According to Merriam-Webster, character is “The group of qualities that make a person, group, or thing different from others.” Character is the way a person reasons, feels, and acts. It is a state of being and not doing. The choices and decisions that are made when no one is watching typically exemplifies the real you. Most of us tend to make better decisions when others are watching to protect our reputations. For some reason, we want people to think of us in a certain manner; therefore, we behave the way others think we should. I personally know people that act a certain way when others are watching, but behind closed doors they are a completely different person. This is hypocritical behavior. A hypocrite is a person that says one thing and does another. Often times, their words are not consistent with their actions and deeds. A person of integrity will be who they are regardless of where they are and who they are with. They will not change. If you want to test a person’s character, just observe how they treat the people whom they have authority or advantage over. Malcolm Forbes, publisher of Forbes magazine, states, “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.” Character is one of the most important things we possess. A person’s nature and temperament will sustain them and determine the course of their lives. The condition of our hearts can be perceived by our actions, attitudes, reactions, and responses;
Character by definition is the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. My character is something that my parents always worked hard towards so I would grow up and be the best possible person I could be and I like to think that is distinctive to me. My character is seen in the ways that I deal with everyday life situations. Over the last few years I’ve paid more attention to the things I say after I read a book on suicide that had a large impact on me; I’ve started to stand
Character is defined as one’s moral qualities. I have very high expectations for my character, and I hold myself to them. Every time a person isn't the nicest to me or someone else, I remind myself not to stoop to their level. I tell myself, “Treat others how you would want to be treated.” I will always treat myself and everyone around me with respect, courtesy, and kindness.
I think the three most important character traits are kindness, intelligence, and trust. I think these are important because I think these are important in a friend. These are also traits I try to achieve in myself.
Character is the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual, though morality is subjective, in today’s society it is predominantly agreed upon that someone who is of good character has certain qualities that contribute to their decision making, trustworthiness, and intelligence. I previously mentioned prudence, which is the ability to govern oneself by the use of reason to make good judgements that allow you to avoid troublesome situations, which allows one to face the adversities of life while only encountering necessary risks. This is the ultimate show of genuine character, those who can judge for themselves and aren’t afraid to admit their faults, or
Hartman, E. (2006). Can We Teach Character? An Aristotelian Answer. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 5(2006), 68-81.
According to Hartman, we cannot decide the job or solution for a person; we just help him or her to figure out the perception by him/herself, create good values while ensure the happiness (79). Teaching ethics class for business students is a good idea to help them imagine their future and decide a right path for themselves. Thousands students learn the same things but each of them will have different outcomes. In order to ensure the accuracy of the research, people need to implement the studies on different students based on their races, genders, and cultures. Those factors can affect differently on the same principle. In conclusion, no matter who we are, what we do, one of the most important things is being a virtual person. We have to make sure that everything we do; we are doing right even though no one is watching
Many people have similar character traits and some may have completely different character traits than others. The only thing that makes each of the traits we possess individually different from other people is how we present them to the world we live in. Despite the idea of what others may perceive of you in the time being, your personality and the character traits that you obtain is only best understood when you truly reveal it to others. Showing your true character all the time creates a great deal of sacrifice when it comes to disregarding all insecurities that are being present.
What is character? Character is something that is hard to explain. It is who we are, the way we act, and the kind of person we truly are and want to be. Character is what you are in the dark. But if character is the kind of person you are when no one is looking, then why does it matter? Character matters because even when we think no one is looking, they are. People are always watching us and the way we behave and many will look to us in admiration and inspiration, so it is our job to constantly be a role model of good character. A couple of ways that we can show our character are through gratitude and respect, but we can also look up to others, such as Benjamin Franklin, as role models for good character.
The Road to Character In the book “The Road to Character,” David Brooks defines his own view of character as a set of dispositions, desires, and habits that are slowly engraved during the struggle against your own weakness. This definition is extremely similar to the Army’s definition of Character in FM 6-22 as “one’s true nature including identity, sense of purpose, values, virtues, morals, and conscience. Character is reflected in an Army professional’s dedication and adherence to the Army Ethic and Army Values. Character is the essence of who an individual is, what an individual values and believes, and how they behave.
There are many character traits that make someone successful in life. Some traits you are born with, other traits are mindsets. There are a few character traits that coaches, teachers, bosses, or any other significant figure looks for in particular. One of the most important character traits is a hard-working attitude. You aren’t born with a hard-working attitude. It is a mindset. You may not be the best employee, but an employer will be more willing to work with someone that works hard than someone that can do the job but is lazy. Although I am not the best at everything, I give 100% effort in everything that I do and believe that working hard is the most important trait a person can possess.
Good character/characteristics also show leadership and value. Not only to the people around you, but to the marketplace (where you work).
A person who shows good character is one who shows concern and respect to someone’s despite of one’s differences. Following the Six Pillars of Character-trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship-a person demonstrates a good character.
As people, we all want to be understood by others. “When dealing with others, seek first to understand, then to be understood.” (Maxwell, 37) Finally, while trying to keep others’ needs in perspective, we do not want to be taken advantage of. When this happens it devalues you and the person you took advantage of. All of these will help give an individual the basic outlines of how to begin to look at “The Golden Rule.” To begin this process of adapting this “Golden Rule” lifestyle, the character of a person is the key to living a life of integrity and ethical excellence. A person’s character is more than just talk. People, who want to earn the respect of their peers and themselves, need to walk the talk. There are many things people do not get to choose, how tall they are or where they are born, but character is a choice that can be made by anyone. “Trust is essential when working with people. Character engenders trust.” (Maxwell 44) People tend to fall into three categories: those who don’t succeed, those who succeed temporarily, and those who remain successful. To have a quality character will help to remain successful throughout their lifetime. In the world today, we see examples in the media of people who do not act as ethically as they should. There are many reasons why people do not do the right thing. These reasons generally fall into five factors that someone compromises their ethics for. To begin with pressure is a major culprit. In our
Character is not a personality someone claims they have. Character is how people see you. If you flaunt and boast saying you have character there is is no consistency neither direction. True character is not going around saying or boasting you character, but by living it. The best way to be an example is to live one and that will speak for itself. True character is having integrity and not just when others are watching but when you are alone; are you still going to behave the same way. Nelson Mandela and Socrates both exhibited true character. Whether to take a stand for what they believe or to go against the status quo of society even if it meant death through their beliefs, values, and actions.
These six pillars of character are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Particularly, a person is said to be trustworthy when he or she has integrity, keeps promises and loyal. An ethical person knows how to respect other people and their ideas. Moreover, he or she also takes accountability of his own words, actions and attitudes (Josephson Institute, 2010). He is also