What In The HELL is Character and Why Do I Need It?

​              Character is the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. I wanted to start with the definition of character so that you have an idea of where this post is heading. I was once lost in the fact that I thought character and reputation were basically the same, but boy was I wrong. Your character is who you are, while your reputation is what others think you are. Being concerned with your character should be your only concern when the two are in discussion. Your character takes years to build and a reputation can happen overnight. The one great thing of the two is that you have full control of your character and what you take into your life. I know that many people judge others and make comments about their character, but don’t understand that they are judging a reputation. Kanye West is a person that I have heard many comments about and believe me they are not nice comments. He has a reputation of being overly outspoken, egotistical, arrogant, rude, inconsiderate, and the list of names goes on and on. People apply labels to individuals but don’t have a clue of who they are internally. The real question and only question should be “WHO AM I?” and not “WHO IS KANYE?”, only he knows that.
 
                I find those questions amazing because a person is so quick to tell you who you are but doesn’t have a damn clue of who they are. The fear of discovering self seems to be a scary thing for most today. The world has given us soooo many things to mask our “character” (reputation) with and of course we all like to play dress up. Halloween is an all year holiday for most and the masks and costumes are getting scarier and scarier. How many people do you see on social media platforms that look like life is GRAND and that they are the happiest people on the face of the planet? Most that I have seen on social media since I have rejoined this year make life look like a piece of cake. You also have some that just need all the sympathy in the world and life is killing them slowly. They are working hard on building a great reputation instead of character. Social media, the media, our peers, and technology have stopped the character building process. The masses are living and existing on their reputation and are mighty fine by just that. I am here to let you know that the people that have given you this reputation could give a damn about your character, and guess who lives with that character? HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! You will live with that character day in and day out, while your reputation builders aren’t concerned with that part of you. The most common answers to questions about someone’s character are “I don’t know” or “I haven’t thought about it”. You, have to take time out to figure these things out or you will die not knowing who you are or having a makeup of yourself.
 
                How do you build character and why do you need to build character? Building character comes over time with discovery, travel, human interaction, and learning. Character is not made over night and it takes you to pay attention and be honest with yourself. Yes, there are people that LIE to themselves. Amazing isn’t it? Honesty will form your morals, and integrity. This is the stuff that you work on when no one is looking and the things that get rewarded in life. There is nothing better than being a walking truth. Knowing that you are completely honest with yourself and your moral bank is over flowing in life brings joy and happiness. Regardless if you live the truth or not, the truth ALWAYS comes out and reveals itself. We are all meant to be different and live to our own standards. Don’t let someone create your character for you and don’t let anyone defeat your character. You are the only CEO of that company (character) and you should treat it as a fortune 500 company. This means don’t let anyone take it from you and don’t compromise yourself for profit. Your self worth has to be worth billions before you can make thousands. Be great and vulnerable enough to discover yourself. 

Written By Ronald Anthony Wilson.