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CHARACTER
Fame
is what you have taken,
Character's
what you give;
When,
to this truth you weaken,
Then
you begin to live.
Character
is an undefined quality. In all ages people have loved and praised young men of
character. This shows that a sound character is the greatest distinction of a man.
There is much truth in the proverb,” If wealth is lost, nothing is lost, if health
is lost, something is lost; but if character is lost, all is lost”. We know that
sometimes a poor man may win the highest honour because of his character; and a
rich man may forfeit honour because of his lack of character. The stories of Abraham
Lincoln and Byron illustrate my point of view. Abraham Lincoln was born in a
poor family. He suffered many setbacks in his youth, but never showed any
weakness of character. Muhammad Ali Jinnah also belonged to his class of great
men. Never, for once, he made a departure from honesty or uprightness. It was
the sheer force of his character that made him popular among his friends and enemies.
Byron, on the other hand, had all the advantages that can make a man popular.
He was born in a rich family. He was a poet of genius and had a fascinating personality.
But, in spite of all these charms of birth and person, he was hated in his own country.
It was all an account of a poor, shifting character that wrecked his hopes and
marred his reputation.
What is character? It may not be easy to tell you in
precise terms what character is. But there are certain qualities which stand
out as the most distinctive mark of a man of character. These qualities are: self-control,
courage, benevolence, truthfulness, honesty and purity. Tennyson has summed up
the secret of character in the following memorable lines:
“self
- reverence, self - knowledge, self
- control:
These
three-alone lead lives to sovereign powers.”
Take history of any nation or individual and you
will find the truth of this remark illustrated. In the palmy days hope ancient Greece
and Rome the noblest ideals that inspired the entire nation were love for truth
and honour. Nothing could be more unthinkable then to tell a lie or do anything
dishonorable.
Again, when the old pagan world died and Islam came
to the world, it insisted upon certain qualities of character. These qualities
were truth, love for the highest good, self - conquest and charity. Muslims
lived for the ideals and even sacrifice find themselves and their dear and near
ones for the attainment of these ideal. Islam lays special stress on charity
and benevolence, because these qualities are essential to social happiness.
Devoid of the milk of human kindness is a monster. The man who fails to relieve
human distress and misery is anything but a man of character. All great men of
character have been great social reformers at the same time. They worked for
the welfare of the depressed and the down - trodden.
Now a word about the formation of
character ----------- character cannot be formed
in a day. It is a long, continuous process which depends largely on environment
and training. A child born in the house of a gambler and brought up in a
gambling den will never grow into a great social hero. At the best, he may
become an accomplished gambler and sharper. All men more or less are the result
of their early training, and if the structure is to be fine one, the work must
be commenced as early as possible. Children should be asked to love what is
worthy and shun what is unworthy. The parents themselves should be the best
models for imitation. Stories of great men should be read to them so that they
may be inspired by their examples. When they grow up, they should be asked to
face the storm and stress of life. It is only in the midst of struggle that a
great character is formed. The young man who turns his back on the grim
realities of life or fails to grapple with them man fully is weak and detestable.
He lacks courage and initiative that go to make a shining character.
In short, a
man of character is a gentleman. He has a disciplined mind and a progressive
outlook on life. He is trying for good and lives in life of nobility.
