Character is pursuing and developing moral excellence, which leads to self-mastery. Character is a
word, which conveys the process of engraving or chiseling to give form to raw material. For instance,
skilled workers using the hammer and chisel crafted ancient statues very methodically and patiently,
shaping some of the most renowned pieces of art we admire today. Within time, an onlooker could
see a face or an image emerge from the granite rock. This process also happens with people. During
our childhood, we are similar to a marble slab, which, over time, through choice, action and selfcorrection, you and I create the right actions and new outcomes, which form a new character.
A great example of character comes from one of our beloved Founding Fathers, George Washington.
At the young age of sixteen, Washington (1989) wrote a list of life principles to govern his personal
conduct. It is known today as Washington’s Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and
Conversation, and it consists of 110 principles of conduct by which he determined to live his life.
These principles ultimately shaped his character. Here are three samples along with my
interpretation in brackets:
a. Rule #50 – Be not hasty to believe flying reports to the disparagement of any.
[Don’t believe dirty gossip about someone without first finding the facts yourself before making
a judgment.]
b. Rule #82 – Undertake not what you cannot perform, but be careful to keep your promise. [The
first part is don’t commit to something you know your abilities cannot handle.]