Gulf society is now so heavily diluted with people from other cultures that some of Arabia's traditional virtues, including the relative absence of theft and petty crime, are being eroded.

ECONOMIST: Arabian punishment: Preserving values | The

Hence it has launched Mindstorms, which aim to combine traditional Lego virtues with digital pzazz.

ECONOMIST: Lego

They have said the incident shows that Japan needs to rebuild traditional family virtues where people willingly supported elderly parents and relatives in need.

WSJ: Japan Welfare Case Stirs Debate on Who Should Care for Needy

His team became South American champions with a mixture of solid footballing sense, good players in key positions and the traditional Paraguayan virtues of grit and teamwork.

BBC: Battle of the continents

David Vikturek, who runs The Music Man heritage centre in Mason City, believes that the traditional Iowan virtues of neighbourliness, thrift and hard work will somehow help America prevail, even in a world where its economic problems are complex and deep-seated.

BBC: Optimism and virtue: What the Midwest wants in a leader

We guess buyers with either model will just have to settle for traditional luxury-car virtues like styling, performance and ownership cachet to justify their vehicular investments.

FORBES: The Most Cost-Effective Hybrid Cars

Amid all the career advice exhorting workers and job seekers to engage in relentless self-promotion, is there any room for that most traditional and modest of virtues, humility?

FORBES: In Praise Of Humility At Work

Many more qualified people than I have espoused the virtues of starting a company over pursuing a traditional university education.

FORBES: 3. Emotions are magnified �� the good and the bad.