Fairness is claimed by many to be one of the pillars of character that upholds our civilization. It is a vital part of our interaction with one another. It should be taught in our schools and practiced throughout our nation. All right. I’ll agree with that. So how does it apply to the issue of […]
Character is shown by diligence. That is a general rule of our moral universe. Men and women who engage their whole hearts in their work are more likely to prosper, while those who leave half their hearts behind when they go to work are almost sure to fail.
A lazy farmer can’t expect a great […]
What is honesty? I’ve written about it other places. Jeremy Rabbit’s Honesty Pie tells children what it is, and Character Education 101, my free e-course for educators, tells teachers the meaning of honesty. Many people, however, don’t really know what honesty is.
This past weekend, as I scanned TV program listings to find good entertainment, I […]
Honesty exemplified is a great goal to set. Do you illustrate honesty? Does your life show others what it means to be honest? How honest are you? If you needed money, and found something very valuable, would you try to find the owner – or go for the cash? If you tried to find the […]
I never heard of John S. A. Edwards until recently. Little wonder about that. Mr. Edwards is involved in a business much different from Character-in-Action, where I spend my days. John Edwards is Sutcliffe Professor of Catering Management and Director of the Worshipful Company of Cooks Centre for Culinary Research at Bournemouth University on Great […]
Suppose you want to exercise kindness toward a woman who is a cancer survivor, but you don’t know what to do? Imagine that your employer’s wife is a burn victim, and you’re brainstorming to create a truly great act of kindness for her.
Most of us would be limited to small acts. We would ask humbly […]
A new book has come out. It’s a collection of essays by teenagers, all relating how they developed the courage to be themselves. I haven’t read the book yet, but it made me wonder. Is it better to have the courage to be yourself, or to have the courage to be a person of character?
The […]
In Texas, a lawmaker wants the University of Texas not to treat an Asian-American fraternity the same way other fraternities on campus have been treated when accused of hazing. He thinks it might offend the Asian community. Never mind the alcohol-related death of a freshman fraternity member. Instead of suspending the fraternity in compliance with […]
Did you read recently about the three adult sons who exemplified living by the courage of your convictions?
It began in 2004 when one of the sons, a police officer, was reviewing bank surveillance videos. Jared Ginglen accessed a law enforcement Web site, and was watching a bank robbery in progress, when he realized that the […]
We hear a lot these days about faith. The term “faith-based program” usually refers to a program instituted by a religious group.
Faith, however, is a trait of character, and every man or woman of strong character exercises faith: he or she acts on something unseen. He or she holds a firm belief in something […]