Character

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

Lovely weekend of sunshine, friends and music. Starting a new job today and it is important to stay true to one's core values. This new role will be a test of my character.

People tend to regard suffering or adversity as the ultimate test of character. But does that really bring character out, or do we simply observe the survival instinct or mechanism of the person? In his book, "The Survivor Personality", Al Siebert describes the habits and qualities that help human beings overcome difficult situations - from everyday conflicts to major life stresses. My reading of this is not a description of people's characters, but rather a description of their resilience or survival capacity. I am more in agreement with Abraham Lincoln. It is when you have power that your true character comes out.

Let's take a look. What is character? The dictionary would tell you that it is, basically, an attribute or a quality that defines a person. This means that you are defined by a certain set of habits, qualities or attitudes and these form the basis upon which you character is judged. Now, typically, that would be demonstrated when you have many options and so your true inclinations and controls then can be released. If you are in adversity, your choices are limited and you basically have to either stand up and fight or curl up and capitulate or run. Very little scope for character revelation, but plenty of scope for survival mechanisms to kick in (or not). So, yes, that is the best way to elucidate character - give choices.