Self-Mastery: Alvaro de Vicente on Fostering Interior Freedom in Schools

In this week's episode, we talk with headmaster Alavaro de Vicente about a central theme from our faculty workshop: self-mastery. As Alvaro explains, self-mastery is a certain integration of action, words, thoughts, and desires that gives one the interior freedom to not only do the good but to want to do the good. What does this self-mastery look like for teachers, for students, and for parents? How do we help our boys develop self-mastery? What is the role of a school in assisting parents with this great endeavor? As man is not made virtuous in a day, Mr. de Vicente encourages us to think long term. At the same, he reminds us to focus on the little things, those small, daily realities where aspiration becomes actuality. In particular, he suggests dress code, punctuality, and language as three battlefields on which we can wage war alongside our sons—not against them—as they grow in interior freedom. Self-mastery, Alvaro explains, is not about mastering the world or others. It is rather about mastery of oneself so as to be able to steward the little piece of creation which the Creator has given us. For some, this may be a team. For others, it could be a whole company or even a country. For most, this will be a family, for whom the father has a special kind of care—a care which is best lived out when he recognizes that he is both a father and the Father's son. Chapters 0:57 What is self-mastery? 2:30 The role of the school in developing self-mastery of students 5:00 Practical advice for developing self-mastery in students 6:23 Dress code 9:35 Punctuality 10:30 Language 13:12 School tone and self-mastery 14:54 Advice for teachers 15:45 Armando Valladares and interior freedom 19:20 Trusting our students 22:52 John Henry Cardinal Newman and the education of boys 23:30 Two applications of Newman's educational philosophy 26:45 Self-mastery and the order of creation 30:00 Living life to the fullest: how self-mastery can help us enjoy life more 31:15 Advice for parents 35:20 Implementing change in the home 39:38 Stories from Alvaro's upbringing 42:20 Recommended reading 43:50 A question to spark discussion Also on The Forum Respectful Dominion: Colin Gleason on Discipline with Colin Gleason Learn to Turn: Tom Royals on Parental Prudence with Tom Royals Manners: The Art of Happiness by Robert Greving Why My Computer Science Students Should Master the Guitar by George Martin Training the Hand to Train the Mind by Robert Greving Additional Resources A Catholic Eton? Newman's Oratory School by Paul Shrimpton Against All Hope: A Memoir of Life in Castro's Gulag by Armando Valladares