Temperance, charity, diligence, humility, kindness, and patience—these are some of the heavenly virtues we should strive to master in our lives. Let the monks and priests silently master them on faraway mountains, but for us, the weary air traveler, we'll earn our stripes at the airport and 37,000 feet in the air.
To achieve this, we must first ensure we are in the proper headspace. A good way to do this is by keeping stress levels low because a less stressful you means more room to practice these virtues with others around you. A simple way to reduce stress at the airport is to sign up for TSA PreCheck, making the security process a breeze. If you fly more than 10 times a year through busy airports, consider purchasing a CLEAR membership to make security a complete afterthought. With CLEAR, you go to their kiosk, show your boarding pass, and they take you to the front of the security line. If you already have TSA PreCheck, having CLEAR means you will jump to the front of the precheck line. Pairing CLEAR and TSA PreCheck is the most efficient way I’ve found to get through security. If you're a globetrotter, consider Global Entry to bypass customs when returning to the U.S.
Going through TSA is a great opportunity to practice humility. It's the TSA agent’s world; let them run it. Approach when they call on you, follow directions, and thank them once you are on the other side of the metal detector. TSA is a thankless gig. It might make their day, it might not. You can't control their reaction, only your actions. Finally, put away your bin if you used one going through security; it’s the equivalent of putting away your grocery cart (or buggy for my southerners) after grocery shopping.
Now that you are at your gate, use the time saved through security to be diligent in your work as you wait for your plane to board. Be a pro. Also, use this opportunity to practice kindness by not taking calls/zoom meetings in crowded areas. I’m sure it’s important to you, but if you really need to be on that call, please go to an isolated area and use headphones. No one around you is excited to hear about your dinner meeting in Dallas or how your colleague’s wife and kids are doing.
When they're starting to board the plane, don't bum rush the line like a cattle call. I’m looking at you, group 7 out of 8. Practice patience. Once in your seat, say you see a young couple wearing pajamas on the flight. It’s 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon. You’re a clothes snob like me and see dressing well as an act of respect for others around you. Let’s pull back here and practice charity with a mental technique I learned from a book called The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism by Olivia Fox Cabane. In her book Cabane introduces a technique called rewriting reality. For example, instead of gritting your teeth and telling yourself society is doomed, tell yourself that the pajama couple are generous volunteers testing out pajamas made by orphans from Uganda. They are traveling back to Uganda to hand-deliver a million-dollar check to the orphans and have been asked to wear pajamas to bring awareness to the cause. Crazy right? Telling yourself this will lighten your mood and make you more empathetic to those around you. Read the book if you don't buy it. Rewriting reality will make you feel better about the situation. Science.
Rewrite reality again during the flight when the pajama passengers in front of you squash your legs when they throw their seat back. Tell yourself they must have just had back surgery and need to stretch. You are the hero they needed. Suppose the same pajama passengers jump up when you land and try to rush to the front of the plane, women, children, blind dogs be damned. Tell yourself that they must be in a rush to get that check to the orphans in Uganda or the orphanage will close. They’re doing great things.
These are a few simple ways to practice building virtue at the airport and 37,000 feet in the air. Air travel is an opportunity for us to give in to our lesser selves, as things can easily go wrong and compound. But you read Hill Country Affair. You aspire to acknowledge and dismiss those base instincts and see air travel as an amazing opportunity to become a more virtuous person.
Well said.