Doing what’s right is what counts

Character counts. That’s true, but nobody seems to talk about it much any more.

Is having and showing good character a lost art? It sure gets short shrift in popular magazines and television programs – they’re like a broken record, stuck in one groove: Pleasure yourself! Live the good life! Live forever! … and, get rich in 10 days!

Are we really that self-centered, or have we just had our attention dragged down the primrose path by savvy, glitzy advertisers and programmers, hitting us below the belt – suggesting we need sleep aids, depression cures and pills for every dysfunction from which our body may (or may not) suffer?

And … are we really turned on by the far-fetched messages on those seductive magazine covers, covers so suggestive they have to be partially covered, enticing us to get thin, get a mate, please our mate, and touting the miracles of expensive Botox injections and plastic surgery?

Would their magazines sell if their covers promised stories on the rewards of integrity, the value of self-control, and the rewards of patience? Just possibly, if they could find ways to make such lofty ideals sell. Am I being too cynical?

With or without media attention, character has always been and always will be, the main thing that sets the human race apart from the animal kingdom, except in the case of those woolly mutations, known as party animals.

Our personal character traits – the good, bad and the ugly – define who we are. We can be responsible, honest, forgiving, tolerant, loyal, generous and diligent. But we are just as capable of lying and cheating, or sniveling, complaining, stingy, or being self-centered, prejudiced, treacherous and slovenly. Most likely, we’re a unique and transient combination of many of these traits.

“Good character is the inward motivation to do what is right, according to the highest standards of behavior, in every situation. It transcends age, position, financial status, race, religion, education, gender and personality. Good character springs from the heart.” So says Thomas A. Hill of Character First!

Hill further explains that we build character in our lives by the decisions we make on a moment-by-moment basis, and we ourselves are encouraged to build our own good character, “when those around us emphasize, require, recognize and model good character, themselves.”

If we think such traits as honesty, integrity, dependability, involvement and generosity, don’t sell, or don’t get us where we want to go, we’re dead wrong. Good character does indeed sell, and there are hard, measurable results to prove it, according to Steve Walsh, international business leadership trainer.

Walsh says, “Employees determine the success of your organization, but not solely with their knowledge, skills and abilities. Their productivity and performance stems from their character. A punctual employee gets to work on time. A diligent employee invests all his or her effort to complete a task. An alert employee is keenly aware of each customer’s needs.”

Makes sense.

Walsh is the new executive director of the Idaho Character Council, founded in 2001 by Dan Pinkerton, a local businessman. This group offers seminars that teach the value of good character traits to local business leaders. They emphasize hiring for character, training for character, rewarding and/or firing for character. Thank you, Steve, and good luck! What a good thing for our community.

It’s such a different world out there now. We all need to be more diligent in parking lots and on city streets to stay safe. We’re uneasy when approached by a stranger. And, we’re not even sure anymore if the car pulling us over is really a cop. Students used to be the ones who cheated – now we’re catching some teachers in the act of cheating. Where are our kids being shown good character-building examples? At school – at home – or, on television?

Our faith in human goodness is being seriously shaken. Today fraud is rampant at all levels of government and business. We have to read the fine print on everything – even food labels – and we must shred discarded mail. We’re being challenged on every level, because of the erosion of good character not only in our own community but also in the global economy.

Good character rises to the top inevitably, and in the long haul cheaters lose. When all is said and done we may have less money and fewer toys, but we’ll have inner peace and the happy state of mind one enjoys after a job well done.

Can we develop new character traits – after the cement has set, so to speak? Of course. We just make up our mind to do it. Like quitting smoking – each time we have the urge to smoke, we recommit ourselves to not smoking. Pretty soon we’re nonsmokers and pleased as heck about it.

“Fame is vapor; popularity an accident; riches take wings. Only one thing endures, and that is character.” Horace Greeley. Amen.