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WE ARE JUDGED BY OUR CHARACTER
Kathlyn Q. Barrozo
Class of 1991, University of Santo Tomas
B.S. Medical Technology
Our character defines us and gives other people a real glimpse of who we are. Although there may be times
when we can pretend to be somebody we are not, the time of reckoning will always come. We will be liable to
commit unwanted slip-ups eventually. We may work hard at keeping up the pretense, but everything will soon
come crashing down to reveal what we work hard to cover up.
Even covering up is a sign that we have structured our character so weakly that we don’t even dare make
people aware of what we are from the inside. When people find out about the façade we build around our true
selves, we come out shame-faced and bitterer than we can ever be.
In life, it helps to have a certain form of inspiration so we can strive to become better people. Many people
have a golden rule they abide by. Others have the lives of influential people to guide them along their own way.
If we begin to adopt a certain motivational source in the build up of our character early in life, chances are
huge that we can emulate the values and virtues espoused in those very sources.
The great Martin Luther King, Jr. stated in his highly-acclaimed speech I HAVE A DREAM: I have a dream that my
four little 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.( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/17/i-have-a-dream-speech-
text_n_809993.html) Right here we see how important character is in the judgment passed to us by other
people. Character is even more important, in fact, than the color of our skin or any other physical consideration.
We may possess the most beautiful smile or the healthiest body on the planet, but when our character is weak
and easily crumbled, everything else will remain hollow.
Education and religion are often factors that contribute much to the content of our character. So is the
upbringing we receive from those before us. How we bring up our own offspring will reflect just how our
character has evolved and how it will affect the future. Our children are products of how we deal with life while
optimizing our character traits. It is vital that we realize our faults at the soonest time possible so that we will
not pass on the weaker points of our character to our children. There will always be exceptions, of course,
where our descendants become better where we have failed. This is the best case scenario that any parent can
hope to have. However, since those cases are rare, it is therefore upon us to live exemplary lives and work
towards good character concepts in order to prove good role models for our own children.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1.
Name some factors that can contribute to the build up of one’s character.
2.
How can character be the yardstick for judging an individual? Cite examples to illustrate your point.
3.
Cite some examples of how a child may build up undesirable character traits.
4.
Interview people you know and who know you most of all. What are your most desirable and least
desirable character traits, according to them?
5.
What is your action plan on your undesirable character traits? Elaborate on your answer/s, when
necessary.