Character key to addressing current political ills

We have been inundated in the media in recent months by the trials and tribulations that have beset and besieged our nation.

Opinions and reactions have ranged from outrage and disgust to outright apathy. However, no matter where you may fall on the spectrum of popular opinion, I’m fairly certain that the question of how we have gotten to this point as a nation has crossed your mind a time or two.

As a psychologist, as well as a naturally curious person, I found myself asking the same question. While a myriad of possible explanations ran through my mind, one explanation seemed to trump the rest. In my opinion, the underlying issue has to do with character, or more to the point, lack of character.

I believe that the lack of proper character development is a major factor behind the astonishing lack of honesty and integrity that is rampant at virtually every level of our society.

Unfortunately, we don’t hear much these days about programs designed to develop character and integrity, especially with our young people. We hear even less about promoting these values in society at large. Such things as integrity, humility, temperance, and modesty are traits that are best learned young if they are to provide the solid foundation needed to successfully negotiate the often slippery moral and ethical slope that is adult life.

Unfortunately, we live in a society that extols the virtues of power, control, money, and achievement, much of which is accomplished at the expense of character and integrity. We are all the products

of our environments, and this starts in childhood, although it most certainly shouldn’t end there! We create our culture and our society, one decision at a time and we are all ultimately responsible for recreating it, if that is what we choose to do.

It is easy to fault and condemn our leaders, but it is much harder to change our personal habits. Whether we like to admit it or not, our leaders are a product of our culture, which is an extension of all of us. Someone once said that when you point a finger at someone else, there are four pointing back at you.

We all need to take some responsibility for the leaders we elect and the culture we create.

I would like to close by sharing something I first saw posted on a bulletin board at a minimum-security correctional facility where I regularly consult. Ironically, the author’s name is Frank Outlaw and I believe his words speak to the heart of the matter:

“Watch your thoughts, they become your words.

Watch your words, they become your actions.

Watch your actions, they become your habits.

Watch your habits, they become your character.

Watch your character, it becomes your destiny!”

Dr. Raymond Angelini is a licensed psychologist and a business and personal coach. He has been in practice for over 30 years. He specializes in assisting individuals in finding and sustaining careers that are rewarding, life-enhancing, and in keeping with their personal and spiritual values. He can be reached by email at rayangel58@gmail.com or you may visit his website at https://drrayangelini.com.