Understanding Character PDF

Understanding Character MAIN IDEA​ ​A person’s character demonstrates his or her values and beliefs. Do you tell the truth? Do you do what you say you will do? Do you show your family and friends that you care about them? These are some signs of good character​.​ A person’s character shows in demon...

Understanding Character MAIN IDEA​ ​A person’s character demonstrates his or her values and beliefs. Do you tell the truth? Do you do what you say you will do? Do you show your family and friends that you care about them? These are some signs of good character​.​ A person’s character shows in demonstrations of core values such as trust, respect, and responsibility. Good character is an important part of a healthy identity. Your character also affects your physical, mental/emotional, and social health. Physical activity, healthy eating, and safety habits show respect for your body and your physical health. Being honest and reliable builds strong friendships and family relationships. Showing kindness to and caring for others helps you get along with the people in your life. Six Traits of Good Character Groups function best when each member demonstrates good character. You are a member of many groups, like a family, a sports team, or friends. In order for everyone to get along, they need to have good character traits. The six basic traits of good character include: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Trustworthiness​ If you are honest, loyal, and do what you say you are going to do, you earn people’s trust. This is trustworthiness. You show the courage to do the right thing, and you don’t lie, steal, or cheat. At times you may find it difficult to behave in ways that you feel are right. For example, a friend may ask you to do something that goes against your ethical values, such as using tobacco or drinking alcohol. You might be tempted in order to keep the friend. If you say no to remain true to your values, you show integrity​. Respect​ You show respect by being considerate of others and accepting their differences. You make decisions that show you care about yourself and others. Having respect for others does not mean that you must agree with everything that another person says or does. With respect you show tolerance and avoid prejudice​. Responsibility​ You hold yourself accountable for your choices, decisions, and actions. Accountability is a willingness to answer for your actions and decisions. You think about consequences before you act. Fairness​ You play by the rules, take turns, and share. You listen to others. You do not take advantage of other people or blame them when things don’t go the way you expect. Caring​ You show that you are kind and considerate of others. Caring includes showing gratitude and helping others. Citizenship​ You show respect for authority and interest in the world around you, including the health and safety at school and in your community. You share this respect with advocacy​. READING CHECK Identify​ What are the six traits of good character? What Shapes Your Character? MAIN IDEA​ ​Your life experiences and role models shape your character. Many influences shape your character. From an early age, you learn values from your family members. As you mature, you make your own choices about what kind of character you will have. Do you value honesty in others? You may choose to always be honest. Do you see fairness around you? You may choose to be fair. You may learn that you appreciate kindness in others, and choose to be kind. You choose and practice to have good character. Life Experiences Character is shaped by your family and the people around you. If you learned to share and respect your brothers or sisters, you learned fairness and respect. As you grow older and begin school, your teachers, other adults, and friends can shape your character. When you find someone you trust, you learn about being trustworthy. At school, you learn to be responsible for your schoolwork to follow the rules, and to care for others. As you learn about your community and environment, you learn about citizenship. Role Models One way to learn about character is to watch and listen to others. You learn to model your actions by examples. A teacher may be a good role model of responsibility, honesty, and fairness. A coach might model trustworthiness, citizenship, and respect. A family member may be a model of caring and responsibility. READING CHECK Explain​ Who are the first teachers of character? Developing Good Character MAIN IDEA​ ​Good character means making good choices. As you watch, listen to, and learn from others, you choose the traits you want to demonstrate your character. You develop character that becomes a way of life and a part of who you are. For example, if you do your family chores, you demonstrate responsibility. If you listen to different points of view, you demonstrate respect. When you help a person in need, you demonstrate caring and kindness. Demonstrating good character is a choice. If you choose to be honest, you will tell the truth and you will not cheat. If you obey the rules and respect authority, you are choosing citizenship. You practice making choices to demonstrate good character. Good character is something anyone can choose. The more you practice the traits you value, the more they become a part of your character. READING CHECK Analyze​ What are two ways to develop good character? Teen’s Role Models​ A UCLA School of Public Health study showed that teens who have a role model had a higher self-esteem than those without role models. The study asked 750 teens if they had a role model. Fifty-six percent said they did. Girls most often named a parent or relative as a role model, while boys named a sports star or other public figure.