Module 1 Concepts of Character

Introduction
Character is a term that has an elusive definition both in comprehensiveness and specificity. One
has to look at it from a philosophical, psychological or sociological perspective. Be that as it
may, it cannot be denied that everyone of us has an idea about character, no matter how vague it
is, but we can’t give a definite definition of it. In this lesson we shall examine the idiosyncrasies
as well as the geographical and historical ramifications of the term character and how it evolved
into its present conception.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
1. Formulate your own definition of character
2. Compare your definition of character with any of the definitions stated in the articles
presented
3. Discuss how character is related to virtue and ethics
4. Enumerate and explain the Six Pillars of Character
5. Realize the significance of the Six Success Skills

Activities/Assessment
Read the articles below that will give you an idea on how different authors and authorities on the
subject view what character is. But before starting to read the articles, write in a sheet of paper
your own definition of character.

What is Character?
The Wendt Character Initiative seeks to develop a culture of character at the University of
Dubuque. Our goals are to help all members of the UD Community be people of character
leading lives of purpose. But just what is “excellent moral character”? What is a “culture of
character”?

What is a person of character?

The Greek word that is often translated “virtue” means “excellence.” So, to be a person of
character is to be excellent as a person. It is not about making sure one does not violate some
ethics code. It is not about mediocrity. Character is not about being good enough. Character is
about excellence. It is not just about being excellent in one area, such as in one’s profession, or
in one’s personal life, or even in one’s religious devotion. It’s about being excellent as a whole
human being. It is about being excellent in every aspect of one’s life. It is about being the best
person that one can be. It is, in short, to be all that God created us to be.
That is what we seek to be and to help our students to be: excellent persons. As Christians, we
realize that every single one of us falls short of the excellence that God intends for us. Yet, in
God’s grace, we strive toward the goal of excellence. Our goal is not just to do good things but to
be good people. For character is not just about what a person does, it is about what a person is.
As Jesus suggests, it is the state of one’s heart that determines whether what flows into one’s life
is good or evil. As Paul says, we are to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” Our
goal, then, is to help form hearts and minds out of which flow acts of human excellence, acts of
virtue.

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  People of integrity whose lives are characterized by truthfulness, honesty and
stewardship;
 People of justice who treat all people fairly, respect diversity, and practice Christian love;
 People of compassion who live by the Golden Rule in service of others.

To Become a Person of Character

“Character is who or what you are even when nobody is watching.” Nice words and I often use
this in my seminars, especially when I go to the part where integrity is important in effective
leadership.

But have you ever considered this question. Who or what is a person of character?

I have kept this material with me for years. Finally, able to pull it up from my file and asked
permission to print this. Michael Josephson has beautiful things to say about being a person of
character. He is one of the top ethicist in America and you can find a lot of good stuff on his web
site: www.charactercounts.org
Josephson says: “Let’s face it. It’s not easy to become a person of character. It takes a good
heart, but it also requires wisdom to know right from wrong and the discipline to do right even
when it’s costly, inconvenient or difficult. Becoming a person of character is a lifelong quest to
be better.”

A person of character values honesty and integrity and pays whatever price is needed to be
worthy of trust, earning the pride of family and friends and self-respect.

A person of character plays fair even when others don’t and values no achievement unless it was
attained with honor.
A person of character has strong convictions, yet avoids self-righteousness.

A person of character believes in the inherent dignity of all people and treats everyone with
respect, even those whose ideas and ideologies evoke strong disagreement.

A person of character deals with criticism constructively and is self-confident enough to take
good advice, admit and learn from mistakes, feel and express genuine remorse and apologize
graciously.

A person of character knows what is important, sacrifices the now for later, is in control of
attitudes and actions, overcomes negative impulses and makes the best of every situation.

A person of character willingly faces fears and tackles unpleasant tasks.

A person of character is consistently and self-consciously kind and empathetic, giving

generously without concern for reward.

A person of character feels and expresses gratitude freely and frequently.

A person of character is not defeated by failure or dissuaded by disappointment.

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A person of character seeks true happiness in living a life of purpose and meaning, placing a
higher value on significance than success.

And Thomas Hardy says: “Do not do an immoral thing with moral reasons.”

I am in business and I have been doing business for the longest time. Funny, but every time you
hear people say, “Francis, it is only business…” you immediately know some ethical lines will
be crossed.

I have worked with people whose eyes are always focused on the money and not on principles in
obtaining it, and relationships like these never last. The end justifies the means even if it means
character and integrity can be compromised. Well, look at it long term and business done this
way will always carry painful costs and lives involved will be hurt and pained.

