Building Our Character to meet today’s World
Posted: Saturday, July 10, 2010
by David Tanguay
"Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." Abraham Lincoln
Character building begins at infancy how we live our lives as a child determines how we will develop and mature. Although our upbringing has a great effect on our lives, our nature has a greater impact on how we develop our character.
Of course, we can learn how to behave in a social setting i.e. how to develop manners and grace in society. However, our true character comes from our heart and soul. As we live and experience more of the circumstances we face in life, from day to day how we interact with our fellow human beings has a great affect on how we develop our character.
The morals we identify ourselves with leave an impression on those we meet everyday Our ethics play an important role in our lives for these moral characteristics in our personalities are what people judge us by.
"Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are, to some extent, a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it, piece by piece -- by thought, choice, courage, and determination." H. Jackson Brown Jr.
Yes as we work everyday to build our character to meet society's standards as well as our own standards, we will encounter many challengers along the way.
A wholesome character comes through a well-disciplined state of mind for we must sacrifice many of our simple pleasures to obtain a good and solid based character.
"People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built." Eleanor Roosevelt
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Top-level comments on this article: (8 total)Yes it all begins with us David. Thank you.Please log in to respond to this comment.Thank you for your comment e.Please log in to respond to this comment.
Reader's club!Please log in to respond to this comment.
Although I agree with what you say about character, David, I believe nurturing plays a very big role. I love your quotes, though.Please log in to respond to this comment.Well Jennifer, I too believe nurturing plays a big role in the development of our character however, I believe our nature (our inherited traits) plays a more important role. thanks for commenting.Please log in to respond to this comment.
Great job, as usual. Character is underplayed these days, yet in the end it seems it is how we are truly judged.Please log in to respond to this comment.Thank you for commenting Mike, yes I believe we are judged by our character.Please log in to respond to this comment.
"Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of him, the tree is the real thing. “This saying of Abraham Lincoln is a great treasure, provided adopted in life. But few of his followers put it into practice in the life and remain contented by its decoration in their thinking. Thanks for sharing deep and valuable thoughts.For me, character is as impulsive consciousness inherited from parents and the destiny and reputation like a shadow of selfishness that we develop with our wisdom of thinking and demanding directio with senses. The shadow of selfishness is what we express in the thought of demanding senses. The tree of impulsive consciousness is real life and always fresh, asking nothing but watching all that bodily life express in our thoughts in the demanding sense. Applications sense to continue to give physical expression of happiness or sadness, which his actions are in tune with its demanding and deal with people and things of attachment and enmity. He who has learned to control his thoughts and demanding senses lives with meaning and consciousness, he is happy even in times of hell. He who has no control of his demaning senses and live with the unconsciousness of his mind, he is unhappy and demanding, even in the face of heaven.Please log in to respond to this comment.Thank you for your comment and opinion G.S.Please log in to respond to this comment.
Great article. I personally want to believe that character is based on nurturing much more than inherted traits becuase it gives me a sense of control. Great Quotes. Thanks for inspiring us :)Please log in to respond to this comment.Thank you for commenting Heba, yes I suppose we can learn how to build character however, I believe our nature has a greater impact on our way of living.Please log in to respond to this comment.
All I can say is if character is inherited, you must of had some wonderful parents, and if it is learned, then you must have had some wonderful teachers. My best, to the best. Thanks for sharing.Please log in to respond to this comment.Well, thank you David for the compliments..Please log in to respond to this comment.
Very well put! Excellent quotes in the perfect location in the article. Thank you for writing. I would just add, from my personal perspective, that nurturing goes a long way too. The ideal is a good blending.Please log in to respond to this comment.I agree, nurturing does go a long way but I believe our nature has a more positive affect on us.Please log in to respond to this comment.Well yes. Take these four kids - two are by one father; two are by the other father. One set of kids is lazy and try as they can, they don't seem to be inspired, influenced or made more ambitious in any way. They are happy to be in the middle of the pack in all they do. The other two are not much more ambitious but on top of the lazy, they have stubborn. Wow, are they stubborn. They were raised in different homes - the lazy kids were with a stepmother that was foul mouthed, abusive, incessant smoker. The other home had a stepmother that was more accomplished and very much a nurturer. Yet, the nurturing has not yet helped so you can make out a difference. It will be interesting to see how these children will mature and what will happen in their futures. Yes, they've been put through some childhood hardships where they came from a broken home and were split up. The older two are well into their teenage years. If I had to figure the better home for these kids, it would have been the second home and still these kids have not adjusted yet.Please log in to respond to this comment.
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