Quotes about character

The hell to be endured hereafter, of which theology tells, is no worse than the hell we make for ourselves in this world by habitually fashioned our characters in the wrong way.

— William James

It is part of the American character to consider nothing as desperate -- to surmount every difficulty by resolution and contrivance.

— Thomas Jefferson

Few people can distinguish the genuinely good from the reverse.

— (Decimus Junius Juvenalis) Juvenal

Everyone has three characters, that which they exhibit, that which they have, and that which they think they have.

— Alphonse Karr

Every man has three characters -- that which he exhibits, that which he has, and that which he thinks he has.

— Alphonse Karr

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.

— Helen Keller

I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

— King Jr. Martin Luther

By constant self-discipline and self-control you can develop greatness of character.

— Grenville Kleiser

Weakness of character is the only defect which cannot be amended.

— Francois De La Rochefoucauld

Keep in mind that the true measure of an individual is how he treats a person who can do him absolutely no good.

— Ann Landers

You are not very good if you are not better than your best friends imagine you to be.

— Johann Kaspar Lavater

Action, looks, words, steps, form the alphabet by which you may spell character.

— Johann Kaspar Lavater

You can't go around hoping that most people have sterling moral characters. The most you can hope for is that people will pretend that they do.

— Fran Lebowitz

To succeed is nothing -- it's an accident. But to feel no doubts about oneself is something very different: it is character.

— Marie Leneru

Underneath this flabby exterior is an enormous lack of character.

— Oscar Levant

A person reveals his character by nothing so clearly as the joke he resents.

— Georg C. Lichtenberg

Character matters; leadership descends from character.

— Rush Limbaugh

Good character is like a rubber ball -- thrown down hard -- it bounces right back. Good reputation is like a crystal ball -- thrown for gain -- shattered and cracked.

— Linall Jr. A. L.

Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.

— Abraham Lincoln

If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how -- the very best I can. And I mean to keep on doing it to the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me will not amount to anything. If the end brings me out all wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference.

— Abraham Lincoln

We should be too big to take offense and too noble to give it.

— Abraham Lincoln

Between ourselves and our real natures we interpose that wax figure of idealizations and selections which we call our character.

— Walter Lippmann

In this world a man must either be anvil or hammer.

— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

They are slaves who fear to speak, for the fallen and the weak.

— James Russell Lowell

Reputation is only a candle, of wavering and uncertain flame, and easily blown out, but it is the light by which the world looks for and finds merit.

— James Russell Lowell

Your character will be what you yourself choose to make it.

— Sir John Lubbock

Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are, to some extent, a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it piece by piece-by thought, choice, courage and determination.

— John Luther

The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

— Thomas B. Macaulay

Sound character provides the power with which a person may ride the emergencies of life instead of being overwhelmed by them. Failure is... the highway to success.

— Og Mandino

It is well to think well. It is divine to act well.

— Horace Mann

Character is the indelible mark that determines the only true value of all people and all their work.

— Orison Swett Marden

We don't love qualities, we love persons; sometimes by reason of their defects as well as of their qualities.

— Jacques Maritain

While an original is always hard to find, he is easy to recognize.

— John L. Mason

If you create an act, you create a habit. If you create a habit, you create a character. If you create a character, you create a destiny.

— Andre Maurois

Instill the love of you into all the world, for a good character is what is remembered.

— Merikare

Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.

— James A. Michener

Look, we're all the same; a man is a fourteen-room house --in the bedroom he's asleep with his intelligent wife, in the living-room he's rolling around with some bareass girl, in the library he's paying his taxes, in the yard he's raising tomatoes, and in the cellar he's making a bomb to blow it all up.

— Arthur Miller

He that has light within his own clear breast may sit in the center, and enjoy bright day: But he that hides a dark soul and foul thoughts benighted walks under the mid-day sun;

— John Milton

A man's reputation is what other people think of him; his character is what he really is.

— Jack Miner

If anyone tells you someone has changed their character; don't believe it.

— Mohammed

If we have need of a strong will in order to do good, it is still more necessary for us in order not to do evil.

— Mole

Too many lives are needed to make just one.

— Eugenio Montale

Character is what you are in the dark.

— Dwight L. Moody

A character is a completely fashioned will.

— Novalis

Character development is the aim of education.

— O'Shea

Reputation is what men and women think of us. Character is what God and the angels know of us.

— Thomas Paine

Character is much easier kept than recovered.

— Thomas Paine

An excellent man, like precious metal, is in every way invariable; A villain, like the beams of a balance, is always varying, upwards and downwards, himself his own dungeon.

— Saskya Pandita

Not to be cheered by praise, not to be grieved by blame, but to know thoroughly ones own virtues or powers are the characteristics of an excellent man.

