Are You A Person of Character?
Posted by Corey on April 27, 2009
Are you a person of character? Do you have integrity?
Before you instinctively answer YES, think about the following anecdote. I ask these exact same questions to audiences of adults and students across the country every month. The results are startling.
Assume I have 100 audience members. I ask individuals in the crowd to raise their hands if they believe they are a person of character. Immediately, 100 hands shoot up. Then I say, “Okay . . . okay, keep your hand up if you are comfortable defining character for me?” At this point, something amazing happens - 100 hands go down immediately. Awkward? . . . you bet. If I inquire instead about integrity, I get the same results.
It is startling to me that people just assume that they have integrity / character but have not thought deeply enough about the matter to define each term with confidence. This would never happen if someone asked us about our favorite professional sports team or vacation destination. We would be able to talk for hours about these things. If we care so much about trivial matters, why don’t we care more about serious matters?
For the record, I define character as: (1) how you act when no one is looking and (2) how you act when you are just around your friends. When you are all alone in a room, do you cheat on an exam, mislead a client in an e-mail, or fudge a number on your taxes? Each of these actions says something about your character. When you go out at night or on the weekends, are you with decent people, at decent places and doing decent things? Or, are you at bad places, doing morally questionable things with suspect people? The places you go, the things you do and the people you associate with also say something about your character.
Defining integrity is a bit tougher. Great philosophers spent lifetimes pondering the definition of integrity. Such respect highlighted the importance of the concept as it relates to all aspects of personal and professional life. Although my efforts in comparison are feeble, I think daily about how best to define integrity - especially when exploring character with my undergraduate students.
My definition leans towards Aristotle’s framework of Virtue Ethics. Aristotle would argue that a person needs to practice certain virtues such as compassion, courage, honesty, loyalty and patience in order to lead the good life, to be truly happy. More specifically, he describes the importance of seeking the golden mean - the area between the excess and deficiency - of these virtues. Therefore, a truly honest person is neither a liar nor too blunt; a compassionate person is neither hard-hearted nor a doormat. In this vein, I view integrity as the virtue of all virtues - a sort of macro-virtue - the attainment of which is produced automatically as a result of striving to live a virtuous life.
In other words, people achieve integrity when they habitually strive for the golden means of each of the micro-virtues. Therefore, people cannot seek to improve their integrity per se. Instead, to achieve integrity, we all must be more courageous, compassionate, honest, loyal, patient, etc. and do so more often - both at home with our families and at the workplace with our colleagues and customers. The good news is that achieving integrity is always within our grasp - only a few virtues away!
With all this in mind, I encourage you to take an introspective look at the way you incorporate virtues into your own life. If you are a jerk - make a concerted effort to eliminate this deficiency and become more compassionate. If you are impatient- cut back on this excess and strive to become more patient. Virtues are developed with practice - so get to work! Then, the next time I ask you if you are a person of character, you can confidently keep your hand up while others shy away.
Posted under Character Development
After listening to you in class as well as reading your blog, I agree with the many point you point out in the article about character development. Integrity is a tough human trait to define but I would have to conquer that Aristotle’s framework of Virtue Ethics revolving around seeking the “golden mean” hits the definition right on the head. When people strive for the golden mean their true virtues are present and that defines their overall character. Nobody in this world can be perfect in any sorts so as one lives their life they must try and find the between of their characteristics or virtues. Finding the balance between the good and the bad of every situation brings out the best of an individual and allows them to feel content and move on. In my own life, I am always trying to find the balance of any given situation. My self-awareness allows me to depict my character when either with my family, friends, or just by myself. I usually try and put myself in good situations so it will reflect my character amongst my peers. It is important to achieve the characteristics that all lead up to integrity. If one can lead by example and achieve honesty, loyalty, compassion, leadership, success, etc. they will prosper in a successful environment.
I think that it is incredibly hard to know how you will act in any and all situations. No one can ever be at the “better” end of all of the virtues, if there even is a “better” end. So how do we determine which end of the spectrum we should fall on at any given point in time? Should one always act in the same manner and stick by their placement on the spectrum, or should there be a constant adjustment? If we do need to adjust given the situation (for example being honest when your best friend asks you if she looks fat) then how do we maintain consistency and always know the “right” way to act? I think you need to develop somewhat of a code of conduct to live by that reflects your personal values and as mentioned above, your character and integrity. However, how does that work with the virtue ethics mentioned by Aristotle? Do we always act the same way when people are not looking i.e. honestly, loyal, and patiently? No, I believe it is something deeper that drives our actions, something before you even get to integrity and character which are defined by many of these virtue ethics and which can vary by situation, coming full circle.
I found this an interesting anecdote when I heard it for the first time in class and reading it again reinforced the message for me. I find it incredible that no one is willing to even try to define these characteristics. I wish I could say that people would at least identify what they considered as character and integrity in their daily lives, but this story seems to prove the opposite. How can we use such terms to define ourselves without actually knowing what they mean? Its like trying to speak another language and hoping that you guessed the right word off the list. If we can’t define a word, we can’t actually know that it is true or applicable.
As Aristotle said, it is important to find the “Golden Mean” between virtues. Extremes are dangerous options, and I think that they are something that we all must work to avoid. While honesty is important, being blunt can get us in to very difficult situations. I think that when looking at any other virtues we can see a similar pattern–the extremes lead us down a difficult and dangerous path. The key is balance. We choose our surroundings and that choice can either help us to find balance or can throw us into chaos.
