Character
Character refers to the qualities and features that make an individual different from another or other persons. A person may, thus have a strong or weak character. It may also be taken to mean the opinion that people have of a particular person. It is how a person is described. The reputation of the person is at stake. In other words, a good character produces or leads to reputation.
Character is moral integrity. Just like morals, character means doing what is morally right in addition to integrity, honesty and a lot of other qualities. Character, therefore, goes much deeper than morals. A person either deals with it early enough or it will deal with him later in life.
But how do we evaluate character?
While it may be very easy to exercise integrity and honesty in good times when things are going according to plan, the story may be different when times are somehow bad (this is when things go the unexpected way), this is when character is tested! It becomes the most important if not the sole collateral that can be relief upon in a case of lending.
The concept of character is useful in many areas of human endeavors including marriages and leadership. For example,when two people come together in a marriage, it is mainly the character of either or both parties that determines whether the marriage is to be enjoyed or endured. The character of one of the partners alone may make the marriage hit the rocks in spite of the beauty, convenience, handsomeness, attraction, money, education, good dressing habit, good job or any other quality. It has also been discovered that hard work, connection, luck or any other factor may take a person up to the peak of his career but it is only a strong character that will keep or sustain him there. It is the platform of leadership. Character is, thus, of sustainable competitive advantage to everybody at one time or the other in life.
One thing that cannot be taken from a person is his strong character, built over the years. But somebody must have paid the price in the past.
The Clarion call on parent is for them to mould their children's character well at a tender age or during their formative years. It is time bound and should therefore be done at the right time. However, if the right character was not built by the child at the right time, parents can still embark on character Reformation a corrective step. As change agents, parents should then work on the child's weak character with a view to improving on or changing it for good.
Thanks for the interesting topic! Defining character as moral integrity is an especially interesting us-them exercise.
I agree with much of what you say about the importance of character. It seems that following your definition, anyone in integrity with themselves, but out of alignment with my opinion, can then be considered to a have a character deficiency.
Could defining integrity as having thought, speech and action be in alignment with one’s own morality and values be a more useful definition?
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