I know you guys don't want to hear about my social life,
so I won't bore you with such drivel,
I'm sure you'd much rather some have me initiate a deep and
meaningful conversation about a great philosophical concept like character
Ok I lied (so much for my character) this blog is about character (the word of the day), and my social life.
So either way you get at least half.
or something.
Wow, it's been a while since I last wrote,
and a lot has happened. But no, I'm not engaged.
But let me tell you a little story.
(not fiction)
As you probably know I am not in school,
as you may also know, I still take some classes,
Mostly they are religious classes at the local LDS Institute.
And mostly I am free to take them whenever I want to.
(though my mom thinks I should be spending more time at work)
One day I decided to pick some classes to take this semester.
After a good amount of thought, I decided to take one from the old testament.
As things happened I have another class on the same days, but just a little earlier,
so I have no problem getting to class before most of the other students.
long story short, one of the girls that I'm pretty interested in, yes there are a few, came and sat in the chair next to mine, not necessarily because I was there, but I certainly wasn't complaining.
Interesting Side-note: The teacher of the class also teaches a class on dating and marriage, and sometimes there are evidences of it in the class room.
It didn't strike me as odd today, when the white board in our was filled with quotes about marriage.
But soon I came to know that these quotes were for us.
Now I don't know about you, but for me it can be a bit awkward to talk about this kind of thing while sitting next to someone that I would like to be dating.
Of course the flip side to that is, you get to know where you stand if they say anything.
Once again, luck was on my side.
The teacher turned to the girl sitting next to me and said
"What's the number one thing you look for in a guy?"
Of course I was all ears.
I like it when she speaks,
I like the things she says.
And so it came to her,
What was the first thing she wanted.
"Character."
Wow good answer,
hey I've got some of that.
(please hold your comments if you disagree)
but here's my question,
What is it?
I mean what is character?
I'm pretty much open to any and all answers,
you can speak from your heart,
or, research it if you'd like,
you can write me an essay.
or write me a fortune cookie,
I'm guessing everybody has a slightly different opinion on this.
but I think they are all valuable.
After all couldn't we all use a little more character?
let me know,
and thanks for reading.
W.
10 comments:
Yea! You have a new post! My blog-checking habits have changed recently; I check more frequently in hopes of some brief contact from my friends that I miss so much (okay, okay... I know e-mail and phones still exist, but I'm glad to see a new post nonetheless!)
Here's your fortune cookie answer: integrity is an integral part of character.
m-w.com: one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual.
To me, "character" is much like the word "personality." People frequently use them as adjectives, but really they're nouns, and I feel that they need an adjective preceding the word to explain what type of character or personality they're talking about.
I can't ask this person "Why TYPE of character," so I have no idea what is meant by what she said. It's actually quite a subjective thing. I would only be able to assume she meant someone with a good character or reputation. Perhaps integrity, like Sarah said.
If you haven't asked this person for dinner or some other date activity, I think you should. Then, you can ask her what she means when she says "character." Then, you can listen to what she has to say and follow up with any other questions you may have. That sounds like a good conversation to me, but I could also see how some people may think it would be awkward.
Ditto what Sarah and Cardine wrote.
However, there is another way "character" could be interpreted. Someone who has character could be a little wacky, in a good way. You know, as in, "John, what a character!".
I bet that isn't how she meant it, but I certainly want someone who is a little wacky. :)
M-W.com I like that definition.
Let me ammend my question.
What are the characteristics or attributes that distinguish a person.
I like what sarah said about integrity.
And what julie said about personality
BTW this wasn't about the girl, it was just sparked by her.
I actually know where I stand on that front. I have been out with her, twice I think, maybe three times, but mostly I just wanted to chat about those "desirable attributes."
For me, I like people with charitable characters. I don't mean that they should always be giving, necessarily, but that they can see people as Christ would see them and act accordingly. Therefore, it's not just blind giving, but hopefully educated giving with an awareness of what a person actually needs.
Evidence of this character to me is actually in the way people talk to each other and how/whether they react or act in their different life situations.
I would rather hear about social life or character than say computers...but thats just me. Good to see some new posts.
I found this quote while researching ideas for my upcoming work newsletter and I really like it:
"One of the most valuable things we can do to heal one another is listen to each other's stories."
A "desirable attribute" I really like in a guy (or anyone, for that matter) is the ability and desire to listen. It's a lost art with few skilled artisans.
That's a good one, Julie. I am trying to be a better listener. I think you've helped me in that area.
I like integrity,
I like it's connection to honesty.
Charity is pretty sweet too,
infact, it pretty much precludes everything else,
well maybe not completely,
but it's right at the top.
I feel a quote coming on,
it's one of my favourites
(threw in the u for all my British fans. )
http://lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=1aebd7630a27b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1
"Why did God put the first commandment first? Because He knew that if we truly loved Him we would want to keep all of His other commandments. “For this is the love of God,” says John, “that we keep his commandments” (1 Jn. 5:3; see also 2 Jn. 1:6).
When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities."
----Ezra Taft Benson
And when we couple that with matt 22:39 pretty much charity becomes about people, more, and money less,
People who care about people,
yeah, I think that's a good one.
Listening:
that's good also pretty darn important.
but I would expand it a bit,
(not because it's wrong, and even though it's often overlooked, perhaps overlooked more by certain types of people.)But I would say communication.
That's one of my top priorities in people that I date.
Not that they are great communicators, but that they comminicate well with me,
I guess the two could be somewhat connected, but I don't think they are identical. That's been a big part of my relationships.
I will send you pics of my junky cardboard chair. I was good in 3-d design (Susan suggested I change my major to sculpture) but my chair was definitely not one of my prouder moments!
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