The Strength of Character
I was reading a 1988 Article published by The Royal Bank of Canada in a their customer newsletter, entitled "The Strength of Character".
Made me think. Character is something that is hard to articulate. It is not reputation. Far from it. "Reputation is to a person's character what a fun house mirror is to a person's body. 'He that has the reputation of an early riser may sleep til noon' " (Richard Bentley)
Character is firstly how we want to define ourselves and then working to achieve that standard; it is about standing for things and not compromising.It defines us and is something we have to work at every day. We must set a standard and strive for it, knowing we won't always meet our expectations of ourselves. I certainly have higher aspirations of character than I have been able to achieve, but I work at it.
It has been argued since of the dawn of time whether character is something you are born with or develop.
What i know for sure is that like all worthwhile things, the pursuit of character requires perseverance and effort and determination to build and maintain it.
Some excerpts from the article i read:
"You and I cannot determine what other men shall say or think about us. We can only determine what they ought to think of us and say of us"
J.G. Holland
"This above all - to thine own self be true/ and it must follow, as the night the day/ that thou canst not then be false to any man
Hamlet
The noblest contribution which any man can make for the benefit of posterity is that of good character
R. C. Winthrop
If there is right in the soul, there will be beauty in the person. If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.
Lao Tsu 6th century BC
Made me think. Character is something that is hard to articulate. It is not reputation. Far from it. "Reputation is to a person's character what a fun house mirror is to a person's body. 'He that has the reputation of an early riser may sleep til noon' " (Richard Bentley)
Character is firstly how we want to define ourselves and then working to achieve that standard; it is about standing for things and not compromising.It defines us and is something we have to work at every day. We must set a standard and strive for it, knowing we won't always meet our expectations of ourselves. I certainly have higher aspirations of character than I have been able to achieve, but I work at it.
It has been argued since of the dawn of time whether character is something you are born with or develop.
What i know for sure is that like all worthwhile things, the pursuit of character requires perseverance and effort and determination to build and maintain it.
Some excerpts from the article i read:
"You and I cannot determine what other men shall say or think about us. We can only determine what they ought to think of us and say of us"
J.G. Holland
"This above all - to thine own self be true/ and it must follow, as the night the day/ that thou canst not then be false to any man
Hamlet
The noblest contribution which any man can make for the benefit of posterity is that of good character
R. C. Winthrop
If there is right in the soul, there will be beauty in the person. If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.
Lao Tsu 6th century BC
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