There is an ongoing confusion between behavior and character, so defining each one should help clear this up. Behavior is a means by which man expresses himself; it is something that can be learned through training, and is something that may be governed by one’s emotions. Character, on the other hand, is innate within a person. It is governed by the mind and is seemingly unchanging despite the circumstances a person is placed in.
A person with good behavior is popular among his peers; he does not do anything that is unbecoming of him and is generally liked by everyone. A person who has character is someone who is able to accomplish something; be it a successful business, stable finances, or a great family. Behavior is short-lived, while character is long-lived. And when a person’s positive behavior becomes well-accepted in the mind, it becomes part of his character.
Character and Personality
Now that the confusion between behavior and character has been resolved, we are going to talk about character and personality. As mentioned, character comes from the mind and as such, it is objective. This includes trust, honesty, leadership, responsibility, courage, and loyalty. Personality, on the other hand, comes from the heart, and is perceived to be subjective. Examples of these are extroverts, introverts, thinkers, feelers, and judgers. Now, why is it that character is important in personality development?
Character does not include personality however personality includes character. If you want to develop a winning personality, you must have the character to back it up.
Teaching Character
In spite of what many people say, character can be taught. You can do this in the classroom, at home, or even to yourself. There are many self-help books and resources available, many of them focusing on leadership and courage, but of course there are many others to choose from. Essentially, what you need to remember when you are teaching character whether to others or to yourself is that these need to be based on real-life experiences so that the teachings will be easier to accept.
You could start with something as basic and simple as how you handled traffic on your way to work, or how you spent your coffee break in the office. Focus on the positive aspects. Did you show patience even while you got stuck in traffic? Were you honest and made sure you spent only fifteen minutes on your coffee break this morning? If the answer is “No” to any of these questions, then you need to find out why and what can you do better next time.
Molding a Great Personality through Your Character
As mentioned, personality may stem from your character, though not exactly limited to it. And because character can be classified as right or wrong, you can have either a positive or negative personality. For example, a smuggler can have character because he organizes his group and shows leadership in this aspect, but his actions are still wrong, so it is always important for you to know which side you are in.
That being said, once you have predetermined the character you want to have, you need to teach yourself this slowly yet consistently until it has become part of who you are. If you want to have leadership, then live each day showing what a great leader you can be. You can volunteer in various organizations in your company or school, or you can step up and form one yourself. At home, you can initiate activities that your family can take part in and enjoy. There are so many things you can do to practice and show leadership, and it all starts with making that big decision to give it a shot.
Character on its own can be limiting because it is bound by opinions and needs the support of society. A man with character can only understand what other the people of similar character understand. However, when man’s character becomes part of his personality, it can be used to accomplish something greater because personality is dynamic, persevering, and limitless. If you can build character and let it mature into your personality, then you can do anything your mind and heart desires.