It is amazing that a college professor cares so much about helping students learn while wanting us to become better people. Listening to you in class discussing Real Rabbits and reading the blogs, it makes me try to think twice before acting. Virtue ethics can be applied in the classroom, the office or at home by yourself. When I think about honesty, I do not see myself as a liar or too blunt, however I can recall situations where I have acted in both ways. There is a thin line when a lie should be told not to hurt someone’s feelings and when it is necessary to be blunt to help someone from making a mistake. The same with industry. I like to think of myself as over-ambitious when it comes to school work and thinking about my future, however I feel that having a balance between laziness and over-ambition is important to have a successful personal and professional life. Extremes exist for all virtues and it is important for me to find my strengths and weaknesses and work to improve.
I agree with Professor Ciocchetti that integrity and character are serious matters. To be honest, these serious matters have been pushed aside in today’s society. Character and integrity have been replaced by superficial concerns about celebrities and appearances. A roomful of intelligent individuals could not come up with a single definition of character or integrity. This is a result of role models that lack depth. Parents, teachers, and friends have the responsibility to help mold and form individuals who need help. The reality is that everyone needs help. It is my personal belief that while every person should be held accountable for their actions, every individual is a work in progress. Life is a series of trials and errors and to limit character and integrity to a single definition is unfair. While I agree that character is how you act when no one is looking, my personal definition of character involves what an individual takes from the learning process of life. No one is expected to make the moral or ethical decision the first time every time, what is expected is to learn from the mistakes that you make.
When I came to the website today, this post really intrigued me. I think it’s sad that people don’t believe that they can accurately define what it means to have integrity or character and just rather assume that they do. I do, however, have faith in people, that if we all really tried and thought about these words for awhile, we could come up with something, major or minor. In one of my classes last quarter, we discussed integrity as well. I was surprised by what many people said, because I thought that they were partly right just not completely there. Most people gave synonyms that could relate to integrity but not the actual, literal definition. Integrity to me is having respect for yourself and others by working to live a virtuous life that means something to you. People always say that you shouldn’t care what people think, but I believe integrity does pertain to other people’s opinions. I think that integrity means upholding and reaffirming your virtues, ideals and beliefs in front of everyone. A person has integrity when they are honest or don’t conduct themselves in a poor manner.
I must say that I don’t agree that people are not willing to define integrity or character, I think people are just naturally lazy when it comes to thinking or to many, over-thinking. People will have integrity and character when they are able to individually aim for certain virtues to live daily in their lives, whether the virtues are related to God or not, it is important to recognize weaknesses, fix and balance them with our own strengths. Having character is being able to recognize and outweigh the positives and negatives of specific situations and to recognize the benefits as well as consequences. Most people from my generation are in a “just get there” mindset, not thinking about the how do I get there or what happens after I’ve arrived. Also with our generation, we expect things to be handed over to us, we are somehow entitled to everything, and we also are so paranoid of being excluded that we think that we miss one event, one night at the bars, one house party, we will turn into hermits with no friends. The more the younger generations realize our problems and start to work to fix them, only then will we be successful.
When reading about integrity and trying to find the golden mean between many virtues, I thought that this would be extremely difficult. But I realized that it should be, having strong virtues shouldn’t be something that comes easily to people, only those who work at it. People rarely fall in the mean of every virtue and it takes work to try and find the balance between the extremes. If someone has worked as hard as they can and make decisions based on these new virtues than I believe that they truly have integrity.
Sometimes it is very difficult to stay in the middle of the two extremes because it always depends on the situation. As long as you consciously think about the decision at hand and don’t compromise your morals and values you may also have integrity. Making rash decisions and getting lucky doesn’t qualify as having strong virtues and certainly doesn’t allow you to define your self as someone who has integrity
I think there is a lot to be said of people who think they have character but cannot even give a definition of any sort. I agree with the statement that character is seen when no one else is around. There are many times when we face, myself included, where we act differently to adapt to the given environment of people. It is important for anyone to discover who they truly are by having no one or around or only the closest of friends to have their true character come out.
Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics uses the “golden mean” as a compass for the many virtues. I find it difficult and somewhat impossible to ever reach the exact middle to each virtue. Each situation, in this case will use truth, calls for a either more bluntness or even lying. I remember this saying that if a nine month pregnant woman ever asks if she is fat, you always reply no. Its a blatant lie but being truthful in this situation would cause emotional stress to the woman. In an opposite scenario, I’m the type of person to be blunt. Why beat around the bush when something can be said just flat out to the point? Its a tough argument considering integrity is a combination of achieving the mean of all the other virtues but I feel that sometimes staying right in the middle is not the best outcome for certain situations.
With regard to ethics, I too tend to lean toward Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics, or at least I have since taking this course. I think that it provides a realistic way to actually measure virtue along the golden mean. For example, I know that I struggle with patience specifically as a virtue. Virtue ethics allows me to see that I fall towards the impatient end of the spectrum along the mean. The other aspect of Virtue Ethics that appeals to me is that it speaks of “habitually” implementing virtues until one has found their midpoint along the Golden Mean. This suggests that a certain amount of work is required to achieve virtue, as was also mentioned by Tim Hirst above.
