Motivational Quotes

Character

Forming characters! Whose? Our own or others? Both. And in that momentous fact lies the peril and responsibility of our existence.

- Elihu Burritt

Best Quotes about Character

The man who cannot believe in himself cannot believe in anything else. The basis of all integrity and character is whatever faith we have in our own integrity.

Smith, Roy L.

A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes another s.

Richter, Jean Paul

People with courage and character always seem sinister to the rest.

Hermann Hesse

Clothes don't tell the character of the man, but they just as well talk for him as against him.

To succeed is nothing -- it's an accident. But to feel no doubts about oneself is something very different: it is character.

Leneru, Marie

Property may be destroyed and money may lose its purchasing power; but, character, health, knowledge and good judgment will always be in demand under all conditions.

Babson, Roger

Testimony is like an arrow shot from a long bow and the force of it depends on the strength of the arm from which it was shot. Argument is like a bullet fired from a gun and has equal force even when issued from a child.

That which we call character is a reserved force which acts directly by presence, and without means. It is conceived of as a certain undemonstrable force, a familiar or genius, by whose impulses the man is guided, but whose counsels he cannot impart.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo

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.

10.

Some people are born hammers, others anvils.

Proverb

11.

The formation of one's character ought to be everyone's chief aim.

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang Von

12.

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

13.

Pity the man who has a character to support --it is worse than a large family -- he is silent poor indeed.

Thoreau, Henry David

14.

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

Freeman, Robert

15.

During my eighty-seven years, I have witnessed a whole succession of technological revolutions. But none of them has done away with the need for character in the individual or the ability to think.

Baruch, Bernard M.

16.

Character - the willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life - is the source from which self respect springs.

Joan Didion

17.

Integrity has no need of rules.

Camus, Albert

18.

If an ass goes traveling it will not come home a horse.

Proverb

19.

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

Thomas, John M.

20.

Characters do not change. Opinions alter, but characters are only developed.

Disraeli, Benjamin

21.

Character is that which reveals moral purpose, exposing the class of things a man chooses or avoids.

Aristotle

22.

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

23.

One stumble is enough to deface the character of an honorable life.

Estrange, L.

24.

It is with trifles and when he is off guard that a man best reveals his character.

Schopenhauer, Arthur

25.

I take it as a man's duty to restrain himself.

Lois McMaster Bujold

26.

Character is the impulse reined down into steady continuance.

Parkhurst, Charles H.

27.

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

Richter, Jean Paul

28.

If all I'm remembered for is being a good basketball player, then I've done a bad job with the rest of my life.

Thomas, Isiah

29.

Character develops itself in the stream of life.

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang Von

30.

Few people can distinguish the genuinely good from the reverse.

Juvenal, (Decimus Junius Juvenalis)

31.

While he was not as dumb as an ox, he was not any smarter either.

Thurber, James

32.

Character is made by many acts; it may be lost by a single one.

33.

As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. [Proverbs 23:7]

Bible

34.

You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.

Goldsmith, Oliver

35.

All men are alike in their lower natures; it is in their higher characters that they differ.

Bovee, Christian Nevell

36.

The empty vessel makes the loudest sound.

Shakespeare, William

37.

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

38.

For character too is a process and an unfolding... among our valued friends is there not someone or other who is a little too self confident and disdainful; whose distinguished mind is a little spotted with commonness; who is a little pinched here and protuberant there with native prejudices; or whose better energies are liable to lapse down the wrong channel under the influence of transient solicitations?

Eliot, George

39.

Judge of your natural character by what you do in dreams.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo

40.

When about to commit a base deed, respect thyself, though there is no witness.

Ausonius, Decimus Magnus

41.

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

Thackeray, William M.

42.

You don't get in life what you want; you get in life what you are.

Brown, Les

43.

Character is like the foundation of a house -- it is below the surface.

44.

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

45.

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

Francis Thompson

46.

Character, not circumstances, makes the man.

Washington, Booker T.

47.

When God measures man, He puts the tape around his heart -- not his head.

Guideposts

48.

You can't go around hoping that most people have sterling moral characters. The most you can hope for is that people will pretend that they do.

Lebowitz, Fran

49.

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

Reynolds, Sir Joshua

50.

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