Character Verses Reputation

Abraham Lincoln was very concerned with the nature of character, but he was also aware of the importance of having a good reputation. He explained the difference this way: "Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing."

In today's world that is overly preoccupied with image, it is easy to worry too much about our reputation and too little about our character. Building a reputation is largely a public-relations project, but building character requires us to truly focus on our values, actions, and always following through with what we commit ourselves to on a continual daily basis. Noble rhetoric and good intentions just are not enough to build true character.

I truly feel that your reputation is what people think of you and your character is what you actually are! Reputations will change with our circumstances and can be made or destroyed in a brief moment, but character is built through a person's lifetime.

What we should be concentrating on is moral strength based on ethical principles.

Character is revealed by our deeds and actions and not just words, especially when there is a gap between what we want to do, and what we should do, especially when doing the right thing costs more than we want to pay. Character is also not whether we accomplish our ambitions or goals in life, but how we truly live life through a lifetime.

Some think that the way we treat certain people cannot help or hurt us, like coworkers who we are in charge of, and people that are in a service positions like housekeepers, waiters, secretaries, and nurses, etc. How we treat these people truly displays more about our personal character than how we treat other's that we think are important.

Those who are honest, kind, and fair only when there is something to gain should never be confused with people of (real character) who demonstrate these qualities habitually, and under all circumstances and situations throughout their life.

Character is also revealed by how we deal with situations, pressures and temptations.

It is also disclosed by our everyday actions, (including) what we say and do when we think no one is looking and fell that will not get caught. Reputations come and go, but character will hold you through the storms of life. If you spend your time and energy in constantly building strong character, you will never have to fear or be concerned about what others think of you.

As a Christian I know that God sees all, and that He remembers all, and is ultimately the final judge of our actions in a lifetime spent on earth. Reputation is what people say you are; character is what God knows you are. Character is not a fancy coat we put on for public show only. Character is who we truly are, and will be judged by accordingly, on earth as well as in heaven. If you always concentrate on building character, your reputation will build itself. Develop your character, and you will never have regrets.

Why Globes Can Bring Character And Inspire So Effectively

Office work requires a certain amount of comfort, with a desk organised in just the way that the worker wants. It is no different with a home office or a study, where the occupant needs to be surrounded by what inspires, what focuses and, most of all, what maintains that secure, comfortable feeling. For this reason, the items in a study are all very special, and amongst the most popular items are globes.

Exactly why a globe should be so favoured is not that hard to understand. As a representation of the world, it takes a person away from the humdrum of personal life and encourages one to take a wider view of things. The resulting effect is to inspire thought and generate ideas, both of which are useful traits to the academic, business person or student. However, personal taste is also important, which explains why there is such an array of options, from the armillary globe to the globe drinks cabinet.

Other items that are popular are ceremonial face masks from far flung places, sculpture and art work that, more often than not, are of a different culture rather than a familiar one, and nautical implements such as the brass compass or chart magnifier.

When it comes to the globe, there is no shortage of options to choose from, not only in terms of design but also in topic.

For example, the terrestrial globe with which we are all so familiar can be presented with different effects. The relief can be raised, meaning that the mountain ranges can be felt under thumb, while the colouring of the seas can be blue or antique, which is a light brown, aged tone.

Obviously, a desk globe is small enough to sit discreetly on a desk, though there are larger versions that can measure around 12 inches in diameter.

The particular colours and raised relief options mean it is certain that the precise globe to complement the particular desk and room decor is available. Of course, the desk globe is small enough to be placed on window sills, on book shelves and on small tables.

With regards to the floor standing globe range, there is an even greater array of choices. Typically, a floor standing version stands at around a meter high, and can have either a pedestal or cradle body. The pedestal is simply on long pole, holding a meridian or semi meridian frame into which the globe is set. The pedestal is often made of wood, with finishes such as walnut and dark cherry amongst the most popular, but it can be of metal also, with brass and gold and silver plating highly prized.

A cradle is called such because the globe sits inside the leg frame itself, appearing as though it has broken through a table top. This design is much sturdier, with three or four legs holding up the meridian in which the globe itself is set. This design means the globe and body is generally looked upon as an item of decorative furniture, though it provides a far greater impression than simple furniture.

Of course, a globe does not have to depict a map of the world. Besides the fact that world maps through the ages are available in globe form, from modern day to the 17th and 18th centuries, it is also possible to find those depicting the ocean floors, the moon, one of the other planets or even the sun. This means that the specific interests of the occupant can be served.