Also, it makes sense that many people would be unable to define character in concrete terms. I think that this shows that nobody really takes time to consider what character really means, especially in relation to themselves. Posing this question really causes people to think. In evaluating my own character, I feel that I really do surround myself with good people and, overall, make good decisions. However, true to Aristotelian form, I need to habitually work to balance the other virtues that lead to the good life.
After reading this blog and and listening to your lectures in class and about real rabbits, I have gained a new perspective on my definition of integrity and character. Before taking your class, I don’t think that i would have been able to define either of those words myself. Now, after considering your definition of character and my own, I believe that i do have a pretty good character. I believe that i have a great group of people who i associate with and a great support system. Your definition of character and integrity really makes sense to me and I think it is a great way to define your life. As for staying in the golden mean, that is a little harder. Sometimes i think it is very easy to slide to one extreme or another and i believe it is always important to remember the golden mean and work to be the best person you can be. However, i do believe that people naturally make tons of mistakes. I don’t believe that if you make a lot of mistakes or you sometimes choose the wrong decision, that you are a bad person or that you don’t have integrity. I think that mistakes are what make people who they are and if you can learn from mistakes then you potentially have more character or integrity then someone who plays life so safe that they don’t even make mistakes.
I think the reason so many people put their hand down when asked about character is because the definition of character can be so ambiguous. I have heard and agree with the definition that “character is what you do when no one is looking” and am surprised that none of the people in that room could have thought of that. For me, character is synonymous with the term “moral compass.” What I do, the decisions I make, when no one is looking or critiquing me are very much based off of the internal moral compass I seem to have installed in me. What intrigues me most about this moral compass is 1. how easy it is to go against what it is telling me and 2. how so many people today seem to lack it. Of course, everyone’s compass points a different way based on life experiences. Unfortunately, it does not really shock me when people are found to be of “poor character,” or found to have gone against a reasonable person’s moral compass. Your moral compass can be screaming at you to make the right decision, but still you make the wrong one. While it is common to ask, how can this be? I am disappointed to say that quieting that loud voice in your head can be easy, especially with practice. Aristotle once said, “We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.” This applies not only to excellence but also to dishonesty and all virtues. When someone becomes accustomed to shutting their moral compass down, it just continues to get easier to ignore the right decision and to make the wrong one. I think this is why so many people today surprise me with their immoralities and unethical decisions. Sadly, our society is becoming more and more conducive to bad decision making and placing less and less importance on listening to the moral compass we all have inside us somewhere, even if it is buried deep.
When I used to think about integrity, I always just figured that I had it. I did well in school, I didn’t lie to my parents or my friends, and I seemed to act kindly towards people. I would definitely feel comfortable holding my hand high in the air if someone were to ask me to defend my integrity. Now knowing the meaning of integrity, it makes me wonder whether I have integrity of simply a few qualities of a person with true integrity. Whether I have integrity is definitely not something that I would question in the past because no one had really asked me to evaluate the true core of my actions and not just the consequences.
Reflecting now, I realize now that the “golden mean” which Aristotle wants us to strive for has not yet been balanced in my life and I cannot feel truly satisfied with my integrity until it is. Slow changes throughout my life are all it will take, because with the implementation of Aristotle’s theory will come happiness, which wouldn’t be a bad perk of being a good person.
Since starting to take this class I have become more aware of how my actions define me and how they affect others around me. I think that it is sad that so many people think that they know how to define character and integrity. But I do have to confess that I would have done the same thing as the people in the anecdote before taking this class. Professor C’s lectures and his book, Real Rabbits, are definitely the most interesting and fulfilling things that I have ever heard and read. I love being in class and unlike in some of my classes, I never think that the 2 hours are a waste of my time.
I also agree that Virtue Ethics is the best ethical framework to use when making a decision. It is so challenging to find a balance between the two extremes and find the Golden Mean, but it is not impossible. If the majority of people followed Virtue Ethics and tried to find the Golden Mean, the world would be a much better place. Then, everyone could be compassionate, kind, honest, patient, and could say with conviction that they have integrity.
The aspect I value most about this discussion of ethical frameworks is that not one is totally right all the time. Especially in regards to virtue ethics. There isn’t a strict set of guidelines saying you can or can’t do this. It forces you to strive for a “golden mean” in your life. I see this moderation of values as so presentable because it seems so doable. There isn’t extremes. It is up to you to even out the contrasting values. I’m so grateful to have learned these insights from Prof. C and I think many students are now able to apply these values to their own lives. I know I would be one of those 100 people to raise my hand and then take it down when asked to define it. Prof. C.’s definition of character is so ironic to me because people so openly preach that they have good character etc but in all reality, character is what you do when no one is there. That is so dumbfounding to me. Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? Why don’t I live by that? It made me question so many things I was doing in my life even down to the littlest thing. Would my parents be proud of what I did Thursday night? Would I be happy with my actions posted in a newspaper? Would I want my future employer seeing my facebook? This year I’ve been unfortunate to have two friends tragically and unexpectedly pass away. It has really made me question everything I am doing in my life. If I died, would I be happy with the pictures on my facebook for the rest of my life? Would I be happy with the last things I said to my friends and family? It were those last stories of my friends that everyone remembers the most. My friend was going to a concert the night she died on the way home from Vail. Her mom is a little conservative and asked here if she was really wearing her shirt unzipped that low. My friend laughed, zipped up her shirt, and hugged her mom to tell her how much she loved her. Later that night she texted her mom just to tell her shirt was still zipped up. The last thing her mom remembers is that long hug and that text showing how grateful she was to have her caring for her. I know this is more of an extreme of how you should act. But really you never know what your last moment will be and how do you want people to remember your character as?
