Here’s an unusual thought. Character is often left at home when people attend public gatherings. Why is that?
Good character exercises respect in public gatherings, but for some reason, many people seem oblivious to that fact. I remember being in a meeting many years ago where the young speaker was rapidly becoming weary of the lack of respect he was receiving. Oh, most of the attendees were watching, more or less, while he spoke. They watched, and even appeared to listen, but only until they saw something more interesting than the speaker. They had already snickered when a fly bothered one of the people seated on the platform just behind the guest speaker. They had given their undivided attention to a young boy who fell off his seat and began crying. Oh, and a coughing fit in the back of the auditorium also had proved irresistible to their wondering eyes.
The climax came, though, when an infant in the front of the auditorium began crying. The young mother rose immediately, and started quietly back the aisle with her little one. She was doing what she should do, but as she walked, she unwillingly dragged a long train of eyeballs behind her.
The youthful speaker shook his head, and interrupted his own talk. “That’s right,” he called loudly. “Let’s all watch the mother take her baby out. Everybody turn around. Everybody look. There she goes. She’s halfway back the aisle. She’s almost at the back. She’s at the door. She’s going out the door. The door is closing. Gone! Now. Let’s turn around and listen for a change!”
I don’t condone the brash approach of the young speaker, but I do admire him for being willing to challenge the attendees to exercise respect.
Good Character exercises respect in public gatherings by exercising punctuality. Punctuality at public gatherings minimizes interruptions, but such punctuality is simply respect for speakers and attendees. How often, at a seminar or other gathering, have you hurried to arrive on time, and then had to sit while the meeting was delayed, organizers waiting until latecomers had arrived? Worse yet – waiting until the speaker arrived late? Respect for others is a strong motivation for being punctual when we attend public gatherings.
Good Character exercises respect in public gatherings by exercising self-control, too. Self-control keeps attention on the speaker, but such self-control is simply respect for speakers and attendees. How often, at a convention or other meeting, have you tried to pay attention, only to have someone in front of you turning frequently to see what is happening behind, or otherwise stealing attention from the speaker? Respect for others is a strong motivation for exercising self-control in public gatherings.
If you want a good mental work-out on this topic, open a list of character traits, and consider them one-by-one, determining how each one relates to public gatherings. See how many of them are, in that context, a matter of exercising respect for others. I think you will be surprised.
That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?