Motivational Quotes

Character

Let us not say, every man is the architect of his own fortune; but let us say, every man is the architect of his own character.

- Boardman, George D.

Best Quotes about Character

My father told me that if you saw a man in a Rolls Royce you could be sure he was not a gentleman unless he was the chauffeur.

Arran, Earl of

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

Rickenbacker, Edward Vernon

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

Lavater, Johann Kaspar

Let us not say, every man is the architect of his own fortune; but let us say, every man is the architect of his own character.

Boardman, George D.

Character is not made in a crisis -- it is only exhibited.

Freeman, Robert

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

Thoreau, Henry David

Clear conscience never fears midnight knocking.

Proverb, Chinese

You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.

James A. Froude

To be fond of learning is near to wisdom; to practice with vigor is near to benevolence; and to be conscious of shame is near to fortitude. He who knows these three things

Confucius

10.

In attempts to improve your character, know what is in your power and what is beyond it.

Francis Thompson

11.

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.

Strindberg, J. August

12.

Character builds slowly, but it can be torn down with incredible swiftness.

Baldwin, Faith

13.

It takes a great deal of character strength to apologize quickly out of one's heart rather than out of pity. A person must possess himself and have a deep sense of security in fundamental principles and values in order to genuinely apologize.

Covey, Stephen R.

14.

You can tell the character of every man when you see how he receives praise.

Seneca

15.

You can buy a person's time; you can buy their physical presence at a given place; you can even buy a measured number of their skilled muscular motions per hour. But you can not buy enthusiasm... you can not buy loyalty. You can not buy the devotion of hearts, minds, or souls. You must earn these.

Francis, Clarence

16.

Sometimes people carry to such perfection the mask they have assumed that in due course they actually become the person they seem.

W. Somerset Maugham

17.

Before you advise anyone Be yourself! reassess his character.

18.

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.

Luther, John

19.

People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo

20.

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

Landers, Ann

21.

Though intelligence is powerless to modify character, it is a dab hand at finding euphemisms for its weaknesses.

Crisp, Quentin

22.

No artist work is so high, so noble, so grand, so enduring, so important for all time, as the making of character in a child.

Cushman, Charlotte Saunders

23.

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

Thackeray, William M.

24.

Too often the strong, silent man is silent only because he does not know what to say, and is reputed strong only because he has remained silent.

Churchill, Winston

25.

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

Reagan, Ronald

26.

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

Mohammed

27.

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

Richter, Jean Paul

28.

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.

Thoreau, Henry David

29.

Integrity has no need of rules.

Camus, Albert

30.

Too many lives are needed to make just one.

Montale, Eugenio

31.

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

Wooden, John

32.

Gross and obscure natures, however decorated, seem impure shambles; but character gives splendor to youth, and awe to wrinkled skin and gray hairs.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo

33.

One can acquire everything in solitude - except character.

Marie Henri Beyle

34.

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.

Rohn, Jim

35.

As fire when thrown into water is cooled down and put out, so also a false accusation when brought against a man of the purest and holiest character, boils over and is at once dissipated, and vanishes and threats of heaven and sea, himself standing unmoved.

Cicero, Marcus T.

36.

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

Shakespeare, William

37.

Men show their characters in nothing more clearly than in what they think laughable.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

38.

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

Reynolds, Sir Joshua

39.

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.

Lincoln, Abraham

40.

Character is another thing that is formed in youth and reformed in marriage.

41.

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.

42.

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

Thomas, John M.

43.

Character is what you know you are, not what others think you have.

Collins, Marva

44.

Wealth stays with us a little moment if at all: only our characters are steadfast, not our gold.

Euripides

45.

It is not what he had, or even what he does which expresses the worth of a man, but what he is.