Well, I agree above with the statement that the definition of character is ambiguous. I agree that having character entails adapting certain virtues into your life… and finding the golden mean within those virtues. However, I also think of it sticking to your values in every situation. Basically, I just see tons of people everyday, including myself, live on a basis of hypocrisy. We go in and out of our lives, in and out of our different roles of students, daughters, sons, employees, etc. but we also change our values with each different role. When we’re with our parents, we might shun college binge drinking but then go out Thursday night and down ten shots ourselves. We may go to class and have great discussions with our teachers, and get good grades, and put on a mask of “the perfect student” but then go back to our friends and bad mouth the professor or the class.
But, it’s life. And it’s a hard thing to figure out, probably most of us haven’t discovered our true values yet. But, it’s a goal… and a good one to have. I know that I constantly am looking for the balance between all my roles, trying to be accountable to my values in all of them.
After being told I had to write on your blog, I was not sure with what to expect. I was happy to find that it was about character and integrity because I feel they are two of the things I have learned most about from your lectures and Real Rabbits. Throughout this class I have learned I wish myself and others has more character. The thing that baffles me the most is that so many people thing they are full of integrity and character when in reality, they are not. Before your class I was one of those people. I thought that by not doing anything bad, by default, made me have character and integrity. Yet, that is not what character and integrity are. They are not two traits that you just have. You have to strive for them, and go above and beyond expectations. Thank you for teaching me that.
I agree with Professor C. that I am defined by the actions and decisions I make on a daily basis. My character isn’t just established during those “important” moments in life, but rather during every daily experience I have. As I read this passage, I thought to myself what I would probably do had I been one of those thousands of audience members who Professor C. speaks to. I most likely would have raised my hand. Would I have been able to define what character or integrity are? When I raised my hand, probably not. I believe that many of us have overly optimistic perceptions of ourselves and our character and yet we don’t spend the time to analyze what that really means. I am sitting here right now and thinking about situations where I behave when nobody is looking. I automatically think about the times in which I get impatient and run a red light early in the morning when nobody is out. Its moments like these that I never really analyze when I make a blanket statement that I am a person of good character. In the same way that I might broadly say I am a person of high character, I would probably say I have high integrity. What does this mean? Why do I just assume this? These are all good questions. When I sit down and list out the virtues that build upon my integrity, I find myself making clear answers to why this is true and why it may not be so correct. This passage has really made me take a moment and define the qualities that sometimes I am guilty of throwing out. I throw them out without real backup, and really need to take a step back and begin to understand why I say what I am. It is extremely important to define what you say you are, if not your words end up being void of any true meaning.
I think that your definition of character, doing what is right when no one is looking, is true to an extent, but I would add one thing. There is also the matter of overcoming peer pressure and doing what is right when everyone is looking. This pertains more to hanging around decent people, but if you find yourself with people who have questionable character, can you stand up and do what is right?
Sometimes I am amazed by how people act. Reading this post and listening to your lectures in class, it makes me rather sad to think of how many people choose not to think about these things. The example you give, of how many audience members say that they have character but then cannot describe what it is is disheartening. In order to make a claim like that, one should be able to easily define what it means to them. I have always noticed so many of my peers only act how they think other people would want them to act, or how they want other people to perceive them. It is a sad fact of our society that most people are liars, and cheats, and have hardly any ‘good’ virtuous qualities. Everyone seems to put on some sort of face, a mask that hides what they really do and really think. I think if everyone began to act how they do when no one else is watching, at least we could make the claim that our society was honest, and had a small fragment of integrity. That could then be a starting point for moving forward and becoming more virtuous, which could eventually help society achieve greater character and begin to act more virtuously.
I completely agree with what Professor C had to say about honesty and integrity. I do believe that honesty and integrity are the two most important aspects of a person’s life. Personally, I believe that a person has to be able to make good decisions and good choices most of the times. I also believe that people are not perfect. People are allowed to make bad choices and bad decisions and still be able to have integrity. the average person is not able to be 100% honest 100% of the time. I think that if a person is 100% honest 100% of the time, then that are just lying to themselves about who they are as a person.
Daniel said character is also “doing what is right when everyone’s looking”… great point! Often, the most difficult time to act with integrity is when we are surrounded by watchful eyes. This is because our world today is so full of people who lack integrity, so full of stories of conmen, liars, thieves, and murderers. It’s almost like all that’s expected of us is to not be one of those people. Our definition of good character has devolved into someone who’s pretty good most of the time. But to live up to this standard, there’s no need to go out of our way to do anything great. It’s expected that we will avert our eyes and walk by the homeless on the street, it’s accepted that we will continue in our busy lives when we see someone who is having car trouble or who dropped everything they were carrying. We’ve fallen into the trap of considering the average to be acceptable. That’s why we are so moved by stories of people who exhibit great character…like Mother Theresa, or activists who work with the needy, or Professor Ciocchetti, or people in our own lives who are always willing to help. But it should be our goal to make these people less extraordinary. We ALL need to step out, with the whole world watching, and begin to act with integrity. In this way, we will raise the bar and stop expecting average. We should instead encourage nothing less than excellent character in ourselves and each other.
