Character vs Reputation.
Sometimes, in the course of a busy and competitive life, we make a mistake or are falsely
accused of making one. Let’s say that this results in damage to your reputation.
Such an event may occur more often than we like. But often the whole thing is forgotten, and you are free to go on without repercussions.
But there are occasions when the damaged reputation sticks and you are stigmatized. How do you deal with such a depressing and deflating situation? Well, one way is to realize that reputation is not the same as character. “Be more
concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are” (Said by John Wooden, famous coach). Focusing only on what others think can be difficult because there can be many differing opinions. A damaged reputation is not a good thing, but it is not the end of the line.
A lifetime of cultivating a good character has benefits and can buoy you up in tough
times. What are important traits in a good character? Conventional wisdom says a good character has honesty, trustworthiness, compassion for others, reliability, fairness, self-respect, ability to admit mistakes, and commitment to justice. You can think of more.
We need to guard our reputation because it is so valuable, but so is our character. We need to develop values that we want to have within our character for our whole lives. We obviously need to pay attention to our character and what we want it to be.