Many people are so good in using right reasons to do wrong things, but right will always be
right, and wrong is always wrong. As an employer I want to hire people of character and whose
trust is beyond reproach, but I need to make sure that I display the same character in the way I
deal with money and people. You can’t put a spin on character and trustworthiness. The truth
will always come out.

There is a vast difference between reputation and character. Reputation is what others perceive
you to be. Character is your true self without anyone around. And the best lesson I have learned
which I pass on to my children as well as to you is this. Just work on your character and your
reputation will take care of itself. Trust me. This works.

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Focusing on Four Aspects of Character:

Moral Character
The qualities that help us be our best self, including trustworthiness, respect, responsibility,
fairness, caring, and citizenship.

Performance Character
The qualities that help us do our best work, including self-discipline, diligence, organization, and
confidence.

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Intellectual Character
The skills and traits needed to be a motivated and committed learner, critical thinker, and
creative problem solver, including curiosity, intellectual autonomy, humility, and open-
mindedness.

Civic Character
The skills and traits needed to be an ethical, engaged citizen who demonstrates leadership,
teamwork, civility, and creates positive change in their community.
Achieves growth in:

Academics
Students will become motivated and committed learners capable of self-direction and pursuing
wisdom. They will have a growth mindset and will be critical thinkers and creative problem-
solvers who understand and apply knowledge, demonstrate intellectual integrity, and can solve
challenging problems. These skills then translate from academic contexts to career fields.

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

Students will be able to demonstrate self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-
making, social awareness, and relationship skills. Students who develop social-emotional
competencies are prepared to work with others in their academic, personal, and professional life.

Citizenship/Leadership/Service
Students can use their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as their social-
emotional competencies to be ethical, engaged citizens and leaders who serve their school,

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family, workplaces, and community as a trustworthy, respectful, responsible, fair, and caring
change agent.

The Six Pillars of Character

The Six Pillars of Character are the core ethical values of CHARACTER COUNTS! These
values were identified by a nonpartisan, secular group of youth development experts in 1992 as
core ethical values that transcend cultural, religious, and socioeconomic differences.
The Six Pillars of Character are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and
citizenship. We recommend using the Pillars in your character education or SEL  initiative in
this specific order and using the acronym “T.R.R.F.C.C.” (terrific).
Each of the Six Pillars of Character help instill a positive school climate and a culture of
kindness, making schools a safe environment for students to learn.
TRUSTWORTHINESS
1 Be honest in communications and actions.
2 Don’t deceive, cheat or steal.
3 Be reliable — do what you say you’ll do.
4 Have the courage to do the right thing.
5 Build a good reputation.
6 Be loyal to your values.
7 Keep your promises.

RESPECT
1 Treat others with respect and follow the Golden Rule.
2 Be accepting of differences.
3 Use good manners, not bad language.
4 Be considerate of the feelings of others.
5 Don’t threaten, hit or hurt anyone.

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 6 Deal peacefully with anger, insults, and disagreements.

RESPONSIBILITY
1 Do what you are supposed to do.
2 Plan ahead.
3 Be diligent.
4 Persevere.
5 Do your best.
6 Use self-control.
7 Be self-disciplined.
8 Think before you act.
9 Be accountable for your words, actions and attitudes.
10 Set a good example for others.
11 Choose a positive attitude.
12 Make healthy choices.

FAIRNESS
1 Play by the rules.
2 Take turns and share.
3 Be open-minded; listen to others.
4 Don’t take advantage of others.
5 Don’t blame others carelessly.
6 Treat all people fairly.

CARING
1 Be kind.
2 Be compassionate and show you care.
3 Show empathy.
4 Express gratitude.
5 Forgive others and show mercy.
6 Help people in need.
7 Be charitable and altruistic.

CITIZENSHIP
1 Do your share to make your home, school, community, and world better.
2 Cooperate.

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 3 Get involved in community affairs.
4 Stay informed; vote.
5 Be a good neighbor.
6 Make choices that protect the safety and rights of others.
7 Protect the environment.
8 Volunteer.

CHARACTER COUNTS! Results

Schools participating in CHARACTER COUNTS! are seeing positive results in academic

performance, social and emotional skills, school climate and character development. 

