Great as heaven and earth are, men still find some things in them with which to be dissatisfied. Thus it is that, were the superior man to speak of his way in all its greatness, nothing in the world would be found able to embrace it, and were he to speak of it in its minuteness, nothing in the world would be found able to split it.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American First Lady, Diplomat, Humanitarian
Every man, as to character, is the creature of the age in which he lives.—Very few are able to raise themselves above the ideas of their times.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
We practically always excuse things when we understand them
—Mikhail Lermontov (1814–41) Russian Novelist, Poet
He that has light within his own cleer brest
May sit ith center, and enjoy bright day,
But he that hides a dark soul, and foul thoughts
Benighted walks under the mid-day Sun;
Himself is his own dungeon.
—John Milton (1608–74) English Poet, Civil Servant, Scholar, Debater
It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.
—Warren Buffett (b.1930) American Investor
What’s right isn’t popular, what’s popular isn’t right.
—Howard Cosell (1918–95) American Journalist, Columnist, TV Personality, Radio Personality
Character is our destiny.
—Heraclitus (535BCE–475BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.
—James Anthony Froude (1818–94) British Historian, Novelist, Biographer, Editor
Your character will be what you yourself choose to make it.
—John Lubbock (1834–1913) English Politician, Biologist
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.
—Stephen Covey (1932–2012) American Self-help Author
Surmounting difficulty is the crucible that forms character.
—Tony Robbins (b.1960) American Self-Help Author, Entrepreneur
Everyone admires his own character.
—Turkish Proverb
There are no secrets to success: don’t waste time looking for them. Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty to those for whom you work, and persistence.
—Colin Powell (b.1937) American Military Leader
Character must be kept bright as well as clean.
—Earl of Chesterfield (1694–1773) English Statesman, Man of Letters
Action is character.
—Anonymous
Integrity needs no rules.
—Albert Camus (1913–60) Algerian-born French Philosopher, Dramatist, Essayist, Novelist, Author
Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud.
—Sophocles (495–405 BCE) Ancient Greek Dramatist
Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, and riches take wings. Only one thing endures, and that is character.
—Horace Greeley (1811–72) American Elected Rep, Politician, Reformer, Editor
If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself.
—Dwight L. Moody (1837–99) Christian Religious Leader, Publisher
You can never have a greater or a less dominion than over yourself.
—Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) Italian Polymath, Painter, Sculptor, Inventor, Architect
Style is the image of character.
—Edward Gibbon (1737–94) English Historian, Politician
It is with trifles, and when he is off guard, that a man best reveals his character.
—Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) German Philosopher
Before you advise anyone “Be yourself!” reassess his character.
—Unknown
A good character is the only guarantee of everlasting, carefree happiness.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
—Unknown
We live in deeds, not years:
In thoughts, not breaths;
In feelings, not in figures on a dial.
We should count time by heart-throbs. He most lives
Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best.
—Philip James Bailey (1816–1902) English Poet
Some say knowledge is power, but that is not true. Character is power.
—Sathya Sai Baba (1926–2011) Indian Hindu Religious Leader
It is only the superficial qualities that last. Man’s deeper nature is soon found out.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
It’s true that charisma can make a person stand out for a moment, but character sets a person apart for a lifetime.
—John C. Maxwell (b.1947) American Christian Professional Speaker, Author, Clergyman
People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Character is destiny.
—Heraclitus (535BCE–475BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Genius is by definition a style of consciousness characterized by the ability to access high energy attractor patterns. It is not a personality characteristic. It is not something that a person has, nor even something that someone is. Those in whom we recognize genius commonly disclaim it. A universal characteristic of genius is humility. The genius has always attributed his insights to some higher influence.
—David R. Hawkins (1913–2002) American Philosopher, Academic
Character is what emerges from all the little things you were too busy to do yesterday, but did anyway.
—Mignon McLaughlin (1913–83) American Journalist, Author
Character is the salesperson.
—George Madison Adams (1837–1920) American Politician, Military Leader
We want the spirit of America to be efficient; we want American character to be efficient; we want American character to display itself in what I may, perhaps, be allowed to call spiritual efficiency—clear disinterested thinking and fearless action along the right lines of thought.
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) American Head of State
Men of genius are admired, men of wealth are envied, men of power are feared; but only men of character are trusted.
—Alfred Adler (1870–1937) Austrian Psychiatrist
Character is what you are in the dark.
—Dwight L. Moody (1837–99) Christian Religious Leader, Publisher
To willful men, the injuries that they themselves procure, must be their schoolmasters.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.
—James A. Michener (1907–97) American Novelist, Short Story Writer, Historian
Character is a by-product; it is produced in the great manufacture of daily duty.
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) American Head of State
The time is always right to do what’s right.
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
There is a vein of inconsistency in every woman’s heart, within whose portals love hath entered.
—Dorothee Luzy Dotinville (1747–1830) French Dancer, Actress
Your reputation is in the hands of others. That’s what a reputation is. You can’t control that. The only thing you can control is your character.
—Wayne Dyer (b.1940) American Motivational Writer, Author, Motivational Speaker
It is not what a man gets, but what a man is, that he should think of.—He should think first of his character, and then of his condition: for if he have the former, he need have no fears about the latter.—Character will draw condition after it.—Circumstances obey principles.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
I will not be concerned at other men’s not knowing me; I will be concerned at my own want of ability.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
No matter how full a reservoir of maxims one may possess, and no matter how good one’s sentiments may be, if one has not taken advantage of every concrete opportunity to act, one’s character may remain entirely unaffected for the better.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
Charity and personal force are the only investments worth anything.
—Walt Whitman (1819–92) American Poet, Essayist, Journalist, American, Poet, Essayist, Journalist
Some men are born to own, and can animate all their possessions. Others cannot: their owning is not graceful; seems to be a compromise of their character: they seem to steal their own dividends.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher