“Character Is Destiny” … In Every Facet of Our Lives

“Character Is Destiny” … In Every Facet of Our Lives
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“Character is destiny.” Those three words from the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus bear repeating … again and again.

That simple sentence gives voice to such a powerful concept.

Ironically, though, the word – “character” – is tough to describe. When we use it, it’s as if we instinctively know what it means. In turn, we expect others to know as well.

All the while, it is one of the most important words in our lives. Character is what underlies our unique view of the world. It drives us in what we decide to do, how we do it and, most importantly, why. In short, it dictates our future.

Many have tried to define it.

The dictionary of dictionaries, Merriam Webster, gave it a try: “… one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual.” While that seems rather formal, it doesn’t really take us very far in understanding the depth of the word.

Nineteenth century British historian, author and politician, Thomas Babington Macaulay (Lord Macaulay), defined character in a decidedly more personal way: “The measure of a man’s character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.”

In that same vein, there is Warren Buffett. In his December 2014 memo letter to Berkshire Hathaway Managers, those whom he calls “The All-Stars,” he wrote:

“We must continue to measure every act against not only what is legal but also what we would be happy to have written about on the front page of a national newspaper in an article written by an unfriendly but intelligent reporter.”

In his 2005 book, entitled “Character Is Destiny: Inspiring Stories, Every Young Person Should Know and Every Adult Should Remember,” Senator John McCain shares profiles of individuals throughout history who, in his view, have embodied principles of ethical and moral behavior. An extraordinary example himself, the stories he selected focus on the motivation, reasoning and actions that he believes help define character.

And then there is Walter Cronkite, so often singled out as a man of character. With that cadence in his voice, down-to-earth and often emotional sharing of the day’s events on the CBS Evening News for almost two decades, he was described as “the most trusted man in America” by The New York Times and by CBS.

Viewers believed him when he wrapped it up with: “And that’s the way it is.”

I, too, listened carefully to what Cronkite said, including when he returned from his visit to Vietnam in 1968, convinced that the war was a stalemate and that a negotiated peace was the only option. Having enlisted in the US Army the previous year and then serving as an officer in helicopter pilot training, I knew that Vietnam would be my next location assignment. His was a perspective that I and many other soldiers at that time would see firsthand.

In my book, “The Power of Reputation,” (AMACOM, 2012) I talk in depth about character. After interviewing two dozen people from different walks of life, it is clear to me that one’s reputation is defined by three crucial qualities: character, communication and trust. The message is that whatever our role in life and in every facet of our lives, reputation is among our most treasured and powerful assets.

From my experience, I would define character as the building block that determines whether people will trust you.

I see it as pretty simple. Others listen to what you say, watch your behavior in everything you do and then they decide if they can trust you.

When it comes to judging companies or institutions, it’s no different. They make their judgments by the same standards that they judge people: they shake your hand, look you in the eye, watch your actions carefully and then answer the question for themselves: “Can I trust?”

What is there without trust?

In “The Power of Reputation,” I recount conversations with a wide range of people, each of whom demonstrated by their actions the crucial sense of character that has made them successful, regardless of their particular job or role in life. From the service manager at a car dealership to a hospital chief executive. From a mutual fund trustee to the manager of agency relations for a charity. From a bank CEO to an NGO executive. From the vice-chairman of a service business to the head of communications at a global company. Just to name a few.

The message is the same.

Character is what drives us. It is what makes us who we are. And it is at the core of any success we may have … in every facet of our lives.

So … when Heraclitus speaks, listen carefully.

And remember it well.

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