Improvement Era, Vol. 20

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Excerpt from Improvement Era, Vol. 20: January, 1917 In seeking for material for this subject, I was struck by the number of writers who have given to the world valuable advice and definitions of character. It almost would appear that the last word had been said on the subject, and yet, like some others of the topics of life, it is an old, old story, but ever new in its telling. In the development of character much has to be taken into consideration. In its better sense, it includes all those higher qualities that make man a moral, loving, thinking being. The value of the man is his character, not his reputation. These two must not be confounded. Character is self endowed, repu tation is that which seems, which appears to the eye of the peo ple, character is the reality of a noble life. Reputation scarcely ever agrees with one's character, for it is either higher or lower. Like one's shadow, reputation may precede or follow, extend or diminish or entirely vanish. Character is rock, reputation, shifting sand. Reputation is the coat, character the man, and, like a coat, reputation often deceives as to the real worth of its possessor. Character is complex in its nature. It is more than a good intention, or a mere respect for the moral law. That is not the kind of morality wanted. It is not enough to be good. One must be good for something. That is the kind of character we should build in our homes, in our schools, and in our nation. When you say you are good, say also for what, and a value may then be placed upon you. Negative goodness means little in the world of worth, it is unharnessed energy, it is granite lying dead in the mountain side. Judgment and will are elements in the development of character. To determine what is right and to act accordingly, is the work required. Simply storing facts, no matter how valu able, does not necessarily affect character. It is knowledge transmitted, or transformed, into wisdom that in¿uences or be comes part of our moral worth. Character is not the learning but the assimilation of truth. That learning which is not worked into the warp and woof of the soul's purer self, lies an digested food and becomes an inviting culture for the microbes of sin. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully, any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.