Even if you could not name them all, you have probably heard of the Seven Deadly Sins. Here is the standard list: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. Those seven are not the only sins there are, but because we are so susceptible to them – seemingly almost psychologically primed to be seduced by them – and yet they lead to so much harm in both individual lives and in society, they are wisely considered among the most important things we all need to beware. One need not be a Christian, or a subscriber to any particular faith at all, to see how easily we can succumb to them, how much mischief they can and do create in our lives, how beneficial it would be to us if we could resist them, and yet how much effort it takes to resist them. Just when we might think we have mastered one, we discover we are indulging others, with exactly the negative consequences we would predict. There is, unfortunately, no such thing as conquering them once and for all. They continue to recur, often when we least expect it, and when they do, they can seem so alluring, so self-promoting and even emotionally satisfying, that it is only after the fact that we might look back on our behavior and feel regret, embarrassment, even shame. In the heat of the moment, however, it can be a different story.