CHARACTER COUNTS! incorporates the newest research-

based, state of the art strategies, for positive climate change,
introducing new character education tools and techniques
designed to infuse core values and skills embodied in 12 core
values and skills: the Six Pillars of Character (trustworthiness,
respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship) and
21st Century School and Career Success Skills otherwise
known as the Six Success Skills (learning, self-discipline,
positivity, perseverance, resilience, and diligence), into the
DNA of your school or organization.
LEARNING
CHARACTER COUNTS! instills critical learning skills and
the belief in the importance of education and life-long learning
as a means to enhance both job and career opportunities and to
improve the quality of their lives. With these competencies, students adopt a growth mindset and
confidence that, with effort, they can develop both knowledge and skills. Student learning
encompasses understanding and wisdom in addition to the acquisition of information. Students
are encouraged to be curious and develop an eagerness to learn new things about themselves,
others, and the world around them by asking questions, reading, researching, experiencing, and
experimenting.

PERSEVERANCE
CHARACTER COUNTS! helps students develop perseverance so they pursue their goals with
vigor and tenacity despite frustrations, mistakes, setbacks, and other obstacles that make their
task difficult or seem impossible. CC! teaches students to resist temptations and pressures to give
up or quit, choosing instead to persist.

RESILIENCE

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CHARACTER COUNTS! promotes resilience and teaches students to develop and draw on
inner strength and courage, permitting them to bounce back from traumas and tragedies,
disappointments, failures, and misfortunes.

POSITIVITY
CHARACTER COUNTS! seeks to develop in students a positive outlook and to approach life’s
opportunities and challenges with optimism and enthusiasm. Students are taught that positive
attitudes produce positive results — positive people are more likely to achieve their goals, feel
successful, have good relationships, have better health, and live longer than those with negative
outlooks!

SELF DISCIPLINE
CHARACTER COUNTS! promotes self-discipline so that students manage their emotions, resist
negative impulses and temptations, and muster the will-power to do what they should do even
when it is inconvenient, difficult, or unpleasant.

DILIGENCE
CHARACTER COUNTS! teaches students to appreciate the importance of hard work,
persistence, and diligence so that they approach tasks and responsibilities with an earnest
commitment to finish what they start and always do their best.
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What Does It Take to Have Good Character?

Getting clearer on what being a good person requires.

I am a philosopher who has worked on the topic of character for over ten years. I have found that
unless we clarify what we are talking about, we run the risk of inviting confusion and talking at
cross-purposes. For instance, I have had people think that all I do is study characters in novels
and plays!

Character traits lead us to think, feel, and act in certain ways. As an example, take someone who
is cold-hearted. When he sees children or animals suffering, he has feelings of indifference. He
might think that they deserve what they are getting, or that there is nothing he can do for them, or
that he has more important things to worry about. So he proceeds to ignore their situation. Not
just one time, either. Day after day, and in all kinds of places like the subway, the park, the
sidewalk, the beach, and so forth. His cold-heartedness is a part of his character that leads him to
think, feel, and act in these ways.

There are two main kinds of character traits—the ones that have to do with being a morally good
or bad person, and the ones that do not. Clearly honesty contributes to being a good person, and
dishonesty contributes to being a bad person. But consider creativity. By itself it could be used in
either a good or bad way. Someone may creatively come up with new solutions to problems of
famine or opioid addiction. Or someone might creatively come up with new ways to torture
innocent people or develop weapons of mass destruction.

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I spend most of my time working on the morally relevant traits. They come in two varieties—the
moral virtues and the moral vices. Here are examples of each:

Moral Virtues: Honesty, compassion, justice, gratitude, and forgiveness.

Moral Vices: Dishonesty, cold-heartedness, injustice, ungratefulness, and resentfulness.

The moral virtues are excellences that we should strive to cultivate. The moral vices are the very
opposite. So, what does it take to be a virtuous person who has these moral virtues? And what
signs can we look for when trying to find people who have them? Rather than give an abstract
answer, let me use an imaginary example involving Samantha and the virtue of honesty.

Samantha works in a high-level position, which gives her access to the company’s finances and
entrusts her with its tax reporting to the federal government. Now suppose we only know one
thing more about Samantha. As she was leaving the office last night, she had a chance to take
home some office supplies for personal use, but she did not. Is that enough for us to conclude
that she is an honest person?

Clearly not. For we do not know whether she is taking home supplies on plenty of other nights.
An honest person exhibits honesty stably over time.

So, let’s change the example. Suppose she never takes home any office supplies, even when she
could really use them at home. Does that do the trick?

Again, clearly not. For we do not know whether she is dishonest in other areas of her work life.
She might, for instance, cheat on the company’s tax reporting to the government, or engage in
insider trading. An honest person exhibits honesty across the different situations where honesty
is called for.

