Good morning Gentle Reader. Today I am celebrating the 10th anniversary of my blog. I have posted close to 2,000 entries during these 10 years. I continue to search and seek and write and post. There are a number of folks who have been following me for these 10 years and I am grateful for their commitment and support. I will begin my 11th year with a crucial topic (for me, it is crucial).
In 1989 I had the privilege of meeting Michael Josephson, the founder of the Josephson Institute. He introduced me to his mantra, ‘Character Counts,’ and to his ‘six pillars of character.’ Recently I re-visited the Josephson Institute’s web site. They continue to thrive as they develop new initiatives. The folks associated with the Institute who serve us continue to seek ways to nurture our ‘Character.’ I still wear my ‘Six Pillars’ pin on my sport coat lapel and at times I wear my ‘Character Counts’ tie. These are powerful symbols that remind me that ‘Character’ indeed, does ‘Count.’
A few years ago a guy by the name of Plato (yes, that guy) asked if virtue could be taught. This continues to be a stimulating question (for some of us anyway). A corollary question can be asked when it comes to ‘Character.’ Can Character be taught? Since the early 1990s the number of articles, essays and book dedicated to ‘Character Development’ or ‘Character Education’ continues to expand almost exponentially. One can peruse a book containing a collection of ‘Character Development’ or ‘Character Education’ essays and conclude that there is little agreement as to the definition of ‘Character’ and as to whether ‘Character Education’ is actually viable AND to confuse things a bit more, even among those who believe in ‘Character Development/Education’ there is often significant difference as to what ‘Character Development/Education’ involves. If one is seeking ‘intellectual stimulation’ many of these books are helpful; if one is seeking clarity, not so much.
So, given all of this, why have I decided to once again put finger to key and invite us to explore this topic, ‘Character’? Why? Because Michael Josephson is correct: ‘Character Counts.’ If I-You-We truly believe this then we have an obligation to seek to understand ‘Character’ and we need to seek to understand to what extent ‘Character Education’ is necessary and viable. So, Gentle Reader, I invite you to search together with me as we explore our topic CONSIDER ‘CHARACTER’.
Consider that our ‘Character’ is nurtured by three major interdependent tap roots: Knowledge/Knowing, Affect, and Behavior.
In the entries that follow we will briefly explore each of these major interdependent tap roots. They are ‘major’ in that they powerfully influence, and nurture, our ‘Character’ and its development. They are ‘interdependent’ in that they influence and depend upon each other so that a healthy balance is established and sustained. These are not the only tap roots that nurture ‘Character’ and, for some, other tap roots might be considered to be more important than these three. What I am inviting us to do is to ‘consider’ – to reflect upon and think about what I offer.
Albert Einstein – a person with more than a small intellect – noted: Most people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character.
Searcher-Seeker 