“She’s such a character,” I hear people say and they’re usually referring to some larger than life, over the top person with quirky fashion sense or eccentric manner. Many famous characters of this kind come to mind. Think of comedian Phyllis Diller with her wild hair and ditzy laugh, or Jennifer Saunders and her outrageous fashion sense in Absolutely Fabulous, or Barry Humphries’ alter ego Dame Edna Everage and ‘her gladdies’, or English actor Rowan Atkinson’s, Mr Bean – what can I say about Mr Bean – he defies explanation. These characters all have this amazing ability to bring together both endearing and cringe worthy qualities that usually make us laugh and see the funny side of life.
What of a person’s character though? What are the qualities that mark a person of ‘good character’? History reveals many great men and women of character – people tested by difficult and dangerous circumstances beyond their control, but triumphing over extreme adverse conditions, by their very will and determination - India’s liberator, Mahatma Gandhi, England’s ‘mother of nursing’, Florence Nightingale, America’s Afro-American Civil Rights leader, Martin Luther King, Calcutta’s carer of the children of the slum, Mother Teresa, American President Benjamin Franklin, and New Zealander and Australian restorer of sight amongst indigenous people, Fred Hollows. Were these people perfect? No they were not. Did they have good character though? Yes, they did. So how do we measure a person’s character?
The gian
t Californian redwoods are amongst the world’s tallest trees and while they are the world’s largest trees currently living, it may surprise many people to know that an Australian Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) was the world’s largest tree ever recorded. According to historical records, the Ferguson Tree was reported at over 154m (nearly 500 feet high). It was measured by Surveyor Ferguson in 1872 in the Watts River Catchment near Healesville, in Victoria. The point about these giant trees is that they are supported by massive root systems, which represent almost two thirds of the tree’s mass. These root systems are of course hidden underground and out of sight. A person’s character, similarly, is often hidden from the visible eye; these intangible qualities lie deep within a person’s psyche but they are there, none-the-less, like an inbuilt moral compass. On the other hand, someone’s outward personal appearance and personality, is on show and there for all to see.
What of a person’s character though? What are the qualities that mark a person of ‘good character’? History reveals many great men and women of character – people tested by difficult and dangerous circumstances beyond their control, but triumphing over extreme adverse conditions, by their very will and determination - India’s liberator, Mahatma Gandhi, England’s ‘mother of nursing’, Florence Nightingale, America’s Afro-American Civil Rights leader, Martin Luther King, Calcutta’s carer of the children of the slum, Mother Teresa, American President Benjamin Franklin, and New Zealander and Australian restorer of sight amongst indigenous people, Fred Hollows. Were these people perfect? No they were not. Did they have good character though? Yes, they did. So how do we measure a person’s character?
The gian
t Californian redwoods are amongst the world’s tallest trees and while they are the world’s largest trees currently living, it may surprise many people to know that an Australian Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) was the world’s largest tree ever recorded. According to historical records, the Ferguson Tree was reported at over 154m (nearly 500 feet high). It was measured by Surveyor Ferguson in 1872 in the Watts River Catchment near Healesville, in Victoria. The point about these giant trees is that they are supported by massive root systems, which represent almost two thirds of the tree’s mass. These root systems are of course hidden underground and out of sight. A person’s character, similarly, is often hidden from the visible eye; these intangible qualities lie deep within a person’s psyche but they are there, none-the-less, like an inbuilt moral compass. On the other hand, someone’s outward personal appearance and personality, is on show and there for all to see. What is the difference between someone’s personality and his or her character? Personality is the natural or inborn traits of a person - the outward show of who they are, which could range from: extraverted, bright and bubbly, quiet and shy, confident and commanding, caring and compassionate to introverted and studious and all variations in between. This is very different though from someone’s character. Someone can be very charming (a personality trait) but a charlatan or a cheat (a character trait).
Character, is a learned behaviour and reflects someone’s attitudes and values. In a nutshell, character is a set of behaviour traits that define what sort of person you are. Your moral or ethical qualities if you like – qualities of honesty, courage, integrity, trustworthiness, respectfulness, responsibility, caring and compassion. People judge your personal character by their perception of how you respond to challenges. Someone who perseveres in the face of adversity and works persistently to complete a task or sees something through is generally thought to be someone of good personal character. By every measure Fred Hollows was such a man. He never wavered in his mission to bring sight to thousands of people suffering from trachoma, in aboriginal communities in Australia, Nepal, Eritrea and Vietnam. He organised manufacturing labs to provide low cost lenses (about $10 each) to the people of these countries and trained many ordinary citizens on how to complete the procedure in remote, often war-torn and inhospitable parts of the world. He was a humble person but a great visionary, a ‘giant’ among men – a man of great character.
It’s not easy though to be a person of good character all the time. Even Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s greatest Presidents who identified thirteen values to live by, and wrote to his son about these virtues, (including them in his autobiography), was often unable to live by these very virtues, succumbing to gout, excessive drinking and other less virtuous behaviours. As I say, no one is perfect but, the reality is that:
“You can’t discover light by analysing the darkness.”
All of us can learn how to be a person of good character, or to be a better person. It’s something we can all strive to achieve. I will be the first to admit that it’s not always easy, particularly when you’re a young person and facing enormous peer pressure to do something that you know is not right. Part of learning how to be person of character is being able to show integrity – doing the right thing in a difficult situation under pressure. Admitting when we’re wrong, owning up when we’ve done the wrong thing and being honest about it is one of life’s toughest challenges. Hiding the facts, deceiving others to ‘protect our own skin’ is no way to develop into a person of good character. Taking the consequences and learning from our mistakes is the only way that we can move forward as a person of character.
Our aim at Caloundra City Private School is to develop good character – traits of honesty, respect, trustworthiness, integrity, responsibility, self-discipline, compassion and care - in every single student. Together, the School and parents can achieve this goal. Our students, like the great Mountain Ash and Redwoods, can one day be ‘giants’ among men and women, if only they continue to learn from their mistakes and make good choices, that ultimately develop within them, a person of integrity – a person of great character. This timeless verse from Samuel Smiles captures the essence of ‘building’ character in young people.
“Sow a thought, reap and action;
Sow an action, reap a habit;
Sow a habit, reap a character;
Sow a character, reap a destiny”
Karon Graham
All of us can learn how to be a person of good character, or to be a better person. It’s something we can all strive to achieve. I will be the first to admit that it’s not always easy, particularly when you’re a young person and facing enormous peer pressure to do something that you know is not right. Part of learning how to be person of character is being able to show integrity – doing the right thing in a difficult situation under pressure. Admitting when we’re wrong, owning up when we’ve done the wrong thing and being honest about it is one of life’s toughest challenges. Hiding the facts, deceiving others to ‘protect our own skin’ is no way to develop into a person of good character. Taking the consequences and learning from our mistakes is the only way that we can move forward as a person of character.
Our aim at Caloundra City Private School is to develop good character – traits of honesty, respect, trustworthiness, integrity, responsibility, self-discipline, compassion and care - in every single student. Together, the School and parents can achieve this goal. Our students, like the great Mountain Ash and Redwoods, can one day be ‘giants’ among men and women, if only they continue to learn from their mistakes and make good choices, that ultimately develop within them, a person of integrity – a person of great character. This timeless verse from Samuel Smiles captures the essence of ‘building’ character in young people.
“Sow a thought, reap and action;
Sow an action, reap a habit;
Sow a habit, reap a character;
Sow a character, reap a destiny”
Karon Graham
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