From the Office of the Right Worshipful Grand Lecturer
CHARACTER AND REPUTATION
It is no secret to Freemasons that character is the greatest of human traits. It is greater that riches, for riches without character may prove a curse. It is greater that social fabric, for, were it not for character, men would fear to associate with one another. It is greater that government, for, without character, government would crumble in the dust, anarchy would triumph, property rights would vanish, food and clothing would be for the strong, marriage would cease to be an institution and women would be the playthings of the powerful. Character is greater than reputation, for reputation may be despoiled and taken from us by an ill-spoken word, but character is ours while life is ours and cannot be lowered by scandal, nor heightened by underserved praise of compliment.
Reputation and character are not synonymous. Reputation is what folks say about us. Character is what we know about ourselves. We make our own character and can mould it at will. Friends and our enemies make reputation. A scandal may blacken reputation in a moment, but character remains ours to be used in living down the poisoned words of the talebearer.
While good name is of inestimable value in our dealings with world, by loss of good name we have lost something of material value only, while, if we retain character, we keep all our spiritual wealth. When character is lost, we lose everything, both material and spiritual, and are poor indeed. Character is symbolic of our attitude toward the laws of God and man. Character is fulfillment of duties we are capable of performing in a worthwhile service.
Building character seems today to be far more difficult that ever because pleasures seem to common, life to free. That is not so. Human nature is pretty much the same generation after generation. Building character has never been, and never will be easy.
Great characters are built in overcoming trails, in surmounting obstacles, in hurdling obstructions, which others say cannot be overcome, in achieving great ends against great odds. We are not to thing of great characters such as George Washington, Freemason, the social lion, the man of wealth, who built character that fateful winter at Valley Forge. Of Abraham Lincoln, the emancipator, who built character when he studied by the light of the fireplace. But character building is not reserved alone for those who go down in the history books. The father, the mother, the teacher may never have their deeds recorded, but each is just as important when it comes to character buildings for it is they who are example for our children who are our greatest possessions and hope.
We can build character by doing things other have done, but we can't build character by doing things merely because other has done them. We can build character by doing the things each of us knows we should do. Lack of instruction is no excuse.