“Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character.”
~ Heraclitus
1. Carry Yourself With Confidence
This is a matter of being comfortable in your own skin. It is about maintaining good posture and eye contact but also about making the world a better place because of who you and what you contribute.
“As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.”
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
2. Humble In Victory And Defeat
Never be someone who boasts. Never be someone who rubs your victories in the face of others. Refuse to be someone who loses their temper if you lose. Always be someone who illustrates good sportsmanship. A person of class doesn’t expect others to mourn their losses or celebrate their victories. They appreciate it when others are in their support but they don’t expect it.
“Show class, have pride, and display character. If you do, winning takes care of itself.”
~ Bear Bryant
3. Speak Clearly And Eloquently
Always speak in a clear, concise and easy to understand voice. Don’t mumble or use too much informal language.
“In an easy matter. Anybody can be eloquent.”
~ Ovid
4. Courteous And Respectful To Others
“I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.”
~ Albert Einstein
5. Choose Your Friends Wisely
Don’t associate with negative, low valued people in either your professional life or your personal life. The only exceptions would be to include if you are trying to help those who are less fortunate and need your help. Do not associate with liars, cheaters and dishonest people. You don’t want your friends to be a negative influence or to lower your expectations of yourself.
6. Never Overindulge In Food Or Drink
Be a person of self-control. If you smoke or drink, do so in a moderate fashion.
“If one oversteps the bounds of moderation, the greatest pleasures cease to please.”
~ Epictetus
7. Judges Others Based On Their Character.
“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.”
~Billy Graham
8. Doesn’t Allow Others To Disrespect Them
“Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.”
~ Bruce Lee
9. Takes Responsibility For Their Actions
“Our ability to handle life’s challenges is a measure of our strength of character.”
~ Les Brown
10. Don’t Try To Impress
“Class never tries to build itself up by tearing others down. Class is already up and need not strive to look better by making others look worse.”
~ Ann Landers
Mark Webb is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice at Oakwood Counseling Center in Valdosta. He is the author of How To Be A Great Partner and How To Argueproof Your Relationship.
