I believe that part of the power of virtue is the faith one has towards a hope or positive expectation.  In that respect, virtue is the power of the placebo effect, which I believe is the power of genetic expression.  This isn't simply a mind trick, the mind itself is a powerful healing instrument with power of mind over matter, the ability of thought to affect matter, albeit initially only our own gray matter, but ultimately to affect how our genes are expressed.  I will not here review the scientific literature in this regard, suffice it to say that those with a positive mental outlook tend to enjoy better health and longer life generally.  I personally find it interesting in the Biblical story of the diseased woman who touched the hem of Christ's garment, that the English translation of the Bible states that “virtue” went out of Him and healed the woman.  Christ on many instances spoke of the importance of belief in healing.  It seems from this story that the source of power to free this woman of her disease came from virtue, at least according to the translation. If this is so, I feel there is much more to learn about how our thoughts affect our bodies, and especially how virtuous thoughts affect our bodies, our relationships, and our lives. I personally believe it is the inherent desire of the human soul to be free, to have the power to choose one's own destiny, instead of having it controlled by another.  I furthermore believe that we reach our highest potential when we align our lives with the lens of virtue.