Character is much more than just our reputation. Let's make that clear right off the top. A fellow blogger has correctly stated that "reputation" is only what others see and think about us. "Our character is who we really are, even when no one is looking."
Character Traits Determine How We Respond to the Situations and Circumstances of Life
Circumstance + Response = Result
Circumstance + Right Response = Good Result
Our overall character is made up of specific individual traits, or qualities, that are different for each individual. It is those character qualities, or traits, that determine how a person will respond in any given situation. For example, someone who has the character trait of alertness is more likely to be a better, safer, driver than a person who does not see or recognize the potential dangers around them (carelessness). A person with a strong character quality of truthfulness is much more likely to accurately report the facts in a given situation than a person who tends to be characterized by deceptiveness. A person with the character quality of tolerance will be more accepting of others – less prejudiced.
Responses Determine Results
Success or failure in any situation depends, more than anything else, on how we respond to the events and circumstances we face. Therefore, it is our character that determines our success. Of course, that doesn’t mean that “good” people will always experience more “success” than “bad” people. There are, however, some character traits that tend to lead to “success” and others that tend to produce “failure.” It is only common sense then, that if we want to have better success, we need to strengthen the “good” character qualities and get rid of the “bad” qualities.
There could be many lists of “character qualities,” or “character traits.” If you and I each made our own list, we would probably both include words such as honesty, integrity, dependability, loyalty, enthusiasm, etc. Of course, there are many other qualities that could be added to our lists.
For example, “honesty” really consists of several more basic qualities – truthfulness, dependability, diligence, etc. Therefore, when we work on becoming more honest, we do so by becoming more truthful, more dependable, more diligent.
A good list of character traits that was developed by a Character Training Institute breaks “character” down into 49 specific qualities, or traits. Having such a list of character traits allows us to focus on specific qualities in order to build the “good character traits” into our lives.
Breaking character down into its basic elements allows us to focus on building specific qualities into our lives. For example, we may feel we are weak in the quality of “Alertness,” so we can concentrate on becoming more alert to what is going on around us.
As we work on strengthening specific good character qualities, our overall character is improved and our responses to the circumstances we face will become more positive and effective. We will have more “success.”
How Does Character Affect Our Lives?
It has been suggested that character is the foundation for all true success. A person may have money, position, or power, but unless they have good character they will not be considered to be truly successful.
At this late stage in life, I have come to understand that character is what really determines our success in any area of life. Our character qualities guide our responses to the situations and circumstances we face in our lives. They are why we do the things we do and they are why we do things the way we do them. How we respond to the various things that come up in our lives is what determines the results we get, so our success really depends on our character.
Now, here comes a sad personal admission...
I have always considered myself to be of decent character but deep soul-searching reveals to me that I have a poor batting average when it comes to being successful. Then too, I have not always responded to life developments in a positive way, exhibiting some of the aforementioned "bad character traits." When things have not turned out well, the activist-innovator me has rationalized by looking for excuses, in a fit of self-pity blamed others, allowed myself to be distracted, felt remorseful, experienced resentment, denied ownership, gave in to quick-trigger emotions and discouragement, lost sight of the original goal -- all of the above and more. In retrospect then, does that mean that I have lacked in character?
I hesitate to concede that maybe it does! Quite honestly and obviously, there were times in life when I needed an "attitude" adjustment in order to go that extra mile that may have made all the difference.
...And that explains a lot of things.
"Ve get too soon oldt undt too late schmart," as the Pennsyslvania Dutch would say.
"Ve get too soon oldt undt too late schmart," as the Pennsyslvania Dutch would say.
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