In today’s society, the words “character” and “personality” in describing a person seem to be interchangeable. There is a great difference between character and personality and it is very important for one to know the difference.
From The Peaceful Solution Character Education , Intermediate Series Character Unit on page 3, what it says about character is…
“Everyone has character. Character is what helps a person determine right from wrong. A person’s character consists of patterns of behavior that are considered either positive or negative.Your character reflects who you are on the inside; it goes beyond what the casual eye can see. Knowing about your character will enable you to understand why you think and act the way you do. Knowing how to identify a positive character in others will help you build strong, positive relationships. “
A person’s character can be either positive or negative. Some positive character traits are educated, respectful, patient, honest/trustworthy, humble, thankful, forgiving, persistent and self-control.
Some negative character traits are uneducated, dishonest, unforgiving, unreliable, impatient, disrespectful, hateful.
What is personality? In The Peaceful Solution Character Education Program, Intermediate Series, Character Unit, page 23 it says,
“Personality is made up of behavioral traits that are unique to each individual. Personality is the process you choose in how to govern your feelings, attitudes and preferences. It is the basis by which you choose to interact with others. For example, when you first meet someone, you notice if they smile when they meet someone, you notice if they smile when they say hello. You may also notice if they are humorous, serious, outgoing or shy. Other aspects of your personality include such things as your preference for foods, colors and hobbies…Do you like loud, bright colors or do you like quiet, softer colors?…”
Before I knew the difference between a person’s character their personality, I chose friends based on our compatible personalities. A person’s personality is what we can learn almost immediately unlike character which usually shows itself out over the long run. A person may be outgoing , humorous , and the “life of the party” but is a thief. On the other hand, a person may be shy and quiet but very trustworthy. This is why it is so very important to choose friends wisely based more so on character than solely on personality.
“Ultimately, it is character , not personality, that should define who I am and who I associate with.” – The Peaceful Solution
To learn more, please go to www.peacefulsolution.org
Peace to you,
Becky Fontenot
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