In my own life I can honestly say I have been on both sides of the spectrum of almost each virtue. Perhaps I live in extremes but after hearing your lecture on trying to attain the golden mean I have slowly tried to change both deficiencies and excesses of traits that I hold closest. I would like to challenge anyone that says they have learned virtue ethics or have become more virtuous because I don’t think that this is something that can be taught, instead it’s a way of life. I am still battling to be more honest and to have more courage to stand up in situations in which my best interests are not at heart. What I have learned is the benefits to living a more virtuous life, the feelings of excitement over small accomplishments and the strength to try again when I don’t succeed. I think its interesting everyone is surprised others would raise their hands when questioned if they had integrity because I know I would have too. And I think this points not to the fact that they couldn’t define what character is, but instead no one, until confronted adversity, truly stops to evaluate what is important in life. I think that is probably the most valuable thing we should take from Professor Ciocchetti’s class, that we can evaluate our lives and make a positive change before some crisis does it for us.
We all like to think we are people of character and have integrity, but when challenged about what that means, we shy away.
While I do agree with your definition of character as it is an easy way to get the point across, being able to stand up for something, even if you’re the only one standing, also takes character.
Balance seems to be the key to everything in life, and you continue to remind us the importance of looking inward and assessing our lives. For that I am grateful, we need more people in our lives to do this. If there were, the world would be a much better place.
Everywhere we are bombarded with companies of “high ethics and integrity”. The terms are so overused that we do not stop to think about it. Every single business out there conducts its everyday operations with those high values and people assume that just as magically they possess similar qualities as well. However, ethics and integrity cannot be achieved overnight. What matters are the small everyday decisions which at the end of the day define who we are. People would do a good deed – volunteer for a couple of hours a month or donate money to a charitable organization – and automatically assume they are moral and ethical and do not have to worry about what they do the rest of the time. I think we all know people who are dedicated to a good cause and may seem virtuous from the side, but once we get to know them better we are disappointed with the simply everyday decisions they make. We as a society need to figure out -how to start valuing again people of high morals who are not looking for the fast fix of a problem and how to make such people role models for the rest of us.
It is sad to me that defining and living up to your character, something that should just be common sense, is so hard to do. I agree with this definition of character and strive to find the “golden mean” in all aspects of my life. It’s hard to do this all the time though. I consider myself to be a person of good character, but even I question myself sometimes. Take this last weekend for instance. I was at a fraternity formal (the fraternity shall remain nameless) and a lot of events went on around me that my character did not condone. Thankfully, I was not directly affected by these events and chose not to partake in them. The sad part is this: the individuals who participated in certain questionable activities were totally ok with it. They seem to believe that doing stupid things is entirely acceptable and part of their character. To me this is not good character. I am glad that I chose to stay true to my own character and be integral to myself. And I still had fun.
To lead a virtuous life is a daunting task, especially as a college student. Perpetually bombarded by misleading choices and easy “solutions” it is easy to see why so many students waiver from what is good and right. However, with my college graduation around the corner I believe that these tough years have shaped my virtues for the better. Not only has the virtue spectrum become clearer, but with many added life experiences it is becoming more logical and natural to find my place within these virtue continuums. Recently it seems that with these experiences my choices have become more and more satisfying because I am following the path that took years to forge and in doing so I am not allowing myself to repeat what has not worked for myself in the past.
Perhaps that becomes the silver lining in finding your own balance of “Aristotlian” virtues– once you have found what works for you the long, tedious path of right and wrong choices that led you there become obsolete and you begin reaping the benefits of finding yourself.
Integrity has always been one of my most favorite virtues. I learned about it from both my parents growing up, but after I left home for college, all of their lessons sort of faded away. I am thankful beyond words that you as a professor care so much about instilling this value in your students. Often times, kids get to college and they realize their moral compass is in need of dire help. When we are young, our parents make decisions for us, and we learn from them. Although we are all old enough to make our own decisions now, sometimes we still need a a little help to nudge our compass in the right direction. Many professors forget that we are still young, that we still make mistakes, and that regardless of what we think, we can still use a little help every now and then. Thank you for taking the time to nudge me in the right direction again. Integrity is a value I will continue to strive for, and learning more about how integrity and character are intertwined has made me realize how important this virtue really is.
Integrity is a word that can have a different meaning for everyone. To me, it means fulfilling the aspects of life in which you think are best. I feel that the people you surround yourself with have a huge impact on who you are. If you surround yourself with morally upstanding individuals, then you are likely to mimic their behavior. Peer pressure can have as much of a positive effect as a negative effect on who you are and the actions you take. When people witness an egregious act against society or an individual, it says a lot about who they are if they either stand up for those affected, or act like it didn’t happen.
I do agree with Professor C’s definition of Integrity and how to improve your integrity you must try to reach the golden mean of all virtues. I feel as if this course has made many students, including myself, notice aspects about their lifestyle that they were not too pleased with. In striving for the integrity, finding virtues about yourself and getting them closer to the golden mean is very difficult. As Professor C mentioned, impatience is not a good characteristic to have. I struggle with being impatient, especially when driving. This class made me try to clam myself down before I get really impatient and possibly make a bad or hasty decision. If more people strived for the golden mean, I believe that the world could be a much better place to live in.
