin’ the Walk: Compassion, Wisdom, and Justice in Everyday Life