Character

Character

On its face, “character” is a morally neutral term. Every person has a character. We use the term character to describe a person’s most prominent and noticeable attributes, it is the sum total of the features and traits that form an individual’s nature.

So what does it mean to say that someone has good character? To say a person has a good character or even to admire a person’s character does not require that they are perfect but it does mean we think this is a good person worthy of trust and admiration. So when we say someone has good character we are expressing the opinion that his or her nature is defined by worthy traits like integrity, courage, and compassion. People of good character are guided by ethical principles even when it’s physically dangerous or detrimental to their careers, social standing, or economic well-being. They do the right thing even when it costs more than they want to pay.

There is a common trait to tie a person’s character to his or her family. No one is born with good character; it’s not a hereditary trait. And it isn’t determined by a single bad, good or noble act. Character is established by adherence to moral values, not by lofty rhetoric or good intentions. To put it very simply, character is ethics in action.

The formation of a person’s character lies in their own hands. Of course, efforts by parents, teachers, and others to instil these values are very important. They can have a great deal of influence on the values a child adopts, but we must never underestimate the role of choice in the formation of character. Thus, character is both formed and revealed by how one deals with everyday situations as well as extraordinary pressures and temptations. Like a well-built house, character is built stone by stone, decision by decision.

The way we treat people we think can’t help or hurt us, tells more about our character than how we treat people we think are important. How we behave when we think no one is looking or when we don’t think we will get caught more accurately portrays our character than what we say or do in service of our reputations. Of course, our assessment of a person’s character is an opinion and it isn’t always right. Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. Because the shape of a shadow is determined by the angle of light and the perspective of the observer, it’s not a perfect image of the tree. In the same way, reputation is not always an accurate reflection of character.

Though reputation is merely a perception it still has very significant real impact. Reputation is not only the result of what people think of us it often determines what people who don’t know us think about us, treat us and whether we are held in high or low esteem. A good reputation for integrity, for instance, is a primary determinant of credibility and trust, two very marketable assets. Whether fair or not, the indisputable truth is that people, companies and institutions are likely to be judged by their last worst act.

Whether it’s in the workplace or at home, character counts — everywhere, all the time.