An individual’s character and overall sense of integrity is established over a lifetime. While each of us can strive to be compassionate, courageous, loyal, and honest, searching for a golden mean to incorporate in our life, it takes much more than a valid search for that golden mean to become one of character and integrity. It requires an individual to acknowledge, understand, and incorporate these virtues on a daily basis. Every individual encounters incredibly difficult and confusing situations throughout their lifetime, but it isn’t until one has actually acted within these diverse circumstances, in which their character has been questioned, that they can be defined as a virtuous individual who embraces integrity and well-established character. Accordingly, character and integrity can be established even though one has made poor decisions in the past. I believe if someone has learned from their mistakes and has overcome their sense of misunderstanding, which hindered from becoming a more virtuous individual, then they still have the ability to become an individual of character and integrity.
After hearing about this story in lecture and now having it reiterated to me now I feel like it is an important message that we all need to listen to. Honestly, if I were asked if I personally thought I had integrity and character I would be one of those same people who would say they had it but would be unable to define it until now. From listening to class lecture and reading Real Rabbits I would say that it really has made me think about myself as a person. I, like many other people, just assumed those characteristics were just something I possessed. I know realize that they are something that is a constant work in progress. I think that no one can ever really fully possess the virtues of integrity and character, it is something that we just can consistently continue working to perfect and working to make ourselves better and more virtuous individuals. As the importance of the different aspects of each of them varies with the individual, I believe we all need to strive to find the “golden mean” at all times no matter how difficult it may be. Most often times the tough decision is the right decision no matter how appealing the other choice it is. It is times like that when we need to take a hard look at ourselves and see what our real character is.
After hearing your speeches in class and reading through this site, i have been able to reflect on what character and integrity mean to me. I completely agree that character is how you act when no one is looking and how you act when you are just around your friends. I feel as though, often though it isn’t as black and white to tell if a person has good character or not. A person can still be a “good” person if they maybe cheated on a test or two, but it does say something about their character.
I also agree with you and the philosophers that part of integrity is achieving that golden mean- the difference between being a doormat and completely selfish person. Throughout life we go through countless situations, experiences, problems, and encounters. Through these situations we learn and act differently the next time, getting closer and closer to that mean.
After reading this anecdote, and listening to you in class I came to realize that I to am more on Aristotle’s side when is comes to defining character. I think that in order to be a good person you have to find the golden mean. For instance, take honesty; everyone thinks that in order to be a good person you always have to be honest. But in fact those people don’t realize that if you are always honest you actually are being blunt, and that is not a good quality. In order to have a good character I truly believe that you have to be in the middle. If your friend asks you if her out fit looks good deep down they want you to say yes, so I think you should. People don’t realize that sometimes when you say what you actually think even though you are telling the truth you could be hurting someone feelings.
I am a true believer that everyone is different for a reason. When a player in sports is said to contain intangible characteristics they mean that he does more than can ever be recorded in a statistics sheet. Everyone has these intangibles is some way and i believe that this is what makes up their character. Anytime I am about to make a decision i ask myself two questions: 1. Do I like who I am now, 2. If I like who I am right now, will this decision change that. I don’t believe there are specific characteristics that define good, or bad; only what defines you. It is up to you to decide if you like the decisions you make. And I feel that this coincides very much with your test: what do you do when no one is looking. But I do not think you can define character of integrity as a good or bad thing.
After listening to the speech that you gave in class and reading this blog I certainly have a new perspective of what integrity and character are. Before your class, I too was the person who raised their hand when asked if i had integrity yet could not define it if you asked me. I now know how to define it and now look at my life in several different aspects. I think more when I am faced with decisions. When i was younger i would never make decisions and always relied on other people to make them for me. Now i know that my character is based on my decisions and who am I to have some one make my decisions for me when i am perfectly capable. Although i do not strive to be what people want me to be, I do look more at how i am perceived and what people think of me that do not know me. I want to be a respected person in my community and in order to do so i must maintain my integrity and character. I also look to Aristotle’s virtue ethics because they really do give a frame work to what a virtuous person is.
Like Professor C said integrity is the ultimate virture that can hold all the other virtures in. I also think not everyone has the same integrity because certain people may put more of an emphasis on a virtue like honesty, than say couragesness. Depending on how life shapes people and the experiences they have it may make them have different virtues. Idealy it would be great if everyone could find the golden mean, but seeing that there are so many virtues it can be hard to focus on all of them at one time. of course everyone would like to assume they have intergrity but once it comes down to define it is a lot harder because you can’t combine it in just one word. I myslef can’t even give you the answer right now because I am still conemplating what true integrity is. I know I can’t say that I have true intergrity because I know I don’t. I believe finding integrity is a process and takes many mistakes to make it right. We live and we learn and we are trying to find our way to the golden means, which in the end will help us understand what integrity really is.
