Character

Character. The Oxford Dictionary defines the word as “the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual”, “the distinctive nature of something”, “and the quality of being individual”. Personally, I have developed my own definition for what I think someone with good character has. While these traits may not be the all-or-nothing formula to becoming someone with good character, I certainly believe that loyalty, passion, and modesty are three of the most important aspects in what I consider to be an admirable person.

Loyalty. The dictionary says it is “the quality of being loyal to someone or something” and “a strong feeling of support or allegiance”. To me, loyalty means that one is true and unwavering to another person. To be loyal is to be actively there for people and to support them. My most loyal friend, Katie, does all of that and more. I have known her since 6^th grade and together we went through many of the same experiences, such as hard science classes, orchestra, volleyball, and so much more. Having been the new kid, Katie was one of the first people to be nice to me and even invited me to her birthday party, which was a big deal in middle school. Through the years, even though I have gotten closer and grown apart with various different friend groups, Katie has always been one of my closest friends and has consistently been there for me. No matter what happened in my life, I knew that I could always count on Katie to understand my feelings. She supported me through some of my hardest times, and I am continually thankful for her everyday and try to be equally as loyal to Katie as she has been to me. Katie taught me what true loyalty meant, and how meaningful my loyalty could be to someone else.

Passion. In the dictionary, passion is “an intense desire or enthusiasm for something”. In my life, passion is my driving force, the thing that keeps me going. I am passionate about individuality and creativity. Pursuing my own originality has helped me find a purpose in life, as I always try to look at things with a creative twist or a unique viewpoint. My friend Allie is actually the one who inspired me to find my own passion. For as long as I have known her, Allie has always loved movies and films more than anything else. She’s that friend who always asks you to go to the movies, watches the movie so intently that you might not be able to remember the last time she blinked, and afterwards rattle endlessly about the hidden symbolism and significance embedded in the movie while you stare back at her wondering if you both even watched the same movie. Her passion for movies is so inspirational that it motivates me to develop my own passion for creativity. Our passions are push us forward and keep up moving; without them, people would not have a clear direction of what they want.

Modesty. The dictionary definition? It is “the quality or state of being unassuming or moderate in the estimation of one’s abilities”. My definition of modesty is that someone is humble and understanding. I never clearly thought about this trait until I read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when Sirius Black said my favorite quote of all time, “if you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.” Of course, in the book, Sirius was talking about how wizards should treat house elves, which are considered “lower” than wizards, but I thought the line applied to my everyday life and changed my entire way of thinking. No one is really “lower” than anyone else in today’s world, so to me the line really means that humans should maintain a certain level of humility and treat everyone of equal respect. After all, no matter what physical or mental qualities a person has, that person is no better than the next. Understanding each other is instrumental in not only realizing our differences, but also in identifying our similarities.

So, to me, good character = loyalty + passion + modesty. It seems so simple and straightforward that after writing these past few paragraphs, I was a little disappointed in myself. Are my standards too low? Is it really so easy to have good character? I looked back at the definitions of character, and realized that a key ingredient was missing from the recipe: individuality. Katie, Allie, and Sirius Black all taught me something valuable that allowed me to open my eyes and look at the world in a different way. Now, I need to open my eyes and look back on the person I am and want to become. My individuality is not something Katie, Allie, nor Sirius Black could teach me. Instead, I need to figure out what it means to be Jenn and develop my own character.