Does character matter?

“We live in a culture that teaches us to promote and advertise ourselves and to master the skills required for success, but that gives little encouragement to humility, sympathy, and honest self-confrontation, which are necessary for building character.” ~ David Brooks, The Road to Character 

In yesterday’s post, I talked about how I struggled with promoting my work, early in my career. Today’s quote pushes beyond self-promotion and digs much deeper. David Brooks writes a lot about the importance of character. And I can’t help but wonder, given our country’s dubious political climate, if character matters as much to people now.

Character matters to me — and it matters a lot. For instance, I choose my friends because I admire their character, not their success or social connections. Likewise, I look for moral character in my leaders — in any type of endeavor. I also look at the choices other people make, and how those choices reflect their character.

What does character mean to you, and how much does it matter? ~CL