Some Thoughts on Character

“I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”-Martin Luther King, Jr.
With all the race bating and all the marketing of dependency coming out the mouths of the so called leaders of the Million More March, I was reminded of these words. Of these words that stir the American soul. These words that ring of justice. Of right.
What is race, but melanin? What is color, but pigment?
So yes, it is the character of a man that names him great. Or deems him contemptible.
Character which earns him respect. Or christens him with dishonor.
So what exactly is character? What are its qualities? From whence does it arise?
As you may have surmised, I have some thoughts on this issue.
The man of character is self reliant. He wears his independence as a badge for he understands that it is from independence that true freedom arises. And understands as well, from dependence, tyranny. He asks not more that he is equal to give in return. Yet he expects and demands men be greater than themselves.
The man of character understands sacrifice. Understands there is a price to be paid for success. Understands he is, in the end, responsible. For his family, his life, his thoughts, his circumstance.
The man of character has honed self control. He avoids excess in thought, word, and action. He acts today, but plans long term.
The man of character is a creature of respect. He gives it until it is no longer earned. He treats man and Earth as he treats himself. His kindness is borne from his respect.
The man of character is honest. He speaks from knowledge only. Emotion is preserved for his family and friends, it has no place in his words and opinions. He speaks and lives only in truth. Not as he wants it, but just as it is. He is a realist. He accepts and appreciates reality.
The man of character is thankful. He understands the root of envy. Understands the root of hate. He is thankful for his life and circumstance, thus he is impregnable.
The man of character accepts control of his life. If it is not as he wishes, it is his obligation to change it. He understands he is, in the end, responsible. Not another, not government, but himself. He sees that life begins anew each moment and his future circumstance can be altered by the force of his will.
The man of character strives to be better. He is unceasingly curious. Eternally self-correcting. He is open, but skeptical. Confidant, yet humble.
In the end, character is an internal arrow pointing in the direction of right. It is not inborn, but rather won through constant inner struggle. Although internal, it can be recognized easily enough when encountered. We have nearly all met men we have instantly regarded as great. Men who have sparked us to aim for something higher. Not men of one color or another, but men of character.
I will end with these words from Abraham Lincoln that speak on the judgement of character,
"Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”

Crossposted @ The Wide Awakes