Character. Maketh. Man
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
I have a confession to make, I have watched all the Kingsman movies. I find them fascinating, not because the storyline is compelling, I don’t even agree with most of their moral choices but the goofiness makes the Kingsman movies fun. The characters don’t take themselves seriously. Oh, I like that old traditional elegant British gentleman vibe.
There is a great line in all three installments “Manners Maketh Man”. Sorry to non-British English Shakespeare speakers, yes, I mean you, American revolutionaries. Manners mean; ways of behaving toward people, ways that are socially correct and show respect. (behavior, civility, conduct, courtesy, etiquette).
Today the expression ‘Manners Maketh Man’ broadly means that your mannerisms and characteristics make you who you are, that is to say, people are judged by their manners and conduct. But in its earliest use, as manners maketh man, it likely had a broader meaning— that manners make us human - that politeness and etiquette are what prevent us from falling into savagery.
One thing that is ingrained in our psyche is the desire to be great, and successful in whatever we do. I have never met a person who works to be a failure. It is every person’s dream to be successful in whatever they choose to do. However, success and greatness are not as easy as eating bread with butter.
People fail to reach their dreams for various reasons. Could be capital, finances, skill set, location, bad business practices, government policies, bad ideas, and many more. However, no matter the reason, one thing is key and a lack of thereof will automatically lead to failure in spite of the availability of positive conditions.
Character
When you lack character, you stand in the middle of a tornado where beasts of prey gnash their teeth waiting to snack on you. Lack of character has caused many to hit the iceberg of life, families, relationships get broken, marriages fail, friendships vanish, businesses wiped out, cursing the day you were born. Life could turn miserable pretty fast.
What is Character?
Character is the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. The total of things a person does, feels, and thinks by which they are judged as being good or bad, strong or weak. Your nature, temperament, and mentality. Both mental and moral behavior.
In short,
Character is doing what you don’t want to do but know you should do.
We all have a sphere of influence irrespective of the nature of our work, position, title, rank, education, nationality, or background. We have an inner desire to bring positive change and be a good influence on our loved ones and peers. But why do we keep on failing to be that positive influence we crave for? The answer is character. For you can’t give what you don’t have.
To educate a person in the mind but not in morals is to educate a menace to society.” — Theodore Roosevelt
Bad Company corrupts good Character
“Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33
To be on secure ground, you have to examine your associates, what you read, what and who you listen to, and your actions and reactions. Whatever dominates your mind, and your time eventually shows what kind of a person you are and what kind of a person you will be in the future.
Character is like investments you make now expecting returns in the near future. When you choose your friends, don’t be short-changed by choosing personality over character.
Good Character is not Perfection.
All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride. — Sophocles, Antigone
I’m afraid that we all make mistakes. One of the things that define our character is how we handle mistakes. If we lie about having made a mistake, then it can’t be corrected and it festers. On the other hand, if we give up just because we made a mistake, even a big mistake, none of us would get far in life.
No One Can Rise Above the limitations of their Character
Have you ever seen highly talented people suddenly fall apart when they achieved a certain level of success? The key to that phenomenon is character.
People who achieve great heights but lack bedrock character to sustain them head for disaster.
Hard work can bring you success but after getting to where you want to be, can you stay there forever? Your character will make you a victor or a victim of your own success.
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
Check yourself
Do you finish assignments?
Can people trust your handshake? 🤝
Can people lean on you?
Do you bring a sense of belonging to people?
To-do list;
Search for cracks: For example in work, marriage, family, service, and others. See where you have cut corners.
Look for patterns: Examine the responses that you just wrote down.
Face the music: create a list of people to whom you need to apologize for your actions.
Rebuild: build a new future, create a plan that will prevent you from making the same mistakes again.
The knowledge that we are responsible for our actions and attitudes does not need to be discouraging, because it also means that we are free to change this destiny. One is not in bondage to their past, which has shaped your feelings and general outlook of life, and not in bondage to your background. All this can be altered if we have the courage to examine how it formed us. We can alter the chemistry provided we have the courage to dissect the elements.
Your reputation is in the hands of others. That’s what reputation is. You can’t control that. The only thing you can control is your character.
If we work on our character, we can always start again. For it is character which makes us different from serial killers. It holds us together and keeps us believing even when everything fails.
Beauty’s only skin deep. Everybody has ugly days. We’re all made of the same stuff underneath. Acting right is better than looking right. Realize what make you special beyond looks. Evil can look pretty on the outside. — Shannon Delany, 13 to Life
Fame is a vapor, popularity is an accident, riches take wings, those who cheer today may curse tomorrow and only one thing endures — character.