Deadly Sins in 7 Words
Can we meaningfully draw associations between the 7 primary words:
No Hello Thanks Goodbye Please Sorry and Yes
and these notorious dysfunctions of behaviour given to us by Pope Gregory in the 6th century?
No is about boundaries, identity, choice and truth
Anger is associated with No Typically the expression of anger is a response to the feeling that we have been abused. In order to protect ourselves from the damage that our own anger causes us, we have to establish clear boundaries and apply them early so to prevent any would-be aggressor from invading, As a defence against the anger of another, it is required that we behave with sensitivity and respect toward the boundaries of the other, according to their sense of appropriateness rather than ours.
Hello is about attention, openness, exchange and communion
Lust is associated with Hello There are stages in the development from unconnectedness towards closeness, and these are as important within the context of sexual attraction as much as other types of involvements. In the absence of sensitive timing and a degree of restraint, the body’s yearning for physical intimacy can be felt or expressed without the socializing grace of the courtship rituals that slow down the process of connection so that heart can operate.
Thanks is about appreciating, valuing and giving from the heart
Gluttony is associated with Thank You This condition arises when even too much is not enough to satisfy. If we don’t appreciate what we have, then we want more—and yet it is not more that we need. What we need is to value what we have. Without learning this, nothing will ever satisfy us.
Goodbye is about realization, decision, completion, and moving on
Sloth is associated with Goodbye Sloth prevents us from moving on. It is the condition that inclines us to stay where we are when really we should be ready to leave behind the comforts of the moment and say Goodbye. Slothful people seem unable or unwilling to finish the job and move on, even though they may realize that their inertia is potentially harmful.
Please is about vision, intention, cooperation and prayer
Avarice is associated with Please When Please goes to inappropriate levels, greed arises. The capacity we have to get what we want is taken beyond moderation, often simply to demonstrate (to ourselves or others) that we can have anything—even everything!
Sorry is about responsibility, remorse, repair and release
Pride is associated with Sorry Pride does seem to be the most common reason that we withhold apology. We get lost in self-importance and just can’t accept how anything we have done (or omitted to do) has been responsible for another’s discomfort. Sorry is missing. Lost in our own feelings, we have little or no sensitivity to the feelings of another, so remorse is denied.
Yes is about permission, acceptance, agreement and surrender
Envy is associated with Yes It is a feeling of ill-will directed to another person by someone who compares himself to that other and is unwilling or unable to accept his own circumstances—usually to do with position or possessions.
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