The Character Ethic vs The Personality Ethic
If you want something you’ve never had, you have to become more than you’ve ever been. Think of the one thing you want more than anything. Maybe it’s a relationship or career opportunity.
Maybe you want to start a certain type of business or achieve an income or health goal. Whatever your goal is, there are two ways you can pursue it. The first way is hard, stressful, unsustainable, and has a high failure rate.
The second way is natural, fulfilling, sustainable, and almost guaranteed to work. Most self-help books articles and other products are based on the first approach. They offer techniques, systems, programs, shortcuts, and other superficial methods. These systems are a dime a dozen, and rarely worth the time or effort.
People who accomplish great things and who live fulfilling lives and sustainable success use the second method: Growth.
Growing for the life you want means developing habits that naturally bring about the life you want. It means replacing your appetite for techniques, systems, programs, shortcuts, and other superficial methods with a genuine love for growth.
This is the difference between what author Steven Covey calls “The Personality Ethic” and “The Character Ethic.” The Personality Ethic focuses on superficial techniques, methods. The Character Ethic focuses on permanent growth and lasting success.
Show Resources
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D Wattles
- The Oversoul by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Episodes in This Series
- Grow for The Life You Want
- The Four Personality Types
- Character Judgment Part I
- Character Judgment Part II