The Seven Primary Attributes (of the Zentropist)

There are Seven Primary Attributes which are integral to the Tao of the Zentropist, each of which is no more or less important than any other. These Attributes must exist in harmony in order for the Zentropist to reach full potential.

The Seven Primary Attributes are:

• The Willingness to engage in life-long learning and exploration to hone one’s knowledge to a razor edge.

• The Discipline to commit to a course of action decisively and with a fullness of intent.

• The Adaptability to operate in fluid environments and to remain “interruptible.”

• The Knowledge of when to speak, and when to listen.

• The Character to remain humble while maintaining the confidence, bearing and integrity to transmit the wisdom gained from experience.

• The Courage, both intellectual and physical, to seize the initiative, to act in a moral and ethical manner, to inspire others, to exercise good judgment and to endure whatever is necessary to prevail.

• The Understanding that amid the seeming chaos of the world lies balance and we must seek to maintain this.

It is the ability to embody and cultivate these Attributes, and to implement them in the quest for solutions, that establishes the true nature of the Zentropist.

And as a Zentropist, we must always remain true to the creed that, “The fluent blade cuts cleanly.”

(Credit for the above quote is the novelist Takashi Matsuoka in his novel, “Cloud of Sparrows” which I think probably ought to be better known than it is).