June 2007

George Washington

Several divisions of the Continental Army were constructing defenses between Wallabout Bay and Red Hook in New York. A few soldiers struggled to raise a large timber while a corporal stood by shouting. A gentleman rode up on horseback and asked the corporal why he didn't help the others. "Why, sir!" he replied, "I'm corporal!"

The gentleman sprang from his horse and helped the soldiers finish the job. "Mr. Corporal," he said, "My name is General George Washington."

Congressman Henry Lee later eulogized George Washington: "First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in humble and enduring scenes of private life."

See Beyond Yourself

Since the self-esteem emphasis took off in the 1980s, programs have taught students to think highly of themselves. Educators, coaches, and parents made extra efforts to give unqualified praise and avoid making students feel badly about themselves or their performances.

As this generation grows up, these attitudes become more prominent. In her 2007 book, Generation Me, Jean Twenge, associate professor of psychology at San Diego State University, notes how increased self-esteem does not necessarily correlate with academic performance, and she tracks an increase in narcissism among those who grew up under the self-esteem emphasis. Twenge and her colleagues analyzed 15,234 responses to the Narcissistic Personality Inventory. They found average 2006 college students scored higher in narcissism than 65 percent of 1987 college students.

Narcissism involves a lack of feeling for others, attitudes of entitlement, and belief in one's superiority. These characteristics make it difficult for a person to work with others and maintain relationships. These bad attitudes can appear to varying degrees in anyone's life, regardless of age. Developing humility amid the prevailing self-centeredness requires giving others the respect you would like to receive and taking responsibility without requiring recognition.

Listen carefully, even when coworkers do not return the favor. Do not automatically believe criticism or compliments. Examine others' statements for what you can learn. Recognize those who help you or exert a positive influence in your workplace. Look for good attitudes and character qualities in others, identify the actions that reveal these characteristics, and describe how each person has benefited you.

Avoid inflated language. Overusing "genius," "terrific," "fabulous," and other such words will cheapen their meaning. Give specific examples when the person's words and actions demonstrated the good attitudes and character qualities you want to recognize.

Only when you look outside yourself and consider the principles of good character and the perspectives of others can you escape the prison of your own reflection.

Read more about Humility in this month's bulletin

Character First! Accredited in Romania

After being piloted in over 1,000 classrooms, the Character First! teacher training and curriculum has earned official accreditation in Romania.

Romanian teachers will receive 15 credit hours for a) attending the 4-hour Teacher Orientation Seminar, b) teaching forty-nine character qualities in school, and c) reporting their experience on those forty-nine qualities.

"This training is greatly needed," reported one Romanian educator. "We have learned many things about character which we can apply in the classroom and with our fellow teachers. It is also beneficial for my personal, familial life."

To learn more about the Character First! Teacher Training and curriculum, visit our store:
Teacher Training DVD set
Elementary and Secondary Teacher's Binders

Douglas County, Georgia

Former Georgia State Representative Bob Snelling attended the April 1999, International Association of Character Cities Conference and when he returned home, he hosted a Character Breakfast in May of the same year.

More than 100 political and civic leaders attended that breakfast, and the character initiative rapidly spread throughout Douglas County, Georgia.

The county, two cities, and the board of education all passed unanimous resolutions declaring Douglas County a Community of Character. By December, the Character Council of Douglas County was organized and functioning. In addition to the breakfast, the Character Council began granting scholarships to students of good character.

This year, the entire staff of the Douglas County Sheriff's Department joined the character emphasis. "The effort has been worth it. Many in our community now know of our work. We have [support] from many quarters." Snelling said. "In particular, the school system is pleased to know an organization outside the required in-school character training network is emphasizing the importance of training good character in other venues."

To learn about starting a Character Council in your community, visit: http://www.charactercities.org/ccn/