What is Character

I’ve noticed a number of college athletes in the news lately for legal troubles. It seems that even on the better teams and at the better schools there is a problem. You see things like a kid that’s never been in trouble before stealing things from another student. Two incidents of that along with a quarterback that got drunk and then a couple of days later keyed a car over some road rage slight. I wonder what of their character? We know that they know right from wrong in the traditional sense, but what were they thinking? Good character doesn’t mean always doing the right thing. I couldn’t stand up to that harsh light any more then the rest of you, but what of intent? I was watching Bill Oreilly the other night and saw a young woman ranting on about all the nonsense that the left has to offer, even to complaining that we on the right are responsible for a baby getting his testicles crushed. As a conservative Republican I can assure you that I not only wouldn’t crush any testicles but also would work to protect what testicles might be in my vicinity. What was her intent? Did she really believe the shit she was slinging? What did her folks teach her? I’m all for honest dissent as well as honest mistakes. I’m also for forgiveness of mistakes when ones debt is paid but what are people thinking? Does character require thought or do you just perform a certain way because of it? What role does intellect play in character? I’ve known some very stupid people that had a strong moral compass but made mistakes based on a lack of intellectual horsepower. I’ve known some geniuses that didn’t give a damn and everything in-between. I believe the thieves have a chance to redeem themselves, as does the drunk that keyed the car. With age comes wisdom even to the dumbest of us. If it didn’t then you would die; something about natural selection. The young woman spewing her propaganda on the other hand is too sure that she is right. As long as her mouth is open her ears are shut. Character is the combination of what you are taught mixed with experience built over a lifetime. Character is the final measure of your life’s work.