So, if the occupant has a love for the sea, then along with a model sailing ship, ship bell and brass compass, one can place a maritime globe depicting the oceans, seas and the terrain below them. Or, if he or she has an interest in the stars, a constellation globe can depict the stars, to complement what other items of intrigue are placed in the room.

Most of us prefer to use globes to map out our route when we decide to travel, be it around the world or just on holiday to the next continent, especially when children want to know where we are going.

Its use as an educational tool can never be underestimated, though its range of alternative uses should not be forgotten either, with the globe drinks cabinet a favourite feature among globe owners.

Presidential Election 2008 - Candidates and Character

I guess in a perfect world, all of our political, civic, and religious leaders would be perfect models of moral decency, and perform with nothing but the utmost of efficiency and effectiveness in the jobs they are elected to. That world, of course, does not exist. The question I am going to raise is whether or not there is a direct coorelation between the moral and ethical values of a leader and his ability to lead effectively. The reason I throw this question out there is because I feel at times that we get so wrapped up the character of an individual, we fail to also honestly ask ourselves if the person is really the best man or woman for the job.

In our current election devout followers of both Barack Obama and John McCain would like to look at their candidate through rose colored glasses and try to paint him as someone who can do no wrong.

Or at least somehow morally superior and of higher character than the other person . The only thing that has saved this particular campaign from turning into a "my guy is more honest and trustworthy than your guy" slugfest, is the fact that the economy tanked.

I am going to go on record by saying that while character is important to me, it is a very fluid measuring stick that I use in my decision making process come election day. I don't expect Obama and McCain to be models of human decency and behavior, who I get to set on a pedestal and admire. I don't like putting our leaders up there, because they really do not belong there. They are there to do an important job - and to do it well - that is it. The way I look at it, I am basically casting my vote as to whether or not I want to hire one of these gentlemen as President of the United States. I want someone in there, who I feel is going to be effective in leading this country through all the challenges that lie ahead of it. In other words, ......"will this person get the job done?" .....at least according to my standards.

Ultimately of course, we don't know how good the person is until he or she is on the job. But we do our best - we weigh the issues, trust our gut and hope we have elected the right individual. As my past voting record will indicate, I don't really care if the candidate is a Republican or a Democrat. I also don't care if he has had a model marriage or not. I don't care if he goes to church on Sunday. I don't care if he is an atheist, Muslim, Christian, or Jew. While I am very liberal on social issues, I would not vote against a candidate solely on the issues of abortion, stem cell research, gay marriage, or gun control. The reason I wouldn't is because these are not the pressing issues that I believe are critical to health and well being of this nation. I want to know how willing our President is to wage war and put our men and women in harms way. I want to know his approach and philosophy of interacting with our neighbors in the world. I want to know if he is going to do all he can to see that people in this country get decent medical care. Is he going try to support and improve education in this country? Is he going to have enough vision to keep this country's nose to the grindstone in terms of developing alternative forms of energy? And probably, most importantly to me, is this person going to be willing to listen to others and make decisions based on careful thought and analysis?

I think as citizens, we get too caught up in issues that, while important on one level, are not critical on another. Typcially, they are the moral and social issues that I have already mentioned. But right now, we need to focus on the big issues, the issues that truly will determine how we move forward as a nation. So when the candidates and their respective campaigns start ripping into each other about William Ayers, Charles Keating and any other "character" issues they can inject into the mix - try to keep these issues in perspective and remember what our real goal is here. We aren't just trying to elect "our guy"......we are trying to elect the best leader for the times.

One final point I would make about the moral absolutism that many throw into the political arena. History has far to many examples of effective presidents and world leaders who had moral shortcomings of one nature or another. That list would include Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, and not to mention a number of others. I would hate to think where the world might be today without the guiding hand of some of these people. History is also littered with good and decent men - men of the utmost integrity and almost without reproach in terms of their moral standards - who were not particularly great leaders and in fact at times were downright incompetent in their performance.

Character is an issue in any election. I would be the first to admit I wouldn't vote for someone who had a long history of devious behavior in their public and private lives. I do feel, however, that it is a wiser approach to temper the character issue with a broader, practical and more realistic assessment of whether the person is right for the job or not. Sometimes that candidate, who we believe is the best reflection of our particular, individual moral values, ends up not being the best man for the White House...sometimes, it's that other, less than stellar character, who ends up being the best choice.