You vs. You: It’s Time to Take a Side
Wow! It’s already been a week since my first post. I hope you enjoyed it and in case you missed it, you can read up here.
More often than not, you might have come across or met people whom at first sight, you were swayed by their personality.
Do you remember anyone you felt like that at first sight?
With time, more prolonged interactions, and increased meet-ups, did you get disappointed in yourself for thinking so highly of the person? This happens all the time.
You might have experienced this. I have too.
Did you ever think of why you felt so in the first place? It could have been because of the way they looked, dressed, or talked, which fuels the quote, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
It’s normal for people to see as far as we let them, but the real question is, ‘Who truly are you?’
Do you wear an invincible mask that deceives others? Are you beautiful on the outside but ugly on the inside? These are questions you should ask yourself. Take time to reflect on these questions.
Personality vs Character
These two words are always mixed-up and misused. What defines a man lies in his personality and character.
Character — the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.
Personality — the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character.
What then differentiates these two?
The significant difference between personality and character is that personality is always known to others while character is not. This is because your personality is who you are in the light while your character is who you are in the light and the dark. Personality answers the question, ‘what do people see?’, while character answers the question, ‘who truly are you?’
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From all these, we can conclude that a person’s personality might not always be a true reflection of character.
The question is, what truly matters?
CHARACTER
“Character is doing the right thing when nobody is looking” — J.C. Watts
While personality can be inborn, character is not. It is a function of what you learn, your beliefs, and even your environment. This tells us that good character today doesn’t mean good character forever and vice-versa. Also, it tells us that character is developed and formed.
Helen Keller said, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved”.
Asides our personal beliefs, character is formed and built through our experiences in life. At every point in life, there is a task ahead of us. The way we react to those tasks affects our character, both consciously and sub-consciously.
Life lessons, that’s where it’s gotten from.
It’s out of these life lessons that moulds or mars your character.
Everybody is unique and as a result, we react differently. The way we handle life issues might not be the same, but what matters is that we should learn to take the best away from it. Let us not be blinded by the negatives that we forget about the positives. Housing negative thoughts are the easiest ways to discouragement, which might affect our attitude to life and in turn, can change our character.
It’s time to take a side
After learning bits about personality and character with their differences, we must take a side. Personality or character? I choose character over personality because I don’t want only to be defined by what people see or what I say, but also by what I do. It’s up to you to pick.
Picking a side doesn’t automatically mean ignoring or eliminating the other. It is like a scale we want to be balanced.
It’s okay not to have it all figured out or lacking in some areas. It is a continuous journey, where you are always learning to become a better version of yourself. Don’t beat yourself up. I know you will get there because I believe in you.
As I’ll always say, WE ARE WINNERS and we can achieve whatever we put our mind to. NEVER STOP WORKING ON YOURSELF.
See you next week 😉
