What is the difference between character and personality?
Something we don’t generally think about.
There is one key difference.
“You can have many personalities, but you can only have one character at any given time”
Let’s think about it. When you are at home, you may be very confident and funny. At work, you may be shy and reserved. With your friends, you may be the person your friends turn to for guidance and you speak calmly. In an emergency situation, you may be very authoritative, loud and decisive. These are all examples of different personalities.
Your character, to love, to care, to have high morals, to not lie, to be trusted is the fundamental of makes you you, that is the same.
Now character can change over time, through external influences (society) and internal influences (making mistakes, experiences etc). But at any one point you can have many personalities but you only have one character.
Or think about it this way. Personality is what other people see. Character is what you see.
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Is there a way you can be more true to your character, surely having all the personalities you have mentioned will mean you are really not being true to yourself and it is only when you are true that you will be happy? I think we use personalities to mask who we are…but is this really something that we need to do? I think that is what society wants us to do…we try and become someone else, people say when your out you need to be loud and the life of the party but what about just being yourself, maybe people will see you for who you are rather than just those you share a home with.
Hits, Personalities are sometimes used as a mask. Often people can see through them. Because then you are not being authentic. This may sound like a really weird point, but human beings somehow really respect honesty. If you are authentic, that is, true to yourself, express your thoughts and actions that agree with you, even if they may not be what you feel you ‘should’ have said, provided you say it the right way, you really can gain respect. Don’t be afraid. Then it’s a win win situation. You are true to yourself and your personality reflects your character, and people will respect you for just being you. Let me put it this way, a good team is made up of authoritative figures, thinkers, reflectors, creative people etc. Don’t let society bully you in to feeling like you should always be the loud, authoritative leader. Your role is a VERY important one, just as you are.
It is interesting to see what people care for most – character or reputation. Character is something within you. It is what YOU think of you. It should never be tarnished. Reputation is external. It is what others think of you and hence it can be damaged. Many have good reputations but display bad character. Like politicians, who have to maintain a likeable public display to get votes, yet you wouldn’t trust them. There are others who have bad reputations but display good character. Anyone who has historically had a fight against hatred for the truth, usually finds many attempts being made to damage their reputation. But they care not. Because their character carries them through.