You may have heard the phrase, “Character is how you act when no one is looking.”
While there’s a lot of truth to that phrase, it is also true that true character can be shown in your every day actions, particularly those that test your patience.
For example, how do you act when you’ve been standing in line at the DMV and get to the desk only to find out that they forgot to tell you that you needed one more document to process your registration? What about when you’ve been on hold for customer service for ages and the representative is unable to solve your problem?
Those moments show your character too. Do we all lose our cool every now and then? Yes. However, as we learn to develop good character, we become more able to handle those moments with compassion. As Dale Carnegie is quoted as saying, “Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain, but it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.”
Instead of focusing on acting like you should when no one is looking, look at how you conduct yourself at all times.
After all, “Conduct is the best proof of character.”
Building Kids Character 