Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful. - Samuel Johnson
integrity (noun)
1. the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness
As the conference continues to draw closer I find myself shifting my focus from Vision and Change to the more complex issue of Character. We can talk about strength of character but can we really know what that means until we are faced with impossible decisions?
My life philosophy centers around the concept of "choices and consequences", or the Karma concept of cause and effect. Character is clearly a key part of making that work. In particular, integrity as the foundation of a strong character, would need to guide all decisions, all choices.
So how do we truly get students to examine their character, to test their integrity, during a leadership conference that is only three days long? How do we say anything original? If we are untested ourselves, what value do we add?
I think the best we can say is that, life must be lived moment by moment - choice by choice - and then we need to spend significant time reflecting on the outcome. Integrity is not inherent, but rather cultivated. We cannot teach character, but we can teach the reflective processes that strengthen character. We cannot simply rush forward time after time without giving thought to our choices and consequences of the past. Using the daily lessons, reading literature, studying history, etc can all help us be best prepared when we come to face our tough choices, but it is only in those moments that we truly know who we are.
We are defined by the choices we make, and while our intentions are important, consequence follows choice - not intention.
1 comment:
When I think about someone with a strong, admirable character, the first thing that comes to my mind is someone who lives with integrity. So, we are on the same page there. However, I also think of someone who is humble, appreciative, and positive. Someone with good character is willing to do whatever needs done without recognition or reward. Someone with good character is willing to take the bad with the good and make sacrifices for others.
I also believe that your character is your choice, however I don’t think it takes a tragic moment to realize your character. We exhibit our character all day/ everyday. Personally, I belief that people make judgments based off of someone’s character not their personality. I also believe that conflicts arise when two people, each with different character, are put in a situation to work together.
I think conveying character through the conference is a challenge because people are of different mindsets as to what character actually is. Vision can be described, change can be displayed, but character cannot be seen as easily. The irony is that through character, leaders are able to create vision and implement change.
Something that I think is worth noting is that character can be good or bad. We can’t just say, “establish your character, live by your character, and you will make a difference.” Someone may be dishonest, disrespectful, unappreciative, or negative. Those qualities make up that individual’s character. But we know that we don’t want leaders mirroring what I just described, so I think one of the fundamental issues is establishing between good character and bad character. (Or should I say admirable character, and not so admirable character.)
Talking about this kind of reminds me of listening versus speaking. All throughout school we are taught how to speak, when to speak, and what to speak about. But how often are we taught how to listen, when to listen, or why to listen? And yet, listening is the most important key to any good relationship or team. The same thing goes for character. We cannot be successful and make a difference without good, admirable character.
With all that being said, leading by example is the best way to get the point across. Also, educating individuals on the importance of character, good character.
South West’s Student Council may not realize it but I’m sure each and every person involved with this conference has challenged his or her character at some point during this experience. Isn’t that what it’s all about? Not just what you can present to others but what you can learn to better yourself. This conference was initiated because of character. This conference brought so many people together because of character, and this conference will take place November 13, 14 & 15 BECAUSE OF CHARACTER!!
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