— Saskya Pandita

Character is the impulse reined down into steady continuance.

— Charles H. Parkhurst

I have conquered an empire but I have not been able to conquer myself.

— Peter The Great

How difficult it is to save the bark of reputation from the rocks of ignorance.

— Francesco Petrarch

When men speak ill of thee, live so as nobody may believe them.

— Plato

I would rather be adorned by beauty of character than jewels. Jewels are the gift of fortune, while character comes from within.

— Titus Maccius Plautus

Character is simply habit long continued.

— Plutarch

Honor and shame from no condition rise; Act well your part, there all the honor lies.

— Alexander Pope

If an ass goes traveling it will not come home a horse.

— Proverb

One can easily judge the character of a person by the way they treat people who can do nothing for them.

— Proverb

Some people are born hammers, others anvils.

— Proverb

Wherever man goes to dwell his character goes with him.

— African Proverb

If you stand straight, do not fear a crooked shadow.

— Chinese Proverb

Clear conscience never fears midnight knocking.

— Chinese Proverb

A rich man has no need of character.

— Hebrew Proverb

You can tell a lot about a fellow's character by his way of eating jelly beans.

— Ronald Reagan

The real character of a man is found out by his amusements.

— Sir Joshua Reynolds

To have character is to be big enough to take life on.

— Mary Caroline Richards

A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes another s.

— Jean Paul Richter

Strong characters are brought out by change of situation, and gentle ones by permanence.

— Jean Paul Richter

The four cornerstones of character on which the structure of this nation was built are: initiative, imagination, individuality, and independence.

— Edward Vernon Rickenbacker

Surmounting difficulty is the crucible that forms character.

— Anthony Robbins

Character isn't something you were born with and can't change, like your fingerprints. It's something you weren't born with and must take responsibility for forming.

— Jim Rohn

It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself.

— Eleanor Roosevelt

Football doesn't build character. It eliminates weak ones.

— Darrell Royal

Character is the foundation stone upon which one must build to win respect. Just as no worthy building can be erected on a weak foundation, so no lasting reputation worthy of respect can be built on a weak character.

— R. C. Samsel

Character is the basis of happiness and happiness the sanction of character.

— George Santayana

It is with trifles and when he is off guard that a man best reveals his character.

— Arthur Schopenhauer

Life every man holds dear; but the dear man holds honor far more precious dear than life.

— William Shakespeare

The empty vessel makes the loudest sound.

— William Shakespeare

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.

— Sri Swami Sivananda

The man who cannot believe in himself cannot believe in anything else. The basis of all integrity and character is whatever faith we have in our own integrity.

— Roy L. Smith

A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you, and were helped by you, will remember you when forget-me-nots are withered. Carve your name on hearts, and not on marble

— Charles Haddon Spurgeon

A man with a so-called character is often a simple piece of mechanism; he has often only one point of view for the extremely complicated relationships of life.

— J. August Strindberg

Noble character is best appreciated in those ages in which it can most readily develop.

— Publius Cornelius Tacitus

Fame is what you have taken, character is what you give. When to this truth you awaken, then you begin to live.

— Bayard Taylor

If a man character is to be abused there's nobody like a relative to do the business.

— William M. Thackeray

If all I'm remembered for is being a good basketball player, then I've done a bad job with the rest of my life.

— Isiah Thomas

You must regulate your life by the standards you admire when you are at your best.

— John M. Thomas

We know but a few men, a great many coats and breeches.

— Henry David Thoreau

Pity the man who has a character to support --it is worse than a large family -- he is silent poor indeed.

— Henry David Thoreau

The universe seems bankrupt as soon as we begin to discuss the characters of individuals.

— Henry David Thoreau

We falsely attribute to men a determined character -- putting together all their yesterdays -- and averaging them -- we presume we know them. Pity the man who has character to support -- it is worse than a large family -- he is the silent poor indeed.

— Henry David Thoreau

While he was not as dumb as an ox, he was not any smarter either.

— James Thurber

The depth and strength of a human character are defined by its moral reserves. People reveal themselves completely only when they are thrown out of the customary conditions of their life, for only then do they have to fall back on their reserves.

— Leon Trotsky

To arrive at a just estimate of a renowned man's character one must judge it by the standards of his time, not ours.

— Mark Twain

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

— Source Unknown

You can't truthfully explain your smallest action without fully revealing your character.

— Source Unknown

Before you advise anyone Be yourself! reassess his character.

— Source Unknown

The test of any man's character is how he takes praise.

— Source Unknown

The higher character a person supports the more they should regard their smallest actions.

— Source Unknown

It is better for the development of character and contentment to do certain things badly for yourself than to have them done better for you by someone else.

— Source Unknown