Integrity. 1. Firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values: incorruptibility. 2. An unimpaired condition: soundness. 3. The quality or state of being complete or undivided: completeness. These definitions are courtesy of the Miriam Webster dictionary, and in my personal opinion represent both the best and worst that Miriam Webster has to offer. Firm adherence to a code of moral values, incorruptibility. This is something that everyone should be able to agree upon; strong moral values are an important base for any individual to learn early on if they hope to be successful later in life. At the same time, however, an unimpaired condition: soundness. If all it takes to be an individual of integrity is to have “an unimpaired condition,” then a decent percentage of people out there wake up loaded with integrity and by the time they go to sleep are about the most immoral people on earth. That’s ludicrous to suggest Miriam Webster. The quality or state of being complete or undivided: completeness. What does being a complete being consist of? Having all your limbs attached and working? Having a fully working brain? Or is it something deeper like being complete in your decisions, not having to deal with cognitive dissonance. Never dealing with the angel/devil shoulder combination. That might be a decent representation of integrity if it was ever possible for a person to make literally every decision out there with no second thoughts and no angel/devil dissonance. Sadly, not even a dictionary as well known and well respected as the Miriam Webster has more than a 40-50% chance at best of being somewhere in the ballpark of being able to intelligently define an idea as slippery and polymorphic as integrity.
For me, personally, I view integrity as making the right decision to be there for your friends and loved ones when they need you, always standing by your word, no matter how uncomfortable having to wake up at 6 to take that kid to the airport might be, you gave your word. Never betray a friend, take responsibilities for your actions. Most of all though, I believe a person of integrity must be able to wake up and stand in front of the mirror every morning, stare straight into the eyes looking back at them, and feel nothing but pride for his or her actions the previous day
I agree that character is something that does not get enough attention in our lives. From the media, politicians, professors, family and friends, we all tend to push it aside. I like the fact that you try to implement it into class lectures and discussions. The classroom is the perfect place to try to make character more important in our lives. In the classroom we learn to focus and enhance our understanding, but what often is left out is how to implement the things we have learned into the real world and our personal relationships. This is where character comes into play - how we interact with each other and what we put our talents towards.
Martin Luther King Jr. said “Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate”
Personally, I feel as though the concepts of both character and integrity should be introduced to individuals at a young age. In class, you have mentioned times when you have gone to inner city schools to talk to students; afterward, some of them have come up to you saying that no one has ever talked about these sorts of things with them before. However, it is my opinion that unfamiliarity with these topics is not strictly limited to those of a lower socio-economic status. Indeed, I remember instances growing up (in a middle-class, small town, private school setting) when I was surround by children who acted very differently when they were not in the presence of adults. One prime example was the way that my autistic brother was treated when he was alone with his peers. Many times, there were kids who found it amusing to tease him incessantly when they thought that no one was watching. When the setting was changed to a more public scene however, their behavior towards him was remarkably different. Usually, the teasing would stop, and fake attempts at pleasant conversation took place.
To me, a situation like the one that I just mentioned is very troublesome. I say this not only because of my personal experience, but when assessing today’s society as a whole. Arguably, one can easily state that life is unfair; the fact of the matter is that kids are cruel to one another. It is simply deemed as “part of growing up”. However, I would argue that it does not have to be this way. It is quite possible that, if young minds were taught about the importance of establishing good character and integrity and of concepts, such as Aristotle’s Framework of Virtue Ethics, these occurrences would happen less frequently. I would suggest that young individuals with this knowledge would be more likely to consider the consequences and meaning behind their actions before deciding to carry them out.
Now, clearly, this is an extremely optimistic take on how much society can truly be influenced by early exposure to such concepts. At the same time, I would simply pose one simply question: What would it hurt to at least give it a try?
I believe it is easier to say that you are a certain way or that you exude certain virtues rather than to own up to those qualities. People desire to be individuals with character and integrity. Not because they know what these qualities are but because they sound good when you plug them into life’s “About Me” box. A person of true integrity or character is a person who seeks the true meaning of these characteristics. When you read the definition of character there is a good chance you at least strive for this quality. By defining character and holding yourself to this new standard, you gain a better understanding of what it truly means. I think this exercise taps into how superficial people are. They hear words and if it means, good person, they assume that they are that way. Integrity is chasing after your ideal and not just being content in mediocrity.
As far as character, I believe character is a mix between the tangible things we do daily, and the reasons behind these things we do. There are simple things that define character and things that take decisions. For instance, a person of character wakes up early and prepares breakfast. To end the morning routine a person of character either has a workout or at least does something engaging. Next, a person of character goes to a job, but not just any job. A person of character truly believes in their job. A person of great character has a great sense of solidarity to humanity, and their job most likely either effects the local or international community in one way or another. Where there are tangible things, like a solid morning routine that gives on character, it takes time and interest to develop a job that truly functions to help society. Lastly, a person of character goes home after work and spends time with either their family or friends because they know relationships are just as important as work. There must be a balance. Ultimately, a person with character not only acts with character, but knows the reasons for why he or she does so, and finally that these reasons align with a somewhat universal set of ethics.
After reading this blog and listening to the virtues in your class, I gained a much better understanding of integrity and how its applied to everyday life. To achieve integrity in life and be a person of character it is necessary to “habitually strive for the golden means of each of the micro virtues”. It would be great to acquire the true virtue of integrity by focusing on one specific virtue or character trait, but in order to achieve true integrity and become a person of character, every virtue needs to be assessed and evaluated no matter the importance to the person. Looking at our own personal integrity can be defined best when we view our reactions in a variety of situations. How a person reacts in a situation they don’t feel comfortable in defines their true integrity and character.
Character and integrity are indeed important aspects of living a complete and fulfilling life. The ability to do the right thing when no one is around (or when you think no one is around) is paramount for a functioning society. If we were not able to trust that others would do the right thing, then our society would look like that of Huxley’s Brave New World. In a similar vein, integrity is also a crucial aspect for upholding the social order upon which we strive. Taking integrity as defined by Dr. Ciocchetti, it is quite apparent that people lacking integrity would also lack the ability to self-govern and to refrain from lying, cheating, and stealing.
