Deadly Virtues

Deadly virtues are human qualities that are generally and widely regarded as right and good. But they bear with them certain harmful (and largely unseen) consequences or side effects. It is the vices that we think of as being deadly, as in the "seven deadly sins." But it occurs to me that virtues, too, can be deadly - can bring not life but deadness to the human enterprise. A virtue is something that most people would unquestionably think of as being positive, admirable, and worth striving for. Some are deadly.

What might some of these deadly virtues be?

Earnestness
Some of us have had conversations about this. We see this manifested in those who take themselves too seriously. They have come to believe that it really does depend on them. But such piety can be a drag for those around.

Perfectionism
The parent who expects no less than perfection, who constantly tucks in the shirt of a 3 yr old, for example, will create a high achiever who knows how to act happy, but isn't. Perfectionism may be the most readily understood deadly virtue.

Religiosity
To be religious seems good. Yet the prophets often rail against religion and it was the religious ones who decided to get Jesus crucified. Religion is a human enterprise, structures built to force and reinforce faith. Faith itself is another matter. I don't mean this as a defence for people who don't go to church or are "spiritual, not religious," although religion is never ultimate and is often more part of the problem than the solution.

Optimism
When we must compulsively 'look on the bright side' we teach ourselves to live in denial of reality. We refuse to face what is actually happening. This is not to be confused with hope - which can embrace the negative and utter a "nevertheless."

Righteousness
This is perhaps the hardest one to understand. What could be better than this? But Luther speaks of an alien righteousness - a righteousness we never manufacture ourselves or even feel, at least as much as we feel our sinfulness or unrighteousness. Righteousness as a virtue is self-righteousness. "The presumption of righteousness is the dregs of all the evils and the sin of all the sins of the world. For all other sins and vices can be corrected, or at least prohibited by the punishment of the magistrate. But this sin, each man's personal presumption of his own righteousness, peddles itself as the height of religion and sanctity, because it is impossible for the nonspiritual man to judge rightly about this issue. Therefore this disease is the highest and greatest empire of the devil in the whole universe, truly the head of the serpent and the snare by which the devil captures all men and holds them captive." (LW 26, p307, this is Luthers 1535 Commentary on the Galatians)

So, I'm sure there must be more of these deadly virtues. What might some more of them be?