CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: Reinventing the virtue of character

The Importance of Character Development

One thing that determines the quality of our lives is character. In fact, everything rises and falls with it. The Encarta Dictionary defines character as a “set of qualities that makes somebody or something distinctive, especially somebody’s quality of mind and feeling.” This means that character can be influenced by conditioning the state of the mind, leading to the fact that character is not a gift but a virtue that must be developed. It can either be your point of attraction or your repellent; it could be your distinctive plus or your minus in the world.

Character sticks with you and becomes you—so much so that J. R. Miller once said, "It is the only thing that walks back from the tomb and refuses to be buried." The amazing truth about character is that we all have it, but what differs is its quality and development.

The following steps will help you develop an incredible character that attracts everyone.

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Steps to Character Development

Step 1: Take Responsibility for Your Character

We often make excuses for our behavior, especially when it reflects faulty character development. However, no matter how much you wish to improve, if you do not take responsibility for your faults, nothing will truly change.

If someone always influences your reactions, it shows that you lack control over your own mind. We often allow people to determine what we say and how we react, only to later excuse our behavior by saying, "I was pushed off balance." But if you have a strong personal identity that defines where you stand and what you stand for, nobody can push you around.

If your mind is preconditioned to respond to anger with calmness or to fear with courage, then you take charge of yourself instead of constantly reacting impulsively.

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Step 2: Your Exposure Determines Your Reactions

The strength of your character is not determined by the number of years you have lived but by the quality of your exposure. Life is shaped by experiences and exposure, so it is essential to be mindful of the friends you keep and the books you read.

If your friends have a crude and warped understanding of life and defend their errors, there is a high likelihood that you will do the same. As mentioned earlier, character is a virtue that must be developed. Some books will either build or weaken your character, and making excuses for not reading good books will only leave your character crude and unrefined.

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Step 3: Avoid Mental Slavery

In today's world, slavery is considered inhuman and ruthless, but self-imposed mental slavery is even more cruel. Unfortunately, many people live with it comfortably, as if they were its inmates.

How can you reject externally imposed slavery while tolerating slavish thoughts, unguided desires, and habits that leave you aimless and directionless? The worst thing that can happen to anyone is to live without a personal identity or a conviction of what they stand for. When this happens, your desires will dictate all your decisions, leading to chaos. This is why many problems exist in the world today—decisions are often driven not by rational judgment but by the sheer desire to satisfy the ego and impress others.

You cannot take charge of your life when your desires rule over you. True living begins when you grow up, conquer yourself, and take control of your destiny. The prison with the highest number of inmates is not a national correctional facility—it is the self-imposed prison of the mind. In fact, national prisons are just a tiny offshoot of this internal prison.

The good news is that your destiny is in your hands. No one else is responsible for the quality of your life. That is why you must decide to take charge of your life today.