Character

[RobinHood3000]

Okay, I like this question enough that I think it merits its own thread...

"On what basis do you think character should be judged?"

Any opinions?

[Darlin]

I think character should be judged on how a person conducts themselves, what they are essentially, how they are and how they carry themselves. An honorable person would be considered to have a fine and upright character. Of course a low life thug could be considered honorable amongst his crowd and therefore seen as a fine and upright character too. Depends upon how one views things I suppose.

And then there’s the saying ‘He’s a character’ which means something altogether different. What is it that you’re looking for, Robin? And what basis do you think character should be judged? I'm curious why you're curious.

[rachel]

to me character denotes what a person does or doesn't do to lift up the hearts of their fellow man, aid that one, in general contribute that which nourishes and beautifies this earth and all in it in whatever way, large or small one is able to.

[Chava]

I think a character is based on the descisions we make. If i decide to be conservative or liberal, religious or atheist, and what choices I make in my life. Choice also allows for how we conduct ourselves in soceity, and how we engage our self socialy.

[IrishCanadian]

Machiavelli argues that a "good" man should do good and be seen doing good but always be prepared to do bad. I think this is definitely a good recipe for a succussful individual ... but it is tough to judge because charcter is usually hidden in the way that Machiavelli suggests it ought to be. A good person should be good to the core and selfless etc., good luck ever finding one (they exits, just rare). I don't think that it is really our place to judge though. Humans in general seem to lack the justice and wisdom to correctly judge an individual totally.
Thats my two cents.

[emily655321]

I answered this in the game thread by saying that one's power of forgiveness should be the basis for judging character. I will take inspiration from Irish's last thought to expand on it. It is especially difficult to not judge others—the topic of this thread proves it; even in discussion about the nature of goodness, the word "judge" comes in. So, I think that to realize that no person is adequately equipped to judge another, and then act on that belief by honestly trying to appreciate every person based on their own merit, is what it means to have good character.

Note that I said "try." There are plenty of honest hearts out there, but few of us will ever succeed all of the time. I think you can be of good character, and still make mistakes, as long as you recognize them as such.

[Xamonas Chegwe]

Should character be judged?

Who has the right, or the expertise to do that? In my experience, whenever I've decided to pigeon hole someone as a 'type' of character, they inevitably surprise me. I try (not easy a lot of the time) to judge people on their actions, and to a lesser extent, on their words. Trying to see deeper is pointless. People are always a lot more complex than they appear.

"Judge not lest ye be judged" - Try telling that to a judge!

[RobinHood3000]

Well, everyone judges, at least on a personal level. How else would we determine to whom we choose to reveal our deepest senses of self? Or determine how worthy a person is of one's trust?

Personally, I think that one mark of character is how well one responds to hardship. If you can hold your head high or at least be willing to confide in someone when everything goes haywire, then character has been displayed. An important difference between the well-adjusted Average Joe and the automatic-weapon-toting school shooting sociopath is how one behaves when everything seems to be going wrong in one's life. Everyone's smiles and giggles when things are going right--it's when the tables are turned that a person's true self becomes revealed.

[IrishCanadian]

I dislike the idea of judging others (take the log from your own eye before romving the speck from your naighbour's) but here I am judging comments in this thread. I know many great and charming people with a will for goodness that cannot handle stress at all. I don't think, Robin, that they are to be judged poorly on the basis of being so highstrung --sometimes that is waht makes great people great. ...Not that i would ever condone you example of the psychopath.
Xamonas Chegwe, I think we all have the right but none (if any) have the expertise.

[RobinHood3000]

I didn't mean that being highstrung was a sign of poor character. Stress is natural--hardship, on the other hand, can consist of any number of things (most of which, naturally, are accompanied by stress).

It's when one responds in a destructive or selfish manner that one acts in a manner devoid of character. I think that character consists (at least in part) of being able to react in a productive or at least a personally cathartic manner without reacting to the detriment of others around you. Take, for example, three reactions to hardship: the man who slaps his wife to make himself feel better, the man who pushes his wife away so he can cope by himself, and the man who confides in her so that he can start dealing with what his problems are.

[dramasnot6]

REVIVED

[andave_ya]

maybe this is a little bit base of me but....I judge based on how interesting/how like me the character is.

[Nick Rubashov]

I think character should be judged by how one treats others. I'm under the belief that you treat everyone with respect and dignity, no matter who they are, you have a lot of character.