So, let’s change the example again. Now we can suppose that Samantha never steals supplies
from the company, never fudges the company’s tax reporting, never pilfers any of its money,
never lies to co-workers in harmful ways, and so on. How does that sound?

Still not good enough. A virtue like honesty is not relegated just to one’s work life. It is supposed
to extend to all areas of one’s life – home, work, school, recreation, and all the rest. It even
applies to being honest with oneself and avoiding self-deception.

Again, we can change the example, and add that Samantha rarely cheats and lies in morally
problematic ways throughout the entire course of her life. Surely, we are done, right? Now we
have an honest person.

Sadly, the answer is not necessarily. At this point, motivation enters the picture. Why is
Samantha acting this way? If it is because she is afraid of what might happen to her if she is
caught cheating or lying, then that is not a virtuous motive. Same thing if her main motivation

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 has to do with making a good impression on others, trying to get ahead, or even trying to earn
rewards in the afterlife. These are all motives that are egoistic or entirely self-focused. They do
not count as virtuous motives, and the moral virtues require virtuous motives.

What would be a better motive? Well, if she chooses not to lie to her friend because she cares
about her friend, that is virtuous. And if she decides not to steal from the company because she
thinks that stealing is wrong, that is virtuous. And if she judges that it is best to not deceive her
co-worker because she values the truth, that is virtuous. What these all have in common is that
they are not focused on what would benefit her.

I have gone on about this example because it illustrates some of the complexity involved in being
an honest person. Plus, the lessons learned about honesty can apply to the other moral virtues as
well. I sum these lessons up this way:

Central Features of a Virtue

 Leads to good actions that are appropriate to the particular situation.
 Leads to good actions throughout the various kinds of situations that are related to the
particular virtue.
 Leads to actions that are done for the appropriate reasons or motives.
 Leads to a pattern of motivation and action that is stable and reliable over time.
Here is another lesson from this discussion. Being a good (i.e., virtuous) person is hard. We
should not assume that most people have met these requirements. Indeed, we should probably
assume at the outset that most people have not.

Fortunately, character can change. Who we are morally speaking is not set in stone. Progress is
typically slow and gradual, but it is still progress. And while perfect virtue may be unattainable
for us mere mortals, virtue comes in degrees and we can strive to get better and better.

It is the task of a lifetime, but there are few which are more worthy of our time and effort.

Character – What Is It and Why Is It important?

Employers want it in their employees, employees want it in their bosses. We all want it in our kids.
It’s called character. So, what is it and why is it important?

What is character?
On its face, “character” is a morally neutral term. Every person, from iconic scoundrels like
Hitler and saints like Mother Teresa, have a character. We use the term character to describe a
person’s most prominent attributes, it is the sum total of the features and traits that form an
individual’s nature.
A person with “good character”: To say a person has a good character or even to admire a
person’s character does not require that they are perfect but it does mean we think this is a good
person worthy of trust and admiration.

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So, when we say someone has good character, we are expressing the opinion that his or her
nature is defined by worthy traits like integrity, courage, and compassion. People of good
character are guided by ethical principles even when it’s physically dangerous or detrimental to
their careers, social standing, or economic well-being. They do the right thing even when it costs
more than they want to pay.

No one is born with good character; it’s not a hereditary trait. And it isn’t determined by a single
noble act.

Character is established by conscientious adherence to moral values, not by lofty rhetoric or

good intentions. Another way of saying that is, character is ethics in action.

Anne Frank, the 13-year-old victim of Nazi persecution said in her diary, “The formation of a
person’s character lies in her own hands.”  I have no doubt that she was right. Of course, efforts
by parents, teachers, and others to instill these values are very important. They can have a great
deal of influence on the values a child adopts, but we must never underestimate the role of choice
(and accountability for making that choice) in the formation of character.

Thus, character is both formed and revealed by how one deals with everyday situations as well as
extraordinary pressures and temptations. Like a well-made tower, character is built stone by
stone, decision by decision.

The way we treat people we think can’t help or hurt us — like housekeepers, waiters, and
secretaries — tells more about our character than how we treat people we think are important.
How we behave when we think no one is looking or when we don’t think we will get caught
more accurately portrays our character than what we say or do in service of our reputations.

Difference Between Character and Reputation

Of course, our assessment of a person’s character is an opinion and it isn’t always right.
Abraham Lincoln recognized an important difference between character and reputation.
“Character,” he said “is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think
of it; the tree is the real thing.”

Because the shape of a shadow is determined by the angle of light and the perspective of the
observer, it’s not a perfect image of the tree. In the same way, reputation is not always an
accurate reflection of character. Oscar Wilde once said, Sincerity is one of the most important
qualities in a person. And once you can fake that you have it made.” This cynical quip explains
why some people are able to create a much better reputation than they deserve. By the same
token, there are others who deserve better reputations than they have.

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Though reputation is merely a perception it still has very significant real impact. Reputation is
not only the result of what people think of us it often determines what people who don’t know us
think about us, treat us and whether we are held in high or low esteem.

A good reputation for integrity, for instance, is a primary determinant of credibility and trust, two
very marketable assets. Think of how the Tiger Woods “brand” crashed and his endorsement
value disappeared after it was discovered that he constantly cheated on his wife. Similarly, the
once highly respected accounting firm Arthur Anderson had to change its name (to Accenture) to
try to recapture trust after its involvement in the Enron scandal.

Whether fair or not, the indisputable truth is that people, companies and institutions are likely to
be judged by their last worst act. Thus, some unwisely became so preoccupied with protecting
their image that they actually made things worse, undermining their character and destroying
their reputations, by concealing or creating facts to make them look better.

The importance of character is captured in the mantra: “hire for character, train for skills.”

But whether it’s in the workplace or at home, character counts — everywhere, all the time.
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Ethics or Character: Which Determines Your Success

In a recent poll, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal asked the question, “What’s the
relationship between ethics and success at work?”

The survey found that 74 percent of respondents believe that being ethical leads to greater
success, 14 percent believe that in most cases the concepts are unrelated, and 13 percent
responded that being successful may require some compromise on ethics.

It’s hard to say that the existence or nonexistence of ethics fully determines someone’s level of
success, but it will help determine their character. Ethics are defined as moral principles that
govern a person’s behavior, while character refers to the mental and moral qualities distinctive
to an individual.

In other words, your character determines what kind of person you are and what types of
relationships you form in life. It is both how you see yourself and how others perceive you. Your
character determines how you value, treat and build trust with others.

We use our character every day to make even the smallest decisions. Did you decide to hit
snooze and sleep in this morning or get to work early? Will you have a burger for lunch or go
with a healthier salad? In your next meeting, will you speak up or remain silent? Why are these
decisions sometimes so hard?

In his book The Road to Character, David Brooks explores the idea that humans are made of two
parts: an external being and an internal being. He asserts that there is a struggle between our
external self, who wants to conquer the world, and our internal self, who wants to obey a calling
to serve the world. One wants to build, create, discover, achieve high status and win victories,

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while the other wants to build strong inner character and sacrifice self in the service of others.
Our external self asks how things work and our internal asks why things exist. According to
Brooks, it’s this internal struggle, along with a sense of self and understanding of your own
limitations, that builds character.

Yes, ethics are important, but people are elevated to achieve success in their work lives not by
the strength of their ethics, but by the strength of their character. When you can use ethical
behavior to bolster your character, strength, trust, positivity – and ultimately success – will
follow.

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A Person of Moral Character
In my opinion, there are few things that contribute more to your sense of self and overall image
than your moral character. By definition, moral character is the existence or lack of virtues such
as integrity, courage, fortitude, honesty and loyalty. In other words, it means that you’re a good
person and a good citizen with a sound moral compass. With that as my foundation today, I have
a question for you. Are you a person of good moral character?
Are you consistently trustworthy, honest, respectful, responsible and fair, or do you tend to falter
a bit in these areas? If you don’t score as high as you’d like on the moral character scale, why not
start putting a new face on your character. After all, you build your character through your
actions, which shapes who you are as a person. So, what kind of character are you presently
building?

REMINDER: Before you proceed answering the questions, be sure you have
read the Course Description and the Course Requirements and have seen the
samples of the Title Page and the Question and Answer formats. You will repeat
your work if you failed to follow the formatting in the course requirements.

Questions to Ponder (Self-Assessment)

1. What character traits are most important to you?  Why?

2. What does it mean to you for someone to have good character?  Write about someone
you know who has it.
3. Write about a time when you had to give up something you really wanted for the sake of
someone else. 
4. Why do some people struggle so much with doing the right thing?

5. Do you think you have good character?  Why or why not?

6. Write about a time when you struggled to make the right decision.  How did you make a
choice in the end?
7. What does it mean to have integrity? 
8. What is the hardest lesson you’ve learned in this article?  Why?
9. Between character and reputation, which one is more important to you? Why?
10. Why is there a struggle between your inner being and your external being?

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