| |
Character
Definition
by
David Hamilton, author
Character
definition examples may be found in many places, and in many styles. Some
character definitions skip simplistically over the peaks of the topic. Others
delve exhaustively into the depths of the topic. For our purposes in this small
space, I hope to land somewhere in the middle. I would like to offer a character
definition that is complete without being exhaustive, clear without being simplistic.
I would like to offer a character definition that gets to the heart of the matter.
"Character
definition" is similar to a chapter title in a book I was privileged
to co-author, Character. The extensive research for that book included many hours
of work on the definition alone. It ranged from USA military manuals through dictionaries
and other authors' works to the Holy Bible. Our goal was an accurate definition,
and we reached that goal with this. |
| | |
Character
definition: Character
is a consciously developed inner firmness that permeates the fiber of a person,
causing him or her to firmly harness the energy of objective high moral values
to the actions of everyday life.1
This
definition of character is not one you can hand to a child, granted. That was
not our intent. Our purpose was to develop a definition that adults could ponder
until they attained a firm grasp on it, then implement it in their own lives,
and finally use it to teach young people more accurately. For very young children,
try this:
Character
definition for children:
Character
is knowing the right thing to do,
and always doing the right thing,
even
when nobody is watching.2
Footnotes:
1.
David E and Elizabeth L Hamilton, Character, Character
Builder Series #1
(Quiet Impact, Inc. 2003): page 14
2. Elizabeth L
Hamilton, Christopher Cat's
Character Club, Character Critters Series #1
(Quiet Impact, Inc. 2003):
page 3
| |
