Good character is exemplified in action. Men with good character go out of their way to practice virtues they hold dear to themselves. Virtuous people know how to discern right from wrong and good from evil. This is essential to the foundation of a stable and moral society. As one of our greatest founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, put it, “Nothing is more important for the public wealth than to form and train youth in wisdom and virtue. Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.”
Where I have lived for the past several years, it has become even more apparent how important good character is. My classmates seem to have forgotten or, rather, never been taught what true morally good character entails. I may be painting my classmates with a broad brush, but it doesn’t seem to be a thing of value to the youth. The entire city seems to have fewer and fewer people of good conscious. The consequences of the lack of good character are evermore obvious. The people seem to be living misguided and empty lives full of gossip and slander. There are few acts of genuine goodness. This trend can lead to the deterioration of a functioning and free society in which it is enjoyable to live.
America is great because she is good. What this means is that the American people understand the necessity to have people of good character in order to prolong the freedoms and liberties ordained by God. The ability to maintain a republic and not have it collapse under scandal and corruption has to go to the roots of the country. Therefore, America needs to have people of moral clarity and good character. Our second president, John Adams, said, “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” We must be good neighbors and have a sense of morality to guide policy and determine who we want to lead our great nation.
It is also essential that our leaders have good character as well. One of my favorite authors of today, Eric Metaxas, puts it this way, “If a virtuous people is vital to self-government, as we have established, their virtue cannot help but be affected, in one direction or the other, by the behavior of their leaders. So it follows that leaders—whether political or cultural—may encourage or discourage a wider culture of virtue.” The actions and the behavior of our leaders reflect on all of us. Our youth look up to their leaders and mimic their demeanor.
Good character on a personal level is necessary for friendships, relationships and family, in order to get along with one another and to allow for a trustworthy environment in which these relationships can flourish. On a macro scale, good character provides a foundation for which a stable society can continue to bless its people with freedom and protection. In summary, good character makes good people and allows for a good society.