Definition
Whenever one talks about character, one usually refers to the parts of a person that make them act in a certain way time and time again. It seems to me that character therefore refers to the amalgamation of unchanging habits of an individual.
Origin of Character in an Individual
1. Character Must be Developed
This leads us to question of where character originates from. You might say that it comes naturally. You have always remembered being patient, for instance. However, you would not classify a baby as being 'patient', as it cannot outwardly exude patience or impatience. Babies have not interacted with the world long enough for any of their tendencies to be described as unchanging, so don't have character. Therefore, there has to be a point in which you developed a trait or in which that trait became outwardly evident. You may have been born with tendencies to form certain habits, but they only became part of your character through action.
2. Theory of Character Acquisition
Aristotle wrote about the topic of character acquisition in his Nicomachean Ethics. A small part of his theory says that the ability to acquire any virtue or vice is present at birth, but characters (which are composed of virtues and vices) only develop through performing the corresponding actions to develop the corresponding habits. I would argue, however, that there is major portion that Aristotle missed, namely that we learn most of our early habits through imitation.
Picture by jlorenz1
3. Character Acquired by Imitation
From birth to age 18, children spend a large amount of their time with their parents, and because they strongly imitate them, they develop many of the same habits as their parents. Presumably the children will receive the most exposure to the habits of the parents which are unchanging. A parent could go through a mid-life crisis, but these are recently developed habits, and the children won't have as much exposure to them as they do to unchanging habits. Unchanging habits of the parents which are learned through imitation by the children, are reinforced by the parents throughout their childhood, so are also unchanging. Therefore, children inherit some of their character from their parents, as these imitated habits are a part of their character. Certainly, there are also some outside influences that determine character, but I think that it's predominantly inherited from parents.
Are you Responsible for Your Character?
1. You Control Your Surroundings
As discussed previously, your parents determine much of your character as they are your primary example of what a person should be. As a child, you have a choice on how much to idealize each parent, which determines how much of each parent you will imitate. Thus, even though there are only two choices of people to imitate, the child has a little control over what they idealize, and what they subsequently imitate.
More control over character emerges as one leaves home (particularly work or school). As discussed in my post last week, you can decide who you spend the most time with and who you develop friendships with. These friends will determine many of your character traits. Presumably you are friends with them because you see them as good people, worthy of imitation, and thus imitate them.
2. There is Time to Change
Although you may have limited choices about who to imitate as a child, when you are in your late teenage years, you develop rational thinking independent of your parents and have the ability to make decisions for yourself. This ability gives you the power to change your habits and thus your character.
Changing habits is a slow process, but a majority of your life is still ahead of you, so changing your character to match your ideal as closely as possible is a worthwhile thing for you to do. In the end, I believe that if we indeed have free will, we are responsible for our character. Additionally, because we have the ability to improve our habits to make us and those around us happier, I believe that we should do so.
Picture by Matt Litzsinger, taken at the Berlin Wall.
The first step on improving yourself is to understand what your character currently is and what you desire it to be. There are many tests you can take to tell you what your character is, such as the VIAsurvey and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test, although honest introspection is also quite helpful.
2. Persistence
This week, I challenge you to develop a new habit and then stick with it. Share it with your friends and carefully develop incentives to make sure that you follow through with your habit. This week and following, I will make my sleep cycle more regular; specifically, I will go to bed and wake within the same 30 minute window every day (10:30 - 11:00 PM sleep and 6:30 - 7:00 AM wake). I will report my results on this blog to help ensure my success.
As discussed previously, your parents determine much of your character as they are your primary example of what a person should be. As a child, you have a choice on how much to idealize each parent, which determines how much of each parent you will imitate. Thus, even though there are only two choices of people to imitate, the child has a little control over what they idealize, and what they subsequently imitate.
More control over character emerges as one leaves home (particularly work or school). As discussed in my post last week, you can decide who you spend the most time with and who you develop friendships with. These friends will determine many of your character traits. Presumably you are friends with them because you see them as good people, worthy of imitation, and thus imitate them.
2. There is Time to Change
Although you may have limited choices about who to imitate as a child, when you are in your late teenage years, you develop rational thinking independent of your parents and have the ability to make decisions for yourself. This ability gives you the power to change your habits and thus your character.
Changing habits is a slow process, but a majority of your life is still ahead of you, so changing your character to match your ideal as closely as possible is a worthwhile thing for you to do. In the end, I believe that if we indeed have free will, we are responsible for our character. Additionally, because we have the ability to improve our habits to make us and those around us happier, I believe that we should do so.
Improving Yourself
1. IntrospectionThe first step on improving yourself is to understand what your character currently is and what you desire it to be. There are many tests you can take to tell you what your character is, such as the VIAsurvey and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test, although honest introspection is also quite helpful.
2. Persistence
This week, I challenge you to develop a new habit and then stick with it. Share it with your friends and carefully develop incentives to make sure that you follow through with your habit. This week and following, I will make my sleep cycle more regular; specifically, I will go to bed and wake within the same 30 minute window every day (10:30 - 11:00 PM sleep and 6:30 - 7:00 AM wake). I will report my results on this blog to help ensure my success.
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