It's an often quoted statement, ‘we make good men better,’ and who wouldn't want to become a better version of themselves? It's a great marketing line but becoming a Freemason does not automatically make you better. There's no magic wand that's waived over your head, there's also no hidden secret to becoming a better person. As I like to quote from the movies,
"If you're prepared to adapt and learn, you can transform" - Harry Hart (Kingsman: The Secret Service)
Take a moment and let that truly sink in. True transformation takes effort, it's not easy.
The quote illustrates the need for each of us to be willing to put forth the time and effort, to learn more about ourselves. To also learn about things beyond our comfort zones and to dig deeper on those things we've already started to explore. Then to take the time to contemplate those lessons and those we hear and learn about during our masonic journey, and then apply all of it to our lives. This is not something that can 'just happen' it takes serious work.
A good example in nature is the caterpillar that becomes the butterfly, a complete bodily transformation - not an easy task.
As another example, think about someone who struggles with a personal vice. There are some great programs out there to help that individual, however, none are easy and all take real effort to complete and maintain afterwards.
Freemasonry is similar, it take effort, it takes time, and it takes perseverance to find the truths that lay at its center. It's also part of the never ending journey we are all on. As once again, when we get to what we feel are the truths, our perception has changed and we are again faced with the knowledge that there is more to 'the story' and begin to dig deeper. We have more to learn and more knowledge to apply to our lives.
So often our society looks for the quick fix. The 'magic pill' that will solve all of our challenges and make all our worries go away. We don't look to walk the tough path but find one that's a bit easier to tread. We look for that path of lesser resistance so we can move on to the next task at hand. We've been conditioned to think that it is better to accomplish more, as opposed to accomplishing something better.
So does Freemasonry take good men and make them better? I feel it does, but only if we go against our conditioning and against the grain, and put in the effort needed.