Good Character Never Goes Out of Style

In the world of fast fashion and FOMO (fear of missing out), good character never goes out of style. What is good character? Good character is about your values and motives for making choices not just being a good person. A few good character traits are integrity, compassion, loyalty, respect, responsibility, and courtesy. 

When people hear your name or your child’s name mentioned, what character traits come to mind? Are they the ones you are proud of? Are there some you need to work on? 

5 character trait quiz questions

To see where you land on building good character, answer with your most honest answer.

Speak to others (courtesy and respect)

When the store clerk asks how you are doing

1. Look down at your phone and ignore the question
2. Say “Fine”
3. Say “Fine” and ask the question back, making eye contact

Help others (compassion and respect)

When you are with friends and a stranger drops a whole box of colored pencils in a busy walkway

1. Staring at your phone, you do not notice
2. Walk by, then laugh about it with your friends
3. Pause and see if the person wants help picking them up

Leave a space better than you found it (respect and integrity)

When you finish up a study session at the library with friends and the table is covered with your books, materials, and a few books someone else left behind

1. Grab your book, say “bye,” and walk away
2. Pick up your materials and push in your chair
3. Pick up your materials, straighten the chairs, and return someone else’s used books to the cart

Be a loyal friend (loyal and compassionate)

When a friend finds out some bad news and shares it with you

1. Nod OR change the subject
2. Listen and appropriately nod
3. Nod, listen, and check back in with the friend in the next few days and weeks

Commit (responsible and respectful)

When you are invited two weeks in advance to a birthday dinner with an RSVP by the week before

1. Show up because that sounds like a fun thing to do tonight and text the host on the way to see what time the party starts because you don’t want to have to search for the invite
2. Ignore the RSVP altogether if you cannot attend OR apologize in a text to the host the day before and ask if you can still come
3. Check your calendar when you get the invitation and make a note of the event. If you can’t RSVP right away, you set a notification before the deadline and RSVP whether or not you can attend.

Mostly C’s: I SEE your good character and hope we are friends. You are a good seed!

Mostly B’s: BEING good in the moment is not the same as cultivating good character traits, but I BELIEVE you can SEE where you need to work on things

Mostly A’s: Ahhh, apathy is not a good character trait. Take A moment to think about what character traits define you and SEE where you can make a change.

Cultivating good character takes work and patience. Practice social scenarios and responses with your children or students. Lead by example. Be a person of integrity for good character, like a little black dress, never goes out of style. 

Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways. Prov 28:6 ESV

Table Talk: What character trait would your friends most likely associate with you? Which quiz question were you tempted to lie about? 

Read more:

https://www.tailorjoy.com/be-honest/

https://www.tailorjoy.com/10-life-skills-for-the-launching-years/