Character Building

mr.anonymous

What experience(s) in your life do you credit with building character?

Perhaps it was a relationship with a certain person, travelling or living abroard, or attending college. What was the experience and what age were you when it happened?

Sleepy

Becoming a father at age 28. Nothing like being responsible for a tiny human to make you re-evaluate your life choices.

Valmont

I'm curious what you (and everyone else) think character is? It makes me think of having conviction, being responsible, doing the right thing, and being able to think for oneself. But maybe there's more to it? It's something I've taken for granted really--the meaning that is.

smacl

Valmont wrote: »

I'm curious what you (and everyone else) think character is? It makes me think of having conviction, being responsible, doing the right thing, and being able to think for oneself. But maybe there's more to it? It's something I've taken for granted really--the meaning that is.

For me it comes down to experience. Going through challenging things with other people or sometimes by myself, and realising that other people are similarly going through their own crap. Getting it wrong and giving it another go. Character is the wry smile that it is just as fecked for everyone else as it is for you and giving up on the pretense of a perfect world. Not a bad world, often great, often miserable, but invariably imperfect. Character is being able smile at that and keep tipping along.

Alf Veedersane

I don't think it's been any one thing. I don't think it is for most people.

A series of events where you're forced to deal with adversity or stand on your own two feet etc will force you to make decisions etc or face things you never had to.

Making right and wrong decisions along the way shape you and make experiences you learn from.

[/2 cents]