I agree wholeheartedly with this definition of character. I was lucky enough to go to a high school (Regis Jesuit) that emphasised this through a commitment to building character in the class room and outside of it, via retreats, talks, group work and community service. The phrasing that was used was also almost identical. Many people do the right thing because others are watching or simply because it is socially acceptible, or perhaps it is a means to an end. I always was brought up to believe that it is a end in and of itself, and doing the “right thing” is right for its own sake, not contingent on external factors. This notion rests on the idea that there is an immutable set of ideals upon which we must base our behavior, and character comes from this. Philosophy and conscience come into play here, and while there is some degree of personal interpretation, character itself lies in persistently committing to these basic principals.
Integrity is harder to define, and while I do agree with Corey’s thoughts on it, I think back again to my high school education in terms of moral reasoning. The two key ideals of the school were “cura personalis” and “men for others.” I believe integrity lies in devotion to all aspects of self and personality (like virtue ethics) and also has a significant pro-social component, personified in a commitment to helping others in varying degrees.
It is commendable that Corey is broaching this topic and lammentable that so many others are not.
Professor,
I would like to say that I enjoyed Real Rabbits. In fact, in regard to a few other books I’ve read, it shares very similar facets. Have you read 7 habits of highly effective people? I really enjoyed that, and found it comparable to your work. At any rate, I found your book very helpful in my own life and I feel that your influence has helped me establish more concrete habits in my life.
Thanks
Character is not something you can just say you have. It is learned. My father has always taught me to be kind, my mother hammered honesty into my head, right there with chivalry. I am not always the most character strong though. I can lie, I can be disrespectful, and yes angry sometimes. But I know when it comes down to clutch time that character is the most important thing you can have. My dad always says, if you cant be good, be careful. Regardless, as you grow older, there is less room to act that way. So then, grow up. The point is that the older you get the more integrity you have. We all have to do a little evil to get through life. However, we cannot let it consume us. There is a balance, much like a hockey stick. The shaft is the good heavy part, the blade is the evil. So be careful where you step, the inches are all around you.
I strive every day to be an ethical person. I constantly check the boundaries I have established within myself to see that they meet the goals and ethical standards I wish to achieve. Recently I was very tested to let those ethical boundaries crumble when I discovered my girlfriend of 1.5 years had been having an affair for a few weeks and was lying about it. I think peoples true character comes out not only when their alone, but when they are facing tough decisions and when they are in times of crisis and hardship. She was in a time of hardship due to other reasons, and she made her choices and her decisions to destroy her values. I have been going through a crisis because of this, but I didn’t succumbed to losing the values I hold dear, no matter how tempting or satisfying revenge may have been.
The problem is that when people aren’t being challenged, maintaining their morals is easy. What sets people apart are their actions when the moral route isn’t the easiest one to take. That’s when integrity is shown.
Reading the article “Are You A Person of Character” was very interesting. It makes me think like what is our society coming to. How can every single person in the audience believe they are a person of character, yet when asked to define character are unsure of what to say. This astonishes me. I definitely agree with Mr. Ciochetti when defining character I think of it as how you act and especially how you act when nobody is looking. I believe every person has good character some more than others. I have good character but I know I am not perfect. I try my hardest to be a good person and spend time with my family. I love my family and I am so happy to have the great parents I do. They are my support system and I look up to them. My parents have sacrificed so much for me to be at the University of Denver, and I want to make them proud. Therefore I try my hardest in everything I do and want to succeed in life and be the best person I can be.
I had a teacher in high school that was also very outspoken on having character and integrity. During one lecture she suggested that we should right down our goals and priorities. She said that it was really important to sit down and think about what our priorities were, because if you don’t know your priorities, how do you know how to act in difficult situations? She made a really good point and since then I have found it really helpful to not only think about my priorities, but also to think about difficult situations and how I would act if faced with one. Even if it is a completely hypothetical situation, it is still really helpful to think about what you would do, and the answer can give you really good insight to your priorities, character, and integrity.
If I know that I am going to be put into a tough situation I always like to think about how I want to act. My teacher also told us that it was really important to make decisions about things we were or were not going to do before we were presented with the choice. Her example was sex. If you never thought about whether or not you were going to wait to have sex until you are married, or in a really long relationship, then how can you make a good decision if you’re presented with the choice? She thought that it was a lot easier to make a bad decision if you had never thought about the issue before.
Her method has helped me a lot. I feel like it helps me stick to my values and priorities, and it’s helped me learn about what is important to me.
Personally, I am not sure I can call myself a person of character. I lie from time time. I have cheated. I have said mean things behind people’s backs. However, even though I have these bad aspects of character, I do believe that I am a good person and I do make efforts daily to improve my character. Sure, I’m not perfect and I understand that just because I say that I want to be a good person doesn’t mean that I will automatically become one. Yet, I am sure that each day I work to be nicer to people and be more virtuous and ethical to those around me. If I have pulled anything of value from your class Professor C., it is that being ethical brings the most satisfaction in life. Yes, I do want to be a lawyer when I “grow up”, however because of your class I have come to understand that you don’t have to be an unethical person to succeed in the “real world” I will strive to continue my character building and hopefully become a better person because of it!
Thanks!
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