how to build character
“It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties.”
– Abigail Adams
I form the true strength of character when my mind goes through difficulties and challenges in life.
Mental strength and vigor comes when you are put to contend with difficulties in life.
Great characters are not born but built and formed from a powerhouse called life.
Humility, humbleness, respect, and empathy are great characters that life instills in us. We may not understand it before, but after all that we have been through in life, now we will understand.
Once I come out of all the sufferings and challenges in life, I know how changed I would be. I can now understand that the world is not revolving around me alone. I will understand the power of empathy. I can see how people are strong and walking when life threw them down. I get inspiration and self-motivation from them.
We learn to respect and identify with fellow people. We will never know how difficult life can be until we are in such a situation.
The point is, good character is built by contending with life’s difficulties. It’s easy to see a person and say ‘you have changed’. What we don’t realize is the difficulties they faced.
The greatest character’s about smiling when everything in life is going wrong. It’s difficult to look positive and smile when there’s a lot of pain lurking inside.
See the people around you. The mental strength, vigor, faith, and courage has come after their sufferings.
Great character and vigor comes by contending in life.
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Be Yourself. Your life’s greatest achievement is in staying who you are. Situations, people, challenges in life can all change you. But, don’t let your core change. Keep your inner spirit alive no matter what the world demands. That’s a true accomplishment.
We are constantly torn between ‘being ourselves’ and ‘being what others want us to be’. Stay true to yourself.
You need to be aware of four categories of people.
First, we have a set of people good at judging and reviewing others' life personally and professionally. We can see people who shut themselves off because of such people’s opinions.
Second is a category of people who keep giving suggestions, opinions, and ideas for other peoples to follow.
The third is a category of people who think they know what’s better for the other person.
Fourth is a set of people who are very good at convincing that our decisions are wrong. They are sneaky enough that we don’t recognize how they are bringing us down.
Not capitulating to their words, overcoming everyone and still being ‘yourself’ is truly an achievement. You can take genuine opinions and suggestions that people say. Make sure you don’t change yourself for the sake of others.
When the world forces you to change, don’t leave your faith, optimism, and courage. Don’t change when people say you are not good enough.
Being yourself is not letting the good in you go away after all life’s turbulences.
It’s great when you are still being yourself, after all, you have been through!
Our Character is what we do when we think no one is looking - Karl Schonhausen Bismarck
Our character is determined by two aspects. First, the character is about who we are when people are around and looking at us. Second, the character is who we are when there is no one looking at us.
It’s easy to cover a character when people are around. But a true character reveals only when there are no people to look at us.
In simple terms, not all who smile at you are good. Not all who don’t smile at you are bad.
If I can be the same person even when there is no one looking, then that will be my true character. Instead, if I become someone else when people are not looking, then that is my true character. It’s not the one I show before people.
The main reason you and I miss out is by quick judgments we make. People who seem to be so tough with others on the outside could be a real genuine person. The one who has a sweet tongue can be the bad one. The attention-seeking ones will behave differently and don’t mean they are bad. The silent ones stay away and don’t mean they are good.
Character is exciting and a mysterious phenomenon.
People will either show who they really are or they show what they want other people to see. There is good for it and bad to it.
The conclusion here is:
Be good. Keep your Morales. Be the same and be yourself even if people are not looking at you.