Character-in-Action® is a name we assigned our line of character books. We assigned that name because good character requires character-in-action. Until we have action, we do not have character.
You may tell me, “That man is a man of character,” but until I see him in action, exercising character, I cannot know that. The man of whom you speak may be able to explain to me in great depth the meaning and application of fairness, but until he actually exercises fairness, he lacks character. You may say, “The woman with whom I work is a woman of character,” and I may hope that she is, but until she exercises character, she is nothing. She may write a book about love while passing up many opportunities to do what is best for co-workers. She may agree to go on television and speak at length about the importance of responsibility, yet be late for that and many other appointments. She knows that the character trait of responsibility is important, but she has not embraced it. She does not exercise it. She is not a woman of character.
Good character requires character-in-action. Yet many of us give people credit for good character without the action. An example of this is shown in the results of a market research program our company ran. Several educators who were part of this program failed to connect their teaching to character-in-action. In their schools, however, they are likely considered to be men and women of good character. They spend most of every day teaching character to children, and probably consider themselves as men and women of character. Through their teaching, they likely have a grasp, by now, on the meanings of most entries on the list of character traits – especially responsibility. Schools always teach that trait. The importance of character also is likely to be a part of the knowledge these educators possess.
Yet those of whom I speak have failed, for more than a year, to exercise responsibility in fulfilling the terms of our market research agreement. Having eagerly accepted free books from our company, they failed to carry through in returning the simple evaluation sheets for those books. We do not need the books, of course. We freely give away books from time to time. And while we would like to have received those evaluation sheets, that is not the point. The point of relating this is that these educators, while knowing about character, are not exercising character. They are not putting their knowledge into action.
Good character requires character-in-action. It requires that you not only know what responsibility means; or be able to put that knowledge into language appropriate to the age group in which you wish to build character. It requires that you exercise responsibility. It requires that you exercise it on a regular, daily, consistent basis. You do not pick and choose the occasions on which you will be responsible. You do not decide to be responsible when it might affect your job and irresponsible when it won’t directly affect you.
Good character requires character-in-action, or it simply is not good character.
That’s the view from my chair. What’s your view?