What do you think is the most desired characteristic in the workplace? There are so many possibilities to choose from: intelligent, organized, expert, effective, productive, important, powerful, nice, kind, etc. The list goes on and on. In my opinion, the most desired trait in any individual has always and will always be having good “character.”
Now what exactly is character? Simply put, character refers to our moral traits, including our virtues and vices. A person with “good” or “strong” character thinks, speaks, and behaves in a way that upholds qualities like respect, kindness, and humility. Someone with “poor” or “weak” morals thinks, speaks, and behaves in ways that are consistent with vices including contempt, selfishness, and arrogance.
Character is actually a Greek word that means “to leave a mark.” Your personality leaves a legacy for the world. Character is the result of one’s collective characteristics. A good character is more appealing and charming because of its positive impact on other people, and in the end, a person is only known by the impact that they have had on other people. Having strong character means possessing qualities that are valuable to both oneself and others. Or, to put it another way, character strength is the degree to which you live out the ethical principles that we all aspire to uphold.
Keep in mind that developing your personality is not just about looking attractive and sporting designer labels. It also has to do with improving one’s inner self and being a nice person. You have to answer to yourself more than anyone else. It’s hard because humans tend to be inherently selfish and always do what’s in our own best desire so we tend to rarely ever take the time to be self aware. However, being able to admit your faults is the first step towards acquiring great character. You can start the process of changing them once you become aware of them. Personality makes us who we are. As a result, we frequently evaluate others based on their character. We label someone as having high ethical standards, for instance, when they consistently act morally. In a similar vein, when someone only expresses negativity, we assume that they have a gloomy viewpoint. Whether they are accurate or not, these snap judgments have an impact on how we feel about a person. Why do so many of us forget to evaluate our own character if we are so eager to criticize others’? Why do so many of us fail to evaluate our own character when we are so eager to evaluate the character of others? Many of us evaluate ourselves in light of our successes without considering whether we did so with honesty and integrity. Instead of passing judgment so quickly on others, examine yourself in the mirror. Perhaps you’ll notice something unexpected. You might decide that a few alterations need to be made. No human is perfect but what matters is the thought and effort put into trying to be a better person, learning from mistakes, and